Of the celebrated North Point’s cargo, which have been universally admired.
JOHN BUFFUM, & CO. Oct. 17, 1817. 51,6t
From the Western Spy.
EMIGRATION.
As this subject seems at present to occupy much of the public mind on both sides of the mountains, and has given rise to some misrepresentation there, I send you the results of some of my observations, with a hope that by means of your paper, they may find their way into some of the eastern prints.
Before bringing my family to this country, I came here and explored it.—I came noddle filled with ideas of roasted pigs running about ready at every one’s call, of pumpions growing wild, of orchards of best fruit in the woods, and that every acre was sure to produce at least 100 bushels of corn; while on the other hand, I thought the people a of half savages, and in fact a nation of drunkards. But I found on examination, that my tavern bills were actually higher than at the eastward, that property was not to be acquired without industry and good management, here as well as there; that though the land was rich it required to be cleared, fenced, and tilled, before a crop could be expected, and that though a few acres might be found, producing 100 bushels, yet 75 was considered great, and in fact 40 to 50, a tolerable yield.
I found too that any industrious and prudent man might get rich, that by working a little, a man might live, and a shifty fellow not working at all, might stay and keep drunk half his time, which you know to some in the ‘land of steady habits,’ affords the greatest imaginable felicity. A man might for one days work in the fall, get two bushels of corn, and often more, or one of wheat, or from 5 to 10 & 15 pounds or more of bacon or other wholesome meat, and a little work will feed a family at that rate. But I found also that two many of those who come here, bring with them the same ideas I brought, and are of course disappointed;—that too many of them were instigated to remove to this country by reasons no way connected with building churches. The disappointed who have not sufficient fortitude, sink down in despair, having spent their little all to get here, and betake themselves to trifling in idleness and other bad practices. Many came here to get rid of so much hard work and pursue their determination so that they do no work, or very little and thus between the weak and the wicked we may easily convince how a nation of drunkards may be formed, and happy if no worse from such materials.
But one fact more I will venture to assert—that the same work will produce the means of subsistence for more people here then in New England, of which the following is a proof:—I hired men to till about five acres of land in corn, the whole expense of plowing, planting, hoeing, harvesting and board, did not exceed $15, and I had considerably more than 200 bushels, which were worth at the lowest calculations $50 when it was dry and cribbed, or $40 at the heap. I let 12 acres to a very lazy kind of fellow, who from the best observation I could make, did not expend more than twenty days work on it of this own. His wife did assist him in planting it, sometimes set up the corn after the plough, and pulled a few of the large weeds out of the hills; but there never was a hoe in the field after the planting. This brought in to harvest, which is....
The Pioneer Home as it appeared in October, 1898. The couple shown in the yard are Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Elva Brunk and the man holding the team of horses is Andrew Beltz. This picture was borrowed from Mrs. Cora Brunk of Springboro, Ohio, who once lived in the stone house.