92 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
NOTES OF TRAVEL IN THE WEST. 
BY SOLON ROBINSON. 
January 1, 1845—My old acquaintances, the Editors and read¬ 
ers of the Cultivator, I hope will be pleased to see that I have 
risen with the sun, who shines forth this morning with all the 
beauty and much of the warmth of a May morning, not only to 
wish them a single “happy new year,” but with the intent of 
devoting many weeks, perhaps months, in daily intercourse, 
and agreeable conversation. 
In my card introductory, which I have printed for the occa¬ 
sion, I announce myself as “ Traveling Correspondent of the 
Cultivator,” and in that capacity I hope to make my notes of 
travel, as I proceed through the South Western States, some¬ 
what interesting to both Eastern and Wes’ern readers. 
So far, this has been a remarkably mild and pleasant winter; 
almost without snow, and no very severe cold weather; and 
now the warm sun bids fair to carry oil the little ice already 
formed. Bad weather for the growing wheat, which does not 
look so well as it did last year, and so far as my observation 
extends, there are not as many acres growing. 
Now, Messrs. Editors, and you my dear old friends who have 
so often told me that you delighted to read my letters from the 
West, let me in fancy seat you by my side in my buggy, wrap 
you in Buffalo skins to protect you from the prairie blast, give 
the word to a pair of excellent mares, (by the bye, I always 
prefer mares for work,) and we will leave the home of your old 
friend upon this new day of a new year, and in the course of 
our long ride, we shall see many things that will be new and 
strange to you as well as me. The top of the ground is slightly 
thawed, and has the appearance and consistency of a first rate 
article of “ paste blacking,” ready prepared for use; and al- 
ihough we may get an over supply on coats as well as boots, 
be not alarmed ; it will “rub off when it gets dry ;” and even if 
it did not, it will not give us a very singular appearance, for in 
this respect, all men (travelers) are equal. 
The first object of importance that meets our view, is a new 
church, crowned with the cross, that tells us that we are in the 
midst of a thriving settlement of Prussian Germans, thousands 
of whom are annually occupying the tens of thousands of va¬ 
cant acres of land in this country. They are generally men of 
but moderate means, and content themselves with second rate 
Land, and conduct their farming operations upon a small and 
rude plan, and adopt the improvements in agriculture of their 
go-ahead Yankee neighbors with slow caution. Yet there are 
some things that we may learn of them. If they do not go over 
as much ground, they generally doit better. They almost uni¬ 
versally use oxen instead of horses; and what is more, you will 
find their rude log stables plastered up with mud, so that they 
are as warm and comfortable as their own dwellings, and com¬ 
paratively more neat; for it must be said that the inside of 
their houses often presents such an appearance in regard to 
neatness and comfort, as would be “ shocking” to some of my 
down East lady friends, who look upon a log cabin at best, as a 
name synonymous with every degree of discomfort. 
Eight miles from home, we cross the western line of Indiana, 
and enter upon the eastern borders of the great prairie State of 
Illinois, over hills, and through ravines and deep dells, that 
will give the lie to that preconceived idea that the dwellers up¬ 
on our broad prairies, inhabit one vast level plain. This part 
of the State (Will county,) is thinly timbered, and dotted with 
farms, all of which have sprung into existence within the last 
ten years, at which time 1 knew it as one vast wilderness. I 
spent the night in the hospitable mansion of Dr. Hitchcock, 
late postmaster of “ Crete,” but who, like many others of the 
devoted friends of agricultural improvement, who never abused 
the franking privilege, but sometimes used it to advance that 
science, has been thrust aside to make room for a more active 
politician. I visited the Doctor some two years ago, and found 
him in a very small log cabin, standing upon an unenclosed 
waste of prairie ; and now I find him in a snug frame house, 
surrounded by a large well enclosed farm. Most of his fence is 
laid straight, the ends of the rails fastened by short blocks, 
which he prefers as a saving of timber, (a very important item) 
to the common worm fence. I objected to this, as less substan¬ 
tial than worm fence, but he assures me that when well staked, 
and with heavy riders, the wind has no effect upon it, and be¬ 
ing straight, he can plow closer, and thus give his fields a bet¬ 
ter appearance His lady-like eastern wife, is just such an one 
as is calculated to make the '‘new home in the West” com¬ 
fortable. I found the whole house carpeted with the most beau¬ 
tiful rag carpet I ever saw, all the work of her own hands. 
The 2d of January, like the day previous, was another lovely 
day, for which I was thankful, as I had a dozen miles across an 
open unsettled prairie, which must long remain unsettled, un¬ 
less cultivated without fence, or else by some as yet undiscov¬ 
ered method of fencing; for the settlements are already as 
much extended from the groves upon each side as circumstan¬ 
ces will admit, and the experiment of sod fence, I look upon as 
a total failure. Twelve miles from Juliet, we strike the 
“ Hickory Creek Settlement,” one of the oldest in this part of 
the State, possessing a fine body of timber, good mill privileges 
excellent prairie, and many well improved farms, the new hou¬ 
ses and barns upon which show a thriving Yankee population; 
there are but few orchards coming forward, and in many cases 
where houses are situated upon the bleak prairie, there is not a 
tree or shrub visible. This is a neglect that I cannot too high¬ 
ly censure. Neither can I too highly censure an almost equal 
neglect to make good roads through so good a country. 
