Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1853-09-09
Local Matters.
rTusrn,ine and it's Pro.pec,s,

1
business facilities of our city and liz ntnrc pronecs
we VIII briefly describe its location the business hab.
Its OF its citizens, and its educational advantages
Our city is situated upon the west side of the Mis-
sissppi river and contains population of about 5000
souls Nature made an extensive bend in the river
at This point, and that is all she has done for Musca
tine, for we are situated not like Rome on barely
seven hills but on seven times seven Thanks to the
energy and enterprise of citizens the rough places
have been made smooth, and the hills covered with
good and substantial buildings A large portion of
the dwelling houses, and nearly all the business
buildings constructed of brick, the people that
built them not locating here experiment but being
men of sound judgment and firm purpose, they make
their improvements in imitation of themselves
The bend in the river makes Muscatine the landing
place for all the goods and merchadise for many large
towns in the interior of the StateIowa CITY, the can
ital, being among the number. Lumbermen here find
an excellent market for their lumber, and two saw
mills are in successful operation and carrying on ex
tensiVe business They furnish building materials for
large tract Of country in the interior of the State
Other manufacturing establishments are doing good
business, but there is still for more From very
early IN the spring until late in the fall we have boat
communication from ST. Louis and wn tue Lower
MISSISSIPPI as Tar as we please while above us are
the inexhausble lumber regions of Minnesota, which
furnishes lumber to this market nearly as cheap as in
the Atlantic cities.
freght Is transported from the east at reasonable
rates and the Mississippi and Atlantic will be connected
py continuous line of railroad as soon as the first of
March, 1854 Railroads diverging from this point
Wet are IN contemplation, and indeed the certainty
Oh ther beng built is no longer mooed question =
THESE roads will traverse extensive farming country
eventually as far west as the Missouri river
The agricultural resources of our county are not ex
ceed in the State. The land is rich and fertile and
ready for the plough without the axe. The farmers
all seem to be thriving and they thank the Lord thew
have taken up their lines in such pleasant places The
farmers have not yet turned their attention to raising
stock Tor the market, to very great extent but ex
perments have been made which clearly show that il
can be made profitable business.
Inc business in the city, is such as is carried on in
all commercial towns. The merchants seem to be do.
ing thriving business nearly all seasons of the year.
Men OF capital are still wanted and here they will
always find good investments for their money. The
CITY and country is rapidly increasing in population
winch OF course gives gradua impetus to their pros
yperity and wealth.
VI our educational advantages, we feel reasons to
feel proud still it is than an INTELLIGENT per
son would expect to find in city noted for its enter
prise ana industry We have two public school houses
quit Oh brick, with large and commodious rooms We
also support some four or five private schools The
SCHOOLS are all conducted upon plan similar to that
Iwhch has made the New England public schools so
celebrated The teachers have been selected with the
umot care for holar hip, integrity and experience
we feel pride in saying, they have thus far well sus
tanned the high reputation they brought with them,
land that they give abundant satisfaction
II Vi our society we will not speak only to say. we
thnk 1t Will compare favoraby with any eastern town
Oh The same population. We have ten chuches, each
o. Which support regular preacher and as general
pthlng, we are church-gong people,
ihe citnate IS mid and OF even temperature. We
nave long since established the reputation of being
healthy city, 1t is generally believed in our eastern
cl'les that these towns the river are very scky
OWING 70 an unhealthy malaria ris ng from stagnant
water which is left by the river OVERLOOKING its banks
Muscatine cannot boast of harboring many of those
sloughs, for which blessing we arc indebted to the
prudence and foresight of City Fathers, who have
from year to year, caused them to be flied up Then
again, most OF the family residences are tuaed mon
the high ground which, besides being healthy loca.
lions, are the most pleasant places in the West.
Ripe fruit, conducive to health can he raised II;
any quantity. We have two very large and extensive
nurseries, which supplying the farmers with fruit
trees and in short tme fruit will be as pIeptv as in
the East. Apples, peaches, pears and plums are al
ready cultivated to considerable extent, for all of
which good market is readily found.
Mechanics and day laborers will all find work enough
70 do. The constant building gives employment to
sppl pf hat,
not single mile of railroad completed within its bor
ders' "hHe we nave large number under contempla-
ton, which must most assuredly be constructed A
number have already been commenced which will
give employment to all the help that can be well spar
ed from the larger cities east. There is no need of
any one complaining for want of something to do
wnen the vast resources of this mighty west are yet
to be developed. The railroad building we consider
The irst progressive step towards that development
There is another class of emigraats who are ever
welcome to this country. We mean those who cult.
vate the soil. Land they can procure at almost
nominal sum, and they will always find ready mar
het ior Their produce. Those men toling among the
rocks and bushes of the Eastern wilderness from morn
Till hght receiving for such labor their bare livelihood
can here rest their weared hmbs for nature has clear
ed the land for just that class Of men to till.
Men ofcapital, you will here find abundant. facili-
ties Tor making investments Manufacturers are yet
TO be established, and he who shall be pioneer in
this project viii reap his reward. while competition is
struggling along by his de Our rapid increa of pop{
uiation is beginning to demand the cotton mill and
woollen factory, and these the people will have -
10 THE Youth OF MUscATINE Most of our juve
nile readers have perhaps, seen the statement that
little boy, ten years DID, was drowned near Chicago,
week or two ago, by party of boys, while bathing
Ihey wished him to go into an orchard and steal fruit
and on refusing to do SO, they plunged him into the
river until he was dead. The little fellow refused To
plier TO the last. He regular attendant at the
Sabbath School Now, as many benevolent gentle
men oil Chicago and other places have contributed
various sums towards erecting monument to the
memory OF this brave little martyr who resolved to
d'e rather than steal, it has been suggested that it
wo ID be beautiful and touching tribute to his death
deyng honesty the various Sabbath Schools in this
city would raise collections to purchase block of
marble and forward it to Chicago, with suitable in
scrlpton on it, tor place in this monument. Beley
ing this effort would impress the principle of honesty
on the youthful mind more than anything else that
could be done, we hope the suggestion will be acted
upon at once.
Tue Big Ox.-The mammoth OK, "Mus-
catine,"(of which we spoke last week, was
Shinpad On haorJ h. MoK~o