250 HILLS AND LAKES. 



Some fifty years ago, she opened the line fence that 

 was on the outside of her, and when it was built up 

 again, Florida and Louisiana, with their millions upon 

 millions of acres, land enough for half a dozen king- 

 doms, was on the inside of it. Another gap was 

 opened, four or five years ago, and the State of Texas 

 was fenced into the enclosure. Later still, the old line 

 fence was pulled away, and when it was built up 

 again, it had nearly as much again of territory inside 

 of it, as it had before, and all the wonderful gold 

 mines of Californy, in the bargain ; and now while she 

 holds fast to all this, she's talkin' about fencin' in 

 Cuba and the whole of Mexico, and lookin' on the 

 other side, even of them, to see what lays over there, 

 to be speculated on, when she's secured them. 



" This country, Squire, ain't like any other country 

 in the world. Its airly history ain't like the history 

 of any other. Its first settlers warn't like the settlers 

 of any other, and its people ain't like any other people. 

 This warn't a country, when it was wild and nateral 

 like, that folks could come to, and live easy, and get 

 rich quick. There warn't any gold or silver mines, to 

 fill their money-bags with, nor weak people to be 

 plundered of their wealth, nor rich nations to be 



