Iowa territorial gazette and advertiser. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa Territory [Iowa]) 1840-1846, 1845-10-11
URL1NG T q IOWA SATURDAY. OCTOBER II, 1915.

raised over the top Of hef speclks At III a. Il
gle Of about 45 degrees, as she gave no,
another soratinizing look, and aGain ex.
claimed, .La! you must have po,cer D
iarnin." Time viii MT admit detailed
narration Of The nuniterless topics tina,
We're now disc1ssed ii rapid succession
Suffice it to say, found myself decidedly
Siion," twas 4o'clock before ect away
and the way the old lady apoiogized "a
think she had nothing better to offer M
than pumpkin butter and fryedrasler, twas
really distressing to hear her. Finding
the day toe far advanced 10 reach Oska-
loosa, i.stopped at beautiful grove on the
way known as Bennetts Point, but more
recently changed, to Hermitage Grove.
Here the traveller viii find GOOD house
kept BY Mr.. Waugh brother of Doct.
Waugh formerly Of Fairfield ana more Ia
Gently Of the Rapids Hotel, keokuk. Mr..
Waugh informs me that 2 years ago PEG.
pie rode BY his place and would not think
OF taking it up as claim, and this season
he has repeatedly been offered from II 10
! 1900 dollars for his place.
4 sl9th.-EarIy after breakfast continued
my journey on the dividing ridge towards
. Oskaloosa, the country still increasing in
picturesque beauty, the margin Of the tim
Der appeared to be pretty well settled as
far as the eye Guild extend, as the travel
ierapproaches Oskaloosa the timber Of the
two rivers approximate to within about a
mile and a quarter. This is called the
snarrows, and. here Is situated the new
and thriving town of Oskaloosa. On first
beholding such a place, SO far in the inte-
rior, and learning the history Of its rapid,
and | may say almost unparalleled growth,
one is almost tempted 70 indulge in rhap-
sody. But as there Is no necessity for the
aid Of romance in this description, shall
give you plain matter Of fact statistics.
Oskaloosa is the county seat Of Mahaska
Go. and is situated at about the geograph-
ical center of the county, and was located
by commissioners in May "A. 1t now
contains apopuhtion Of $50 souls. The
iirst frame building was commenced in
Oct, last less than year.) It now con
tains 30 frame buildings, most Of them
neatly painted white. A court house 2
stories high 40 feet in length, handsomely
painted without and thoroughly finished
within. A brick Jail is under contract at
a cost of $1,000. There are five organ
lied churches at O.. as follows: the Old
School Presbyterian, The Cumberland do.
the Congregatinnalists, Methodists and
Baptists. Oskaloosa, also contains 5 dry
good stores, 2 groceries, 2hctels, the Os-
kaloosa house and the Mahaska house, A
lawyers, doctors. Likewise various
mechanical occupations are persued with
success. 7+A
Two days before my arrival the citizsn,s
of Oskaloosa suffered severe calamity, for
SO new place. A destructive Ere oc-
CURED on the south side Of the public
square, by which 8 good frame buildings
were burnt to the grouiid! One being oe-
cupied by Doct. Wetherspoon as drug
store, the two others were occupied, one
as Tailoring establishment, and the other
as cabinet makers shop. Our former fell
low citizen Crossman, barely escaped the
fate Of his unfortunate neighbors, the fire
having burnt directly to the wall Of his
store which was filled with dry goods, and
which was saved by the greatest exertions
on the part Oft the citizens BY applying wet
blankets, canvass, SC. atisfi
The first stock of dry goods arrived o.
in june "A, and were sold in log cabin
l6 by Is; there are some strange reminis-
ccnces coihected with the history Of this
" onderful cabin. About eight months ago
it was the grand foc,is Of resort. The ex-
change, the forum, the doctors office, the
lawyers office, the sheriff's office, the
county surveyors office. Here also, in
addition to the dry goods, the grocery was
Kept and here all loafers most did congre-
gate. Likewise the county commissioners
court was held here, the Judge Of Probate
do. Here also all political iuntos met in
secret conclave, and here all the burning
eloquence of Mahaska was wont to burst
forth. But must refrain reader; if thou
should'st ever visit Oskaloosa, pray thee
take one single peep within the walls clogs
/ mean) of this devoted cabin. But alas!
thought /, how are the nesting places Of
genius desecrated. Twas but wear since
Itrod the boards Of the time honored man
sion on the banks Avon, where the immor-
tai Shakespeare was born, now used as
butchers stall! And the cabin of Oskaloo-
sa whose walls Clogs have re-echoed to
the eloquence Of Mahaska! is now appro-
priated as depository Of dry hides, musk
rat skins! "Sic trnsat glo, Ia msndi.''
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