Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1853-07-08

ses and mules in four years. South her ad.
vantages are as good as could be wished
for the trade of the cotton, sugar, and rice
plantations, which in the east she can sell
as cheap as the cheapest; for we can raise
grain ormake beef and pay the freight to
New York for less cost than the denizen of
the Empire or Buckeye States.
But did not intend to give you an es-
say on political economy. found the riv-
er ports, Minnesota ward, growing rapidly.
Prairie La Cross and Wyolusing in Wiscon-
sin; Lansing, Columbus and Clayton City,
in Iowa are all putting on the airs of town
life. Neat white cottages, ami warehouses
of substantial brick and stone have sprung
where three years since the solitary log
cabin seemed lost. At Clayton City the
steamer Asia took on 1000 sacks of VIII eat
and at Wyolusing 600 more. Everywhere
hear Of railroads built, building and to be
Quilt. As an earnest Of the fulfllment of
those enterprises, contracts are out in
many places for timber, ties, &c. Lots are up
in Lyons, Davenport and Rock Island; and
even those under oater are high-in price.
| From Keokuk, business took me back on
| the Des Moines and down through Missouz
| ri. The hundreds of thousands of dollars
spent on the Des Moines has been worse than
thrown away. The partially finished dams
obstruct navigation; the canals have spoiled
some good farms; while the forests have
been cut into timbers that are rotting upon
the banks. Farms in Missouri are cheaper
than in Iowa. Land less valuable. A Mis-
sourian accounts for it by explaining the
evils of slavery to border State. Won
der if the case is mended in the other
States? Or is slavery an evil per Sc, and of
course curse everywhere? Let the deser-
ted coin6elds of Virginia, the pine barrens
of Car olina and the exhausted cotton and
rice plantations of Georgia answer.
In Quincy, there are many improvements
going ON, and this place will soon be city.
Her situation is pleasant, and cons siderable
taste manifested by many old settlers has
made this beautiful city. A railroad to
Galesburgh Is under way-2S miles graded
and much of the superstructure on hand.
A branch is designed to connect from Clay
ton to this place with Terre Haute, Cincin-
natl, &c.
find no better boats than some of our
Galena packets. The Golden Era, Spar
hawk, New St. Paul and others might be
mentioned, whose officers are gentlemen,
furnishing every comfort to the traveller.
But then there are some exceptions, and if
the Captain of the Ron Oil wil ardnn
my presumption, will express the opinion
that gouging at one dollar game is small
business, and lying decidedly mean in
captain. To Pay two dollars for ride of
nine miles was high, certainly: but l would
rather do this than utter two falsehoods to
get it. So, on the whole, think got the
advantage of Capt. ---.
was in ST. Louis on the 2lst. Their
mometer at loo in the shade; wind blowing,
dust flying, drays rambling, dogs fighting,
boats whistling, deckhan DIS loading and un-
loading, piling up boxes, sacks and barrels
on the levee, and again conveying them
oif--thus, Sysiphus-like, doing over and
over the same labor. Such is St. Lou
is at the first glance. A half day spent in
the city made me acquainted with many i'm
.provements since last saw the place, in
the cholera times of 49, and just after the
great fire. Then, as now, the weather was
extremely warm: there the resemblance end.
Then men crept among smouldering, black
eded ruins, fear in their hearts and palor on
their cheeks. Now, dapper clerks dash into
huge piles of brick and mortar and out
again, with bills Of lading, invoices and
ledgers. The brick piles aforesaid contain
ing huge sta cks of prints, sheetings, lawns
or silks and satins, or s'heaps" of coffee,
sugar and rice. 7Aea, the hearse was the
most common carriage, though all who rode
therein went alone and against their will.
Now, gay buggies, with fancy equippages,
and costly carriages roll along, in which
bankers, land-jobbers, the wealthy mer;,
chant and professional man, with ladies fair
and Gna, seek health and pleasure Then
the business houses were mostly closed, and
if here and there one was open, you sought
the owner amid clouds of pitohy smoke
made of tar and rosin, burnt Offering to
the pestilence; while solitary drays crept
along at the rate Of ten dollars day. Now,
doors are wide open, and the merchant,
with smiling face, invites you in to inspect
his costly wares, where neatness and taste
vie with riches to please the customer; and
now the drsyman can compete with his fell
low with obstroperous shouts and MANY a
curse, making perfect babel of the levee.
l visited McDowelrs Medical College,
which has large museum, interesting, of
course, to those whose tastes lead that way.
For my part left with the feeling that
man is surrounded by an ambuscade of
hidden foes, and that our NJ. ID s. are in their
pay as often as ours. climbed the cupola
of the Court House and looked at the won-
ders of the city, as pointed out by a''blind
man." who has charge of this department.
Invent over to Beloher's Sugar Refinery,
where sixty tons Of sugar are purified dali
ly by the labor of $40 hanis, and ascended
the Shot Tower, (2SS feet,) where lead is
melted and sifted and polished and sorted
into the different sizes of shot necessary
for the market. Belcher's Refinery is worth