SOLON ROBINSON, 1845 411 



done will relieve the state from one portion of her debt, 

 I shall believe that she does not intend ever to pay any 

 part of it. There is a Court House at Ottawa, built when 

 the whole country were building castles on credit, at an 

 expense of $36,000. As an evidence of very uncommon 

 taste in this treeless country, I notice the yard set with 

 shade trees. As usual in all western towns, where land 

 was so dear and scarce, the streets are narrow and lots 

 small. Even the principal hotel, to save room upon the 

 surface of such valuable lots, has its dining room below. 

 I attended a thinly attended scientific lecture at a neg- 

 lected looking Mechanic's hall ; at which I did not wonder, 

 as all interest and conversation seems to be centered upon 

 "canal! canal! canal!" 



On the 8th of Jan. I ferried the Illinois in a most vio- 

 lent snow storm, and amid floating ice, being impelled 

 to do so by the prospect that in an hour more all chance 

 of crossing would be at an end, except upon the ice, which 

 in several instances had already caused the loss of sev- 

 eral teams this winter; and of the two dangers I chose 

 the least and got safe over. But not so at an unbridged 

 creek, three miles along the river road, where the ice 

 gave way and gave me an upset into the water, mud and 

 ice. That such a creek on such a road so near such a 

 town, should remain for years unbridged is not singular, 

 for whoever knew little works attended to where great 

 ones, like this great canal, absorbed all minds. But for 

 my consolation for my misfortune, I was assured that 

 hundreds had met with worse ones at the same place. 

 The great neglect of roads that manifests itself through- 

 out this country, goes far towards creating a prejudice 

 with strangers against any new country they are passing 

 through. 



I spent the night with a very intelligent farmer by the 

 name of Baldwin, at "Farm ridge" on the Vermillion. 

 Here is a settlement of Connecticut farmers, who have 

 brought abundance of enterprise and industry with them, 

 as is manifest by the appearance of good houses, barns 



