Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1853-07-01
y For the Journal.
Interior of Iowa,


/ The centre county Of Iowa is Marshall. :
Immediately north of of il is Hardin, which
two countiss, for all the respects which
render any section susceptible of dens,
population, are probably unsurpassed il
this State. The soil is . sandy loan, and
as has been proved, OF nature to forward
vegetation--notwithstanding the colder eli
mate-as early as in the southern part OF
the State. The prairies are more rolling
than in the southern counties, and the soil
being dryer, enables the farmer to put in
his crops as soon. as in places seventy five
miles further south even on the level bot
tom lands next to the lows river, plough
ing can be performed without injuring the
ground almost always as soon as it is done
raining. The soil, on an average, is about
three feet deep.
whole of Hardin, is as well divided into
timber and prairie, as the wants of the
most denselT settled farming community
prairie than Hardin, while the latter, &C.
cording to present indications, has more
stone and coal. Iron ore is believed to ex-
list in Hardin.
The Iowa river enters the north west
corner Of Hardin county, runs in south
erly direction to the northwest part of
Marshall comfy, and runs diagonally across
the county, leaving it on the eastern side,
so that abou two-thirds of Marshall county
lies south ofthe Iowa river.
The county seat of Marshall county,
(Marietta,) is situated about half mile
south of the Iowa river, and three miles
north Of the rentre of the county, which
~ - Jnuht n ha yunct captroI No.
sition for the inhabitants of the county.
There is a good deal of timber, however,
on Timber creek, in the southern part of
the county-enough, at least, to supply all
the prairie south of the Iowa river. The
most remote settler in the county could not
be more than six miles from timber.
4 A very heavy immigration has been re-
eeived into thes two counties the last win
ter and spring a continual tide of wagons
and teams for the last three months has
swept along our roads. As might be ex-
pected, greal deal of the timber land has
been entered, ret there is room.
Marietta hai about fifteen houses, and q
population of )ne hundred it was located
eleven monthsago, at which time, not one
house markedshe site, and the land belonged
to government.
The citizen are, perhaps, rs enterprising
as those Of any other town OF the same size
anywhere, ard are now about to obtain
steam saw-mll.
A district school is now kept in the town,
which has, on an average, twenty-five
scholars daily. Two hundred and twenty
FIVE dollars lave been voted by the District
to be raised by q tax, towards building o
School House. 1t has two stores, one OF
which is aslarge as any west OF Iowa City.
The advantages of these two counties,
have already made them the focu, of a
large immigration, and their favorable To-
cation will no doubt, induce business men
to invest their means in them. Marshall
county lies almost On direct line from Du-
buque to Council Bluffs, which gives little
hope of having our county crossed by q
branch OF the Pacific Railroad and if such
an event should take place, it is believed
that the people of the State would find it to
their interest to place the Capital--when il
is removed from Iowa City-in Marshall
county.
But, more than all this, (which have
reserved to the last, as being Of 50 much
greater consequence to the future destiny.
not only of the interior of Iowa, but to the
whole State,) is the recent discovery oil
gold in Hardin county.
"A substance supposed to be gold had
speculation among the IfinaDrrnAsi jpp anG
parts for several weeks, when, few day.
ago, q Joseph Fosket-who has been to Cal
ifornia, and was there employed six month.
IN the mint, now residing in Mahaska count,
Game to the designated spot and washed
out and collected some of the disputed ma.
terlal, and tested it with the galvanic bat
terry, mercury, and aquafortis, and after tht
investigation, now pronounces it GOLD
lie says it is not SO pure as the Califor.
nia-thinks it is about Ia carats ine-sup
poses that man could make from eight to
ten dollars day in the spot where he OBJ.
tanned his. 1t is in very small pieces
what might be called dust-all that has beer
found as yet. No pieces have been found
yet as large as pea. With this will
conclude, leaving all surmises, thoughts
and conclusions r the readers own mind
7. E. COLLINS. !.