Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1852-11-25
Editorial Correspondence.
In CAMP. Audubon Co, +,
Iowa. Nov. LIST, 1854. I

! "S"i'So'S UP ~ - va - VIC dt0 a.
last camped in Up. 81, north of Range
IS, the place we intend to commence
surveying You. and others, may won.
der at the length of time we have been
coming from sOuumwa to this place, hn,
if you had to travel the same road and
had the same sort Of weather to do il 10.
do no, believe you would make any
better time. Ii commenced raining on
Monday week ago to-day, and i, has
continued, with but short intervals up to
the presen, time. have heard great
deal said of the beauties of the western
Counties, but they have been very much
over-ra,ed in many particulars. After
you leave Oskaloosa you will see bu,
few fine farms, where timber is convent.
ent until you get to Ml,chells, l5 miles
below Fl. Des Moines. Between the
frs! mentioned place and the Ft., there
are number OF highly improved and de-
sirable farms. We left Fl. Des Moines
on the 24sh ult., and took the road to A
dell. Dallas County. Between the lat
ter place saw bu, few good farms; most
of Tie way il is an almost unlimitable
Pkairle. You can hardly see timber on
either side fo- abou, Is miles. We ar
i ~,,.d N, A ,t,;l ,,, -. oE,h al, and ,.ax..
much disappointed in the place, il no,
being one half as large as we expected -
In justice however, | must say, thai al
though We could not ..see the town for
The houses" IL Is very pretty situation
tor place. II contains two stores and
lone horse grocery" about 8 feet by
10, and all could get eutable was few
crackers; there was a Darrell of "red
eye" setting on The counter, which was
tapped al both ends and in The middle,
tor greater convenience when there was
ii rush Of custom, or at ieas. | should
Judge ,ha. TO be the object. Adeli how.
ever, will be town some day. A good
blacksmith could do well there, as their
is none in the place, and believe was
told there were no mechanics of any sort
in the place. .-. r.
From Adell we travelled mex, to Pa.
nora, the county sea, of Guthrie county;
and when we got 10 the place tound on.
ly the stakes set where We supposed the
houses oueh, 10 be. A hickory pole was
raised on the town site, and was the only
visible improvement in the place. Mr..
John Anderson. formerly of Wapeilo CO..
is building saw and griss mill near the
place where Panora will be sometime,
and is likely to do we'll in his undersak-
ing. The iarm he owns and one owned
by Mrs. Davis are the only ,wo that
saw iE Guthrie county, tina, could be
induced 10 live on.
The las, selllemen, | saw was IN
Guthrie county, ! miles west of PIANO.
ra, and from thence to This place it is All
unbroken road. The country is finely
watered from Fl. Des Moines, west, bu
the timber is very scarce, and in small
bodies; timber land rates higher than il
does in Wapello county. South and
Middle RaccoOn Rivers are very pretty
streams, and afford great mill privileges.
The balance of the streams that we
crossed, west of Fl. Des Moines, which
, are Walnut, Panther. Musquiso and
, Snake creeks; Middle Coon river, ant
several tributaries of the South Raccoon;
all Of but little importance, and general.
ly have high perpendicular banks, and
are difficult to cross On account of the
} banks being marshy.
We are camped near the head and a.
, bout miles west of the Nishnabotany
, one of the ugliest streams | ever mel
Will. Ou CIttllOl SEE lbdt incF6 Is all y
creek at all until you come square up to
it; but when you get a sigh, at il you set
J gully about 20 feet deep with few
, willows liningiis steep banks. and slug
gish nasty looking stream at the bottom,
which in places is very deep. The on
, ly way to cross such streams is to un.
load, pack your movables over on your
back, every one help pull the wagon o,
yer, aud you may consider yourselilu luck )
if your horses do not gel mired down in
; crossing without being loaded.
: From South Raccoon river in Guthrie
county 10 this place and as far north,
south aud west as the eye can reach,
] there is nothing scarcely but broken
rough prairie; though the soil is as good
if no. better Than any have seen 40 10
wa. There is not wood enough IN the
, country to supply one twentieth of the