SOLON ROBINSON, 1847 59 



starved to death. There had been during this summer so 

 great a scarcity of horse feed in all this Northern region, 

 that oats sold readily by the load, at 8 or 10 shillings a 

 bushel ; at which price I sold out a stock that I had pro- 

 vided for feed and seed, but which I had not been able to 

 sow, because I was like all new settlers, who invariably 

 lay out twice as much work as they can do. The first 

 school in the county was kept by the widow Holton this 

 winter at her house — she had 3 scholars. 



In the winter of '35 & 6 wheat on La Porte Prairie was 

 worth $1.50 a bushel & not half enough raised to supply 

 the great demand occasioned by the influx of emigrants, 

 so that most of the Lake County settlers had to draw their 

 provisions from the Wabash during the summer of 1836. 

 Up to March of this year our nearest post office was 

 Michigan City, but having applied for it through our two 

 Senators at Washington, with both of whom I happened 

 to be well acquainted, I was appointed post master & the 

 office was named "Lake Court House." During the first 

 year I had to supply the office with the mail at my own 

 expense from Michigan City for the proceeds of the office. 

 I need not tell you that it was not a money making con- 

 tract. The receipts up to Oct. 1 were $15 — the next quar- 

 ter $8.87, but the 3^^ quarter shows a rapid gain for it 

 amounts to $21.49. After this, the seat of justice for 

 Lake County having been temporarily established here, a 

 contract was ordered to supply this office weekly from La 

 Porte & was taken by John H. Bradley at I think $450 a 

 year. The re'c'ts of the quarter ending June 30th, 1837 

 were $26.92. The next which ended Sep. 30th— $43.50. 

 The next $38.20. The first qr. of 1838 was $51.33. The 

 next $51.39 and that appears to be the largest sum ever 

 received in one quarter while I held the office. 



But let us return and take up the events as they tran- 

 spire : 



In the spring of 1836 we were attached to Porter 

 County, the commissioners of which divided this county 

 into three townships & ordered an election for a Justice 



