56 A SUCCESSFUL SETTLER. 



They brought with them a pair of oxen, a mare, some few 

 household utensils, a waggon, and two axes. They stopped 

 near a " grove," and built themselves a shanty or log hut. In 

 addition to the general stock, one of the brothers had a fur hat 

 which, after his arrival, he " traded " for a breeding sow. They 

 worked away, gathered live stock, there being no limit to the 

 liberty of grazing, drove them great distances to market, and 

 accumulated money. As the money gathered they bought up 

 all the land they could get at the government sales, at 5s. an 

 acre, continued their stock farming, and now send 100 fat cat- 

 tle weekly to New York market, during the fall season after 

 the cattle are fat. One of the brothers is believed to have now, 

 in this prudent way, acquired land worth a quarter of a million 

 sterling. 



The soil in all this district is a rich black sandy loam, lying 

 in fine gentle sweeps, admirably adapted for carrying on with 

 ease and economy all the operations of husbandry, and, to use 

 the phrase of the country, is very " handsome " prairie. 



On my return to Bloomington I had an opportunity of learn- 

 ing something of the banking system of the country. The law 

 permits any man, or company, who can purchase 10,000/. worth 

 of State stock to issue bank notes. He deposits this stock with 

 the treasurer of the State as security for the liquidation of the 

 notes, and is then authorised to issue his own notes to the ex- 

 tent of 9000Z., which are countersigned by the auditor of the 

 State. These notes he lends out to his customers at the cur- 

 rent rates of interest. The notes are payable in gold on de- 

 mand, and if payment is refused, the holder protests the notes 

 and carries them to the State auditor, who is in that case em- 

 powered to sell so much of the deposited stock as may be re- 

 quisite to liquidate the protested notes. Thus if the State stock 

 is convertible at or near par, the note-holder is always safe : 

 and the banker makes an excellent business of it, as he receives 



