Trip to the West and Texas: comprising a journey of eight thousand miles, through New-York, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Louisiana and Texas, in the autumn and winter of 1834-5. — John Shaqi
Trip to the West and Texas: comprising a journey of eight thousand miles, through New-York, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Louisiana and Texas, in the autumn and winter of 1834-5.Parker, A. A. (Amos Andrew)
History
Trip to the West and Texas: comprising a journey of eight thousand miles, through New-York, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Louisiana and Texas, in the autumn and winter of 1834-5.
Parker, A. A. (Amos Andrew)
Frontier and pioneer life -- Mississippi River Valley; Frontier and pioneer life -- Texas; Mississippi River Valley -- Description and travel; Texas -- Description and travel; Texas -- History -- Revolution, 1835-1836
Men are apt to judge of a new country by the impulse of feeling. The
enthusiastic admirer of nature, when he beholds the extended prairies,
lofty groves and pellucid streams, represents it as a perfect paradise.
But those who think more of good roads, good coaches, good houses
and good eating, than they do of the beauties of nature, curse the
whole country and quit it in disgust. But to prevent all mistakes,
be it known to all whom it may concern, that in this new country,
fields do not grow ready fenced and planted, and elegant houses beside
them; pancakes are not found on trees, or roasted pigs, running about
squealing to be eaten.
The jaundiced eye sees nothing in its true light.
----"The diff'rence is as great between
The optics seeing, as the object seen;
Or fancy's beam enlarges, multiplies,
Contracts, inverts, and gives a thousand dyes."
Many anecdotes were told me, of the different views the same individual
would have of the same place, under different circumstances. An
emigrant from Vermont, with his wife, children and goods, started for
the western world in a wagon. The country was new, and the roads so bad
that their progress was slow and fatiguing. At length, after enduring
many privations and hardships in a journey of twelve hundred miles,
they safely arrived in Illinois, and located themselves on a fine, rich
spot of ground, in the interior. He hastily threw up a temporary hut
for their present accommodation; but they were all too much wearied and
worn, vigorously to exert themselves. He became sad himself; his wife,
unable to restrain her feelings, began to sob aloud, and the children
joined the concert. They could not divert their thoughts from the home,
neighbors and friends they had left. The prairie and wild wood had no
charms for them. After three or four days of despondency, they picked
up their goods, loaded their wagon, and trudged all the way back again
to Vermont. Vermont had, however, lost _some_ of its charms. It did
not appear quite so fine as they had expected. After spending another
cold winter there, they began to think Illinois, upon the whole, was
the better place; and that they had been very foolish in leaving it.
So, they picked up their duds again, returned to the same spot they
had left, and were satisfied, contented and happy. The man has now an
excellent farm, good house, and an abundance of the necessaries and
conveniences of life. In short, he is an independent farmer, and would
not now, upon any consideration, return to Vermont.
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