The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1853-11-10
PARK House, Iowa City, Oct. 80, SO.
A. SANDERS. Esur.:

GAZETTE COkkEHFUNUENCE.
PARK House, Iowa City, Oct. 80, '53.
A. SANDERS, Esqr.:
Dear Sir: | arrived
in this fiourishing young city on Friday af-
ternoon and put up at the new and well
kept Hotel bearing the above name. This
house has only been in operation for few
days and already is filled with the very elite
of the "Lords of creation" Mr.. Tucker,
its worthy and atte ntive keeper, has spared
no pains to make it a comfortable establish
ment and is every where present where du-
ty calls him. Judging from what l have
seen, this house is destined to rank among
the first of our many fine Iowa Hotels. Sue
cess to Mr.. Tucker in his new vocation.
To the numerous readers of your valua-
BILE paper who have never visited this love-
ly and thriving infant city, by your leave I
would say few words, as regards its local
ity, present appearance and future pros
poets.
Iowa City is handsomely situated on the
east side of the beautiful little river, Iowa,
which at this place is about 200 feet wide
in low water and navigable only in time of
high water, and only then for steamboats, Of
the smallest class. A bridge borne up by
six fiat boats, anchored at proper distances,
serves every purposes for which it was in
tended, and is indeed curiosity. Some 30
rods from the river east is beautiful bluff
or hill, so feet high, on the brow Of which
in lot of 10 acres stands the State House
stories high, including basement, ITO feet
long BY 60 wide fronting east and west and
is built in part of bird's-eye marble taken
from quarry 13 miles from the city. This
is noble, imposing structure, inside of
which do congregate once in two years the
collected wisdom of the State. The obser-
vatory, dome and upper trimmings, seem
quite we'll proportioned, at least to me, from
which you have one of the grandest views
in Iowa. The square too in which stands
this magnificent house, how beautiful, how
more than lovely! Though not as yet has
the hand of man, or woman either, planted
or added one tree or shrub to this gently
sloping square, Nature has added to it some
SO or 10 kingly oaks, mostly on its north
side, which have braved for centuries the
whirlwind and the blast, spared as yet by
the woodman's axe, to grace and wave their
gorgeous boughs in primeval grandeur o'er
this lovely lot.
This city has been laid out on most lib
eral scale. Every thing seems to have
been done with a view to her future great
ness. Many public squares, some for prom
enades, some for parks, churches, and the
like, are reserved. There are now seven
fine churches in the place, giving ample
proof of the morality of its citizens and the
prosperity of the city. Many fine store
houses, well filled with all kinds of goods
are here. There are two weekly, well con-
Quoted newspapers published here and per-
haps more, for aught know. Over 5000
intelligent, industrious people are here, en-
suring a well-merited praise for their pro-
verbal hospitality, and freedom from osten-
tation and foppery.
| had occasion to visit the Land Office
once or twice yesterday, and although the
Registers office was literally crowded with
applicants for land, all were in turn speed
lily and politely attended to by Mr.. Clark,
the competent and gentlemanly head of that
department
All kinds of business seem to have an
upward tendency here, save the practice of
medicine. No pale faces meet you here.
A score of butchers for one son of Escula-
pius is needed here. Merchants all seem
busy, SO do mechanics of al! kinds and so
does Mr.. Rugg, the gentlemanly superin-
tendent, or cashier, of the Banking House
of Cook & Sargent.
Hills that year ago looked formidable,
have been cut down to a proper grade for
roads, and seem to offer but little obstacle
to the determined industry of her citizens.
If this city has her deep ravines, her glens
and miniature wales, she has also her beau
tful uprising knolls, her gentle swelling
hills fringed in places with beautiful groves
half concealing her lovely charms. Who
that has visited her and possessed one grain
of romance, or taste for the beauties of ma
ture, has not felt thrill of pleasure at the
delightful prospect that here was opened up
before him.
Running parallel with the river on the
west side of the same, is beautiful bluff
some hundred feet in height, formed by the