Juliet.— This town is situated upon the “ Riviere des Planes,” 
Ca good sized mill stream,) 40 miles south-westerly from Chi¬ 
cago, and containing about 1,500 inhabitants, many of whom, 
are to all appearance, “ hanging on” to the long deferred hope 
that the Illinois canal that follows the bank of the river, and 
divides this wide spread straggling village, will soon be recom¬ 
menced, and restore them to that prosperity that originally 
built up the place, and in fancy made many rich, and in reality 
made more poor. The village is situated upon a most sterile 
limestone rock, covered with,barely soil enough to sustain a 
little grass, and every thing around shows evident signs, that 
through this mile wide valley, once rolled Niagara’s mighty 
flood, at that period of long past time before the waters had 
passed the northern boundary at Lhe heights of Queenston, and 
the thunders of the great falls were as yet unheard and un¬ 
known. 
One of the most creditable things that I can say of Juliet, or 
of her half and half dead and alive population, is that during 
the last summer one of her enterprising citizens, (the Hon. J. 
A. Mattison,) has put in operation a small woolen manufacto¬ 
ry, containing at present four sattinet and one broadcloth loom 
and other machinery, all finished and operated in the best man¬ 
ner. By the way, I would hpre say to you that this good firm, 
fine homespun suit that you see I am dressed in, was colored 
and dressed at this establishment- As such manufactories are 
real blessings to this “ to be” great wool country, I hope the 
proprietor will be greatly blessed in his undertaking. 
After finishing some business that detained me 24 hours here, 
I set off in the afternoon of the 3d, to visit one of the largest 
farms that I know of in this part of the State, situated about 14 
miles westerly, most of the way across open prairie. Unlike 
the two previous pleasant days, this was one that would give 
us an idea of what a “ gentle prairie breeze” was like. The 
first two or three miles lay between the river and “ bluff,” a 
high bank of limestone rock, composed of flat layers from one 
inch to one foot thick, and affording a most inexhaustible sup¬ 
ply of materials for building and fencing, but as yet little used 
for the latter. As I passed up a ravine through this bluff, and 
came out upon the high prairie, with the wind “ dead ahead,” 
and blowing most beautifully strong and cool, I almost wished 
myself again by my own warm hearth, and the enterprise that 
[ have undertaken, committed to other hands, supported by a 
stronger constitution. Here, when the wind blew almost strong 
enough to start the hair off my horses, were situated several 
farms, miles away from timber, treeless, barnless, shedless and 
shelterless for cattle, which stood drawn up into the smallest 
possible dimensions, under the lee side of a rail fence, while 
the owner was perhaps complaining that “ this is not a good 
country for cattle ” 
Passing a little grove, and less villdge, called Plainfield, on 
a stream called the Du Page/and upon which there are many 
fine farms, I struck out again upon the prairie, where I found 
a variety of what the people are pleased to call roads, none of 
which seemed to lead toward that point of compass that I 
thought I ought to go, and therefore I concluded that I would 
not follow either, and boldly struck off upon the trackless prai¬ 
rie just at sundown, lor a four miles drive. Taking, as I have 
often done before, the wind for my guide, which unlike some 
friends at some other time, this time proved unchanging, and 
conducted me safely to my point, without accident, except a 
slight harness break, while performing that very common feat 
in this country, jumping a deep creek, before the era of roads 
and bridges. 
After my cool ride, I met with a warm reception in the very 
comfortable cabin of Major Wm. Noble Davis, (Ausable-grove, 
Kendall county, Illinois,) whose farm is situated about 2 miles 
from that beautiful stream, the well known and oft described 
Fox river, and 40 miles from the great commercial point of all 
this country, Chicago. The Major, (I insist upon giving him 
his rather questionable title, as he as well as every body else 
hereabouts, insist upon bestowing upon me the title of 
“Judge,”) located upon this lovely spot about ten years ago, 
and by the purchase of an “Indian Reserve,” secured about 
500 acres of timber, that is now worth from $30 to $50 an acre. 
To this he has added about 1500 acres of as fine rolling prairie 
as fancy could wish, about 1100 acres of which is under sub¬ 
stantial rail fences, mostly divided into lots of 80 acres each, 
all having suitable watering places for stock, which in the 
shape of horses, hogs, cattle and sheep, particularly the latter, 
abound in proportion to the size of the farm. Indeed, I believe 
he intends in time to make a sheep farm that will produce an 
amount of wool that will make some of the down east 100 acre 
farmers look with wonder, and wonder if such things can be. 
He has one little patch of Kentucky blue grass, of 160 acres. 
He has as yet but one barn, but that is a most noble one ; but 
let me tell you, his cattle and sheep are not under the necessity 
of lashing themselves to the fence to keep from blowing away, 
for he has erected “cheap sheds” enough to shelter every hoof. 
He intends in the course of a couple of years more to get the re¬ 
mainder of his prairie under fence and in cultivation or seeded 
down to grass,and then with a well fenced 1500acre farm—well 
what then do you think he intends to do? why, then he intends 
to bui d a house and get married. For be it known, and ye down 
east marriageable girls take notice, that this Illinois grandee is 
not yet a very old Batchelor, only 36, fine looking, full of life, 
and as soon as he can get a nice, “snug little farm” ready, 
will also be ready to give you a call. But not till after “ the 
new house advent.” For be it known to his thousand and one 
eastern acquaintances, that he now lives in a log cabin that 
would be a rare show to some of his Broadway friends. 
Major Davis has introduced some fine improved horses, cat¬ 
tle and sheep, the benefits to the country from which, will be 
long felt by others as well as himself. He has also set an exam- 
Iple in the way of fruit trees- well worthy *o followed. As I 
