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Show 1836- 1837J Flagg's Far West 361 a centre nail, stands at a distance variously of from forty to seventy yards; and those five who, at the close of the contest, have most frequently driven the nail, are entitled to a fat ox divided into five portions. Many of the marksmen in the vicinity, I was informed, could drive the nail twice out of every three trials. Reluctantly I was forced to decline a civil invitation to join the party, and to leave before the sport commenced; but, jogging leisurely along through a beautiful region of prairie and woodland interspersed, I reached near nightfall the village of Salem."' This place, with its dark, weather- beaten edifices, forcibly recalled to my mind one of those gloomy little seaports sprinkled along the iron- bound coast of New- England, over some of which the ocean- storm has roared and the ocean- eagle shrieked for more than two centuries. The town is situated on the eastern border of the Grand Prairie, upon the stage- route from St. Louis to Vincennes; and, as approached from one quarter, is completely concealed by a bold promontory of timber springing into the plain. It is a quiet, innocent, gossiping little place as ever was, no doubt; never did any harm in all its life, and probably never will do any. This sage conclusion is predicated upon certain items gathered at the village singing- school; at which, ever- notable place, the traveller, agreeable to invitation [ 116] attended, and carolled away most vehemently with about a dozen others of either sex, under the cognizance of a certain worthy personage styled the Major, whose vocation seemed to be to wander over these parts for the purpose of " building up " the good people in psalmody. To say that I was not more surprised than delighted with the fruits of the honest songster's efforts in Salem, and that I was, moreover, marvellously edified by the brisk m Salem, the seat of Marion County, was settled about 1823, when the county was organised.- ED. |
