The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1849-06-28

immediate vicinity OF towns, do no, CON-
mand money. Hemp may be raised in any
part Of tho State, and in the warmer dis
trcts tobacco and the castor beam will in
time become staple articles Of growth
Beet root has been introduced 10 some ex.
tent in Illinois. Iowa is quite rs much
adapted for it rs Illinois. Beef, pork, hides,
lard, and wool arc articles which tho Iowa
farmer NAV bring into the market with
certain profit. There arc no natural pas
lures in tho world 10 bc compared to the
prairics of that State. Coarse rs the wiry
grass seems to the eye ot the stranger, he
soon learns to discover its tnttcnng quail
ties, ns tho food Of the horned cattle which
roam almost at will during the spring.
summer, and autumn; the pig finds susicn-
nnce in tho acorns and wild roots oil the
'imbercd lands, and nrc fn,,cncd IT n cos,
little more than nominal. The sheep car
ries capiial carcase, aud yields fleece ol
more than common excellence.
Mining must not be forgotten in the
enumeration Of the pursuits 10 which the
inhabitants Of this region drec, their n,,en-
ton. Several thousands Of persons arc
already engaged in digging for lead; and
hereafter coal aud iron orc must occupy nj.
ten,on.
The articles of exports for which the SET
tier may obtain more or loss cash are, then.
-four. beef, pork, lard, hides. and wool. !
say '.morc or less cash." and do So. be-
cause, even in regard to these articles.
Grading" or barter, largely prevails. Il
common rule at the stores is. half payment
in goods, half in cash; although there are
many dealers who pay MI in cash CIR ~hea:.
pork. and wool. Lead is invariably cash
article; and hence, both in Iowa md Wis.
ronsin, the mining district is that in which
the most ready money is to he had.
Dubuque, Davenport, and Burlington nrc
the chief seats of commerce in the State
Iowa city. the seat If government, is in
Johnson County, on the Iowa River, which
is nnyigable by small steamers Fort
Madison und kcoknk are relatively impor-
tant places. and others Of n smilar charac.
ter arc rising in diiieren, counties. At all
of these plnces the emgrant has markets
Tor his produce. The fact that the whole
are>not cash markets has given rise Ia n be-
lief that none but settlers who have lands
within very moderate distance of the
Mississippi C an dispose of what they have TO
sell. The constant influx Of cnirrants in
10 the interior &c the ceaatsy furnishes Il
demand for grain and meat of great value 10
The farmer. canno, better illustrate this
thnn hv stating that in Sank County, Wis
consin, paid quite rs high price for
wheaton -four as was paid IN tais country
in average Years before tic repeal Of the
corn laws, the article being broueh, from
ST. Louis mp III, Wisconsin River in
s,camerdof light bur'hen.
An important advantage of prairie
country IS, thu, il oilers facilities Cor the
construction oi roads no, 10 he found in the
eastern states. or in Canada. Wording can
/ he smoother or cnsier ihan over n gently I'M
duaiiny meadow. which il MI tia: n prairie
amounts To; and the "corduros roadsn which
run through the heavily wooded lands are
OF comparatively snail exicni. II is well
that they nrc So; though the annoyance
they occasion is not greater IL the tcamstcr
than that which arises from the marshy
districts, where the water often reaches 10
the axle Of. the wagon wheel, aud hides
a somewhat treachcrons bottom. On the
main lines Of communication. the roads arc,
generally speaking, excellent; rough but
substantial bridges have been constructed,
where necessary; where rivers arc Too
broad for bridges, ferries are provided; and
these advantages nrc continually being
multiplied and extended, in proportion 10
the increase and development If settle
menis. The settlers have hnbi, Of help
ing themselves, when an obstacle is 10 be
removed, or an easier path to place Of
business constructed; and their efforts are
admirably seconded by the unccasing oilorts
Of the local legislature 10 affect pubic i'm
prov cmcnis. The liberal provision made
throughout the American Union for the &C.
cular education Of it's people proverbially
and dcservcdly constitutes one Of its mos,
honorable characteristics; and next to il
do all that can be done for the development
Of the immense resources of the country,
by rendering rivers more navigablc, by
forming state roads and canals, and by as
sisting in the construction of railroads.
This ''goa-hcnd" spirit exists in the west
ern States as generally rs elsewhere. In
Town, several projects for the Improvement
Of the State occupied the legislature during
the session Of the present year, ond were
noticed approvingly by the governor in bis
opening message.
| HrLL, May 1919.
&In this opinion am supported by the best su-
thorities. Bradford, in his "Notes on the North.
West" is loud in his encomiums Of the fertility
and salubrity Of Iowa; and Rubio. in his Gram
bles," prcnounres II athe State most obviously q
danted 10 ihe British en,iSranfv