north america-1-第37节

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ng　on　the　land　the　value　of　a　certain　amount　of　labor；　he　cannot　be　removed。　　He　cannot　be　removed　for　a　term　of　years；　and　then　if　he　pays　the　price　of　the　land　it　becomes　his　own　with　an　indefeasible　title。　　Many　such　settlements　are　made　on　the　purchase　of　warrants　for　land。　　Soldiers　returning　from　the　Mexican　wars　were　donated　with　warrants　for　landthe　amount　being　160　acres；　or　the　quarter　of　a　section。　　The　localities　of　such　lands　were　not　specified；　but　the　privilege　granted　was　that　of　occupying　any　quarter…section　not　hitherto　tenanted。　　It　will；　of　course；　be　understood　that　lands　favorably　situated　would　be　tenanted。　　Those　contiguous　to　railways　were　of　course　so　occupied；　seeing　that　the　lines　were　not　made　till　the　lands　were　in　the　hands　of　the　companies。　　It　may　therefore　be　understood　of　what　nature　would　be　the　traffic　in　these　warrants。　　The　owner　of　a　single　warrant　might　find　it　of　no　value　to　him。　　To　go　back　utterly　into　the　woods；　away　from　river　or　road；　and　there　to　commence　with　160　acres　of　forest；　or　even　of　prairie；　would　be　a　hopeless　task　even　to　an　American　settler。　　Some　mode　of　transport　for　his　produce　must　be　found　before　his　produce　would　be　of　valuebefore；　indeed；　he　could　find　the　means　of　living。　　But　a　company　buying　up　a　large　aggregate　of　such　warrants　would　possess　the　means　of　making　such　allotments　valuable　and　of　reselling　them　at　greatly　increased　prices。　The　primary　settler；　thereforewho；　however；　will　not　usually　have　been　the　primary　ownergoes　to　work　upon　his　land　amid　all　the　wildness　of　nature。　　He　levels　and　burns　the　first　trees；　and　raises　his　first　crop　of　corn　amid　stumps　still　standing　four　or　five　feet　above　the　soil；　but　he　does　not　do　so　till　some　mode　of　conveyance　has　been　found　for　him。　　So　much　I　have　said　hoping　to　explain　the　mode　in　which　the　frontier　speculator　paves　the　way　for　the　frontier　agriculturist。　　But　the　permanent　farmer　very　generally　comes　on　the　land　as　the　third　owner。　　The　first　settler　is　a　rough　fellow；　and　seems　to　be　so　wedded　to　his　rough　life　that　he　leaves　his　land　after　his　first　wild　work　is　done；　and　goes　again　farther　off　to　some　untouched　allotment。　　He　finds　that　he　can　sell　his　improvements　at　a　profitable　rate　and　takes　the　price。　He　is　a　preparer　of　farms　rather　than　a　farmer。　　He　has　no　love　for　the　soil　which　his　hand　has　first　turned。　　He　regards　it　merely　as　an　investment；　and　when　things　about　him　are　beginning　to　wear　an　aspect　of　comfort；　when　his　property　has　become　valuable；　he　sells　it；　packs　up　his　wife　and　little　ones；　and　goes　again　into　the　woods。　　The　Western　American　has　no　love　for　his　own　soil　or　his　own　house。　　The　matter　with　him　is　simply　one　of　dollars。　　To　keep　a　farm　which　he　could　sell　at　an　advantage　from　any　feeling　of　affectionfrom　what　we　should　call　an　association　of　ideaswould　be　to　him　as　ridiculous　as　the　keeping　of　a　family　pig　would　be　in　an　English　farmer's　establishment。　　The　pig　is　a　part　of　the　farmer's　stock　in　trade；　and　must　go　the　way　of　all　pigs。　　And　so　is　it　with　house　and　land　in　the　life　of　the　frontier　man　in　the　Western　States。　But　yet　this　man　has　his　romance；　his　high　poetic　feeling；　and　above　all　his　manly　dignity。　　Visit　him；　and　you　will　find　him　without　coat　or　waistcoat；　unshorn；　in　ragged　blue　trowsers　and　old　flannel　shirt；　too　often　bearing　on　his　lantern　jaws　the　signs　of　ague　and　sickness；　but　he　will　stand　upright　before　you　and　speak　to　you　with　all　the　ease　of　a　lettered　gentleman　in　his　own　library。　　All　the　odious　incivility　of　the　republican　servant　has　been　banished。　　He　is　his　own　master；　standing　on　his　own　threshold；　and　finds　no　need　to　assert　his　equality　by　rudeness。　He　is　delighted　to　see　you；　and　bids　you　sit　down　on　his　battered　bench　without　dreaming　of　any　such　apology　as　an　English　cottier　offers　to　a　Lady　Bountiful　when　she　calls。　　He　has　worked　out　his　independence；　and　shows　it　in　every　easy　movement　of　his　body。　　He　tells　you　of　it　unconsciously　in　every　tone　of　his　voice。　　You　will　always　find　in　his　cabin　some　newspaper；　some　book；　some　token　of　advance　in　education。　　When　he　questions　you　about　the　old　country　he　astonishes　you　by　the　extent　of　his　knowledge。　　I　defy　you　not　to　feel　that　he　is　superior　to　the　race　from　whence　he　has　sprung　in　England　or　in　Ireland。　　To　me　I　confess　that　the　manliness　of　such　a　man　is　very　charming。　　He　is　dirty；　and；　perhaps；　squalid。　His　children　are　sick　and　he　is　without　comforts。　　His　wife　is　pale；　and　you　think　you　see　shortness　of　life　written　in　the　faces　of　all　the　family。　　But　over　and　above　it　all　there　is　an　independence　which　sits　gracefully　on　their　shoulders；　and　teaches　you　at　the　first　glance　that　the　man　has　a　right　to　assume　himself　to　be　your　equal。　　It　is　for　this　position　that　the　laborer　works；　bearing　hard　words　and　the　indignity　of　tyranny；　suffering　also　too　often　the　dishonest　ill　usage　which　his　superior　power　enables　the　master　to　inflict。　〃I　have　lived　very　rough；〃　I　heard　a　poor　woman　say；　whose　husband　had　ill　used　and　deserted　her。　　〃I　have　known　what　it　is　to　be　hungry　and　cold；　and　to　work　hard　till　my　bones　have　ached。　　I　only　wish　that　I　might　have　the　same　chance　again。　　If　I　could　have　ten　acres　cleared　two　miles　away　from　any　living　being；　I　could　be　happy　with　my　children。　　I　find　a　kind　of　comfort　when　I　am　at　work　from　daybreak　to　sundown；　and　know　that　it　is　all　my　own。〃　　I　believe　that　life　in　the　backwoods　has　an　allurement　to　those　who　have　been　used　to　it　that　dwellers　in　cities　can　hardly　comprehend。　From　Milwaukee　we　went　across　Wisconsin；　and　reached　the　Mississippi　at　La　Crosse。　　From　hence；　according　to　agreement；　we　were　to　start　by　steamer　at　once　up　the　river。　　But　we　were　delayed　again；　as　had　happened　to　us　before　on　Lake　Michigan　at　Grand　Haven。

