north america-1-第47章

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t　up　with　the　object　of　reselling　it　at　a　profit；　and　many；　no　doubt；　did　make　money。　　Railway　companies　were；　in　fact；　companies　combined　for　the　purchase　of　land。　　They　purchased　land；　looking　to　increase　the　value　of　it　fivefold　by　the　opening　of　a　railroad。　　It　may　easily　be　understood　that　a　railway；　which　could　not　be　in　itself　remunerative；　might　in　this　way　become　a　lucrative　speculation。　　No　settler　could　dare　to　place　himself　absolutely　at　a　distance　from　any　thoroughfare。　　At　first　the　margins　of　nature's　highways；　the　navigable　rivers　and　lakes；　were　cleared。　　But　as　the　railway　system　grew　and　expanded　itself；　it　became　manifest　that　lands　might　be　rendered　quickly　available　which　were　not　so　circumstanced　by　nature。　　A　company　which　had　purchased　an　enormous　territory　from　the　United　States　government　at　five　shillings　an　acre　might　well　repay　itself　all　the　cost　of　a　railway　through　that　territory；　even　though　the　receipts　of　the　railway　should　do　no　more　than　maintain　the　current　expenses。　　It　is　in　this　way　that　the　thousands　of　miles　of　American　railroads　have　been　opened；　and　here　again　must　be　seen　the　immense　advantages　which　the　States　as　a　new　country　have　enjoyed。　　With　us　the　purchase　of　valuable　land　for　railways；　together　with　the　legal　expenses　which　those　compulsory　purchases　entailed；　have　been　so　great　that　with　all　our　traffic　railways　are　not　remunerative。　　But　in　the　States　the　railways　have　created　the　value　of　the　land。　　The　States　have　been　able　to　begin　at　the　right　end；　and　to　arrange　that　the　districts　which　are　benefited　shall　themselves　pay　for　the　benefit　they　receive。　The　government　price　of　land　is　125　cents；　or　about　five　shillings　an　acre；　and　even　this　need　not　be　paid　at　once　if　the　settler　purchase　directly　from　the　government。　　He　must　begin　by　making　certain　improvements　on　the　selected　landclearing　and　cultivating　some　small　portion；　building　a　hut；　and　probably　sinking　a　well。　When　this　has　been　donewhen　he　has　thus　given　a　pledge　of　his　intentions　by　depositing　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