The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1853-11-10
DAVENPORT, Nov. lst 1853.
Mr.. ALFRED SANDERS:

celVlnS to-day 8 GaZette, TO see s!anderOuS
and libelous article in it copied from the
Muscatine journal, in which our name is
used in rather "swindling" manner. No
doubt the Muscatine editor feels bad that
the farmers who have been in the habit of
taking their grain to Muscatine are seeking
another market, but we deny his right to in
troduce the names of private individuals in
his paper in this infamous manner, even
though he may consider it necessary for the
sake of retaining the trade of the back coun-
ties. The enterprising editor suggests the
construction of direct road from Poston's
and Walnut Grove to that city, as the farm
ers tell him that "Burrows g. Prettyman
have the Davenport market under their en-
tire control, and that for the want of compe-
titon, the farmers are literally swinded."
Now we very much doubt the veracity of
this ungentlemanly editor, and if he was
really SO informed by some disaffected or
malicious individual, who may have lost his
credit in Davenport, you, Mr. Editor, know
that such is not the fact. 1t is well known
that we are not the only produce buyers in
Davenport; nearly all the merchants in
Davenport are buying produce. Renwick
g. Son, Henry Veith, VIM. Hildreth and
various other merchants of this place, be-
sides gentleman from St. Louis, are buying
wheat. There is also a strong competition
between this place and the Moline and Cam
den mills and Rock Island buyers; and farm
ers coming to this point, if they are not sat
isfied with prices Of grain. have choice of
three other markets, all within three miles
of here, any of which are better than Mus
catne, viz: Rock Island, Moline and Cam
den-a good steam ferry, and ferriage cheap.
We think the farmers of Muscatine coun
ty must relish our manner of "swndling"
from the manner they have rushed in their
wheat from that county to our mill this fall,
We have taken an unusual amount from
Muscatine county within the past three
months, some hauling here even when the
distance is greater than to Muscatine. We
have taken in our mill this day two loads of
wheat from Henry county, Illinois, 80 miles
back of Rock Island-the man a stranger to
US, Mr.. Saml. Ogden. He was so well
pleased with the manner in which we
''swindled' him, that he engaged to US the
balance of his crop. We loaned him sacks
to take home to put his entire cropin, which
he will haul into Davenport, and in doing so.
has to pass through Camden and Rock Island
and cross the Mississippi Surely he must
love to be ssswinded!"
We have been much amused for a year
past at the numerous silly things the Mus
catine papers have published at different
times of the great city of Muscatine, and at
their depreciation of the business of the little
town of Davenport! Some six weeks since
the Journal contained notice of great pork
contract which some merchant of Muscatine
had made with farmer. If we recollect
rightly, the contract was for the immense
number of 1875 hogs, for which the merchant
was to pay $3.50 per loOibs.! When we
read that we thought to ourself that that
editor must be great l***, or they must
have some great merchants in Muscatine.
We are truly sorry that the prosperity of
this place is such an annoyance to the editor
of the Muscatine Journal Before he casts
any further slurs against this place or SLAM
ders any more of its citizens he had better
enquire of the steamboats, from which city
they carry the most produce. They will in
form him that there is more than twice as
much produce shipped from Davenport as
| from Muscatine.
If Davenport is such poor market, and
everybody is so anxious to get to the great
city of Muscatine, why is it that the receipts
of produce the last three months have been
more than double as much in this poor, little,
"swindlng' town, that they have in the
great city of Muscatine! We ourselves
| have taken in at our mill and warehouses,
since the 9th day of last August, from wag-
ons, 2O,4l2 bushels of onions-which are
more onions than the Muscatiners ever saw
Is, ,o9S bushels of fbarley-which is more bar
lev than has been taken in at Muscatine in
one hundred years! 81 $50 bushels wheat
which we believe is more than twice as much
wheat as every mill and merchant in Mus
catne have taken in since harvest. We
mention these three items above, saying no.
thing about the minor articles of produce
| Ii our statement is doubted we can show
from whom every bushel was purchased, the
day it was delivered and the party's name
who delivered it. The above amount is our
own business only. There are some ten
other buyers; the amount of their transac-
tions we do not know, but know that they
have purchased largely.
The Muscatine editor says there are two
large Touring mills in that great city, capa-
BILE of grinding all the wheat that may be
brought to that market, consequently they
need ship none ofthe raw material, and can,
therefore, afford to give better prices. We
would suggest to the citizens of Muscatine
the policy of building windmill. Their
present mills may get out of repair, and very
likely when the proposed road to Postons