140 
ing, destitute of springs and running streams. The prairies especially 
adapted to grain growing, and possessing the richest soil in the West, are 
often settled upon without hesitation, and the task of obtaining water by 
digging is cheerfully undertaken. The uncjrtainty in regard to the 
depth required to obtain water, and the sand beds under-lying the soil 
generally require the precaution of curbing as the digging progresses— 
this is now done with sawed oak stuff one and a half inches thick, and 
varying in width from four to eight inches. In the early settlement of 
the country oak stuff split and cut into pieces of suitable length, which, 
is four or five feet, were used. A practice has also prevailed of stoning 
the well inside of the curbing, allowing it to remain ; but there is a se¬ 
rious objection to this practice, the water will taste unpleasant in contact 
with the wood, and sooner or later the curbing will decay. There is no 
way to remedy the matter but to take out the curbing as the well is 
stoned up. It requires more labor to be sure, but it will be enough bet¬ 
ter to pay all the extra cost. It is contended by some that water can be 
found near the surface in most places, by means of the divining rod, and 
it is useless labor to sink such deep wells as are to be found in many 
parts of the country. This may be true, but I have never seen a suffi¬ 
cient number of successful experiments made by water philosophers to 
establish me in this belief. Where rock is encountered in sinking a well, 
which often happens, it will be found most expeditious and least expen¬ 
sive, in my opinion, to make an artesian well. Notwithstanding many 
object to these wells they answer an excellent purpose. Such wells are 
made larger in diameter at the present time than they were a few years 
since, and are far less liable to objections on that account. They are 
very numerous in some parts of Wisconsin: Koshkonong prairie abounds 
with them, and many parts of Dane County, some of which penetrate 
to the depth of one hundred feet. I have often conversed with those 
who are well acquainted with them, having used them for many years, 
and they universally say that they have little trouble or inconvenience 
with them; occasionally a bucket breaks loose, but it can be easily fished 
up again with a small line and a good sized fish hook. The cost of such 
wells is from $1 to $1,75 per foot. 
A few acres broken up, fenced, and cropped with wheat, a house equal 
' to the means at hand for building, and perchance a well, were the full 
•extent of the first year’s improvements made by early settlers in this 