CHAPTER　X。　THE　UPPER　MISSISSIPPI。

It　had　been　promised　to　us　that　we　should　start　from　La　Crosse　by　the　river　steamer　immediately　on　our　arrival　there；　but；　on　reaching　La　Crosse；　we　found　that　the　vessel　destined　to　take　us　up　the　river　had　not　yet　come　down。　　She　was　bringing　a　regiment　from　Minnesota；　and；　under　such　circumstances；　some　pardon　might　be　extended　to　irregularities。　　This　plea　was　made　by　one　of　the　boat　clerks　in　a　very　humble　tone；　and　was　fully　accepted　by　us。　　The　wonder　was　that；　at　such　a　period；　all　means　of　public　conveyance　were　not　put　absolutely　out　of　gear。　　One　might　surmise　that　when　regiments　were　constantly　being　moved　for　the　purposes　of　civil　warwhen　the　whole　North　had　but　the　one　object　of　collecting　together　a　sufficient　number　of　men　to　crush　the　Southordinary　traveling　for　ordinary　purposes　would　be　difficult；　slow；　and　subject　to　sudden　stoppages。　　Such；　however；　was　not　the　case　either　in　the　Northern　or　Western　States。　　The　trains　ran　much　as　usual；　and　those　connected　with　the　boats　and　railways　were　just　as　anxious　as　ever　to　secure　passengers。　　The　boat　clerk　at　La　Crosse　apologized　amply　for　the　delay；　and　we　sat　ourselves　down　with　patience　to　await　the　arrival　of　the　second　Minnesota　Regiment　on　its　way　to　Washington。　During　the　four　hours　that　we　were　kept　waiting　we　were　harbored　on　board　a　small　steamer；　and　at　about　eleven　the　terribly　harsh　whistle　that　is　made　by　the　Mississippi　boats　informed　us　that　the　regiment　was　arriving。　　It　came　up　to　the　quay　in　two　steamers750　being　brought　in　that　which　was　to　take　us　back；　and　250　in　a　smaller　one。　　The　moon　was　very　bright；　and　great　flaming　torches　were　lit　on　the　vessel's　side；　so　that　all　the　operations　of　the　men　were　visible。　　The　two　steamers　had　run　close　up；　thrusting　us　away　from　the　quay　in　their　passage；　but　doing　it　so　gently　that　we　did　not　even　feel　the　motion。　　These　large　boatsand　their　size　may　be　understood　from　the　fact　that　one　of　them　had　just　brought　down　750　menare　moved　so　easily　and　so　gently　that　they　come　gliding　in　among　each　other　without　hesitation　and　without　pause。　On　English　waters　we　do　not　willingly　run　ships　against　each　other；　and　when　we　do　so　unwillingly；　they　bump　and　crush　and　crash　upon　each　other；　and　timbers　fly　while　men　are　swearing。　　But　here　there　was　neither　crashing　nor　swearing；　and　the　boats　noiselessly　pressed　against　each　other　as　though　they　were　cased　in　muslin　and　crinoline。　I　got　out　upon　the　quay　and　stood　close　by　the　plank；　watching　each　man　as　he　left　the　vessel　and　walked　across　toward　the　railway。　Those　whom　I　had　previously　seen　in　tents　were　not　equipped；　but　these　men　were　in　uniform；　and　each　bore　his　musket。　　Taking　them　altogether；　they　were　as　fine　a　set　of　men　as　I　ever　saw　collected。　No　man　could　doubt；　on　seeing　them；　that　they　bore　on　their　countenances　the　signs　of　higher　breeding　and　better　education　than　would　be　seen　in　a　thousand　men　enlisted　in　England。　　I　do　not　mean　to　argue　from　this　that　Americans　are　better　than　English。　　I　do　not　mean　to　argue　here　that　they　are　even　better　educated。　　My　assertion　goes　to　show　that　the　men　generally　were　taken　from　a　higher　level　in　the　community　than　that　which　fills　our　own　ranks。　It　was　a　matter　of　regret　to　me；　here　and　on　many　subsequent　occasions；　to　see　men　bound　for　three　years　to　serve　as　common　soldiers　who　were　so　manifestly　fitted　for　a　better　and　more　useful　life。　　To　me　it　is　al