The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1853-09-08
GAZETTE CORRESPONDENCE.
SPRINGFIELD, Ills, Aup't. 81. :.

staging brings you to Bloomington, wher
you again take the cars for Chicago, making
about ls0 miles staging between Rock Is.
land and Chicago on this route. Woe to the
man or woman who attempts it!
Nothing has transpired since my last
worthy Of special note, and shall only in
this give your readers through the columns
of your valuable journal hasty sketch of
my journey from Rushville thus far.
On Saturday morning last, at o'clk., l
left Rushville in one and the last, and worst
of Frink's two horse coaches, alias wagons,
for Jacksonville. We crossed the Illinois
river which was very low, took hasty and
scant breakfast in Bardstown, and set out
for Jacksonville on good plank road that
reached over the sandy plains extending AZ
miles east Of Bardstown through the village
of Virginia and reached Jacksonville y past
A. NJ. Took dinner at the Mansion
House, kept by Charles Fox, Esq, and left
for the residence OF venerable brother who
town. There l remained enjoying myself
in high degree-luxuriating and feasting
on the fat and fruit of the richest region of
land and country in America. Yes, sir, in
America Old Morgan cannot be beat in
east or west, north or south, for beautiful
fields, pleasant houses, sweet intelligent
young ladies', smiling, sociable, hospitable
old folks, fast horses, large mules, fat cattle
and big sheep!
While in the vicinity of this lovely town,
heard as sweet and animated vocal music as
ever fell from the lips of female loveliness.
Time and the limits of a letter, ev en- if pru-
dence did not forbid, will not allow me to
designate.
Of this country every citizen in it has a
right to be proud None can dispute its
title to health, richness and unequalled love-
illness. Jacksonville, the county site of
Morgan, contains 1000 inhabitants, and
some Of the finest public buildings in the
west. The Luna,.c Asylum two miles
south Of the. city is large and imposing. Its
size is 800 feet by believe 100, four stories
high, containing large, well ventilated rooms
for the accommodation of the unfortunate
Lunatics, where ever kind attention is paid
by the humane and intelligent steward
regret that time did not allow me to view
the i"terior of this magnificent establish
ment. In the yard and near the main build
ing is bath house, cookery, dining room
and wash house, all on large and conve-
nient scale, with stack or chimney, square.
and built of bricks, some 10 feet high, which
adds not a little to the general grandeur of
the whole.
The State College is on the west of the
city in College Grove, and presents a grand
appearance. The Deaf and Dumb Asylum,
Asylum for the Blind, College under the
control Of the Methodists, and Female
Academy owned by the Presbyterians, arc
all here and all in a high state Of prosperi-
y. Two large steam Touring mills are not
the least acquisitions to the place.
Jacksonville is one Of the most desirable,
beautiful and healthy inland towns of its
size in the United States, and when a few
more railroads uniting with it are finished
and some plank roads constructed on which
to bear the incalculable amount Of surplus
produce raised in the surrounding country
~ =, fal -,
and be ranked among the first cities of the
west.
This city, Springfield, am told contains
over 5000 inhabitants. 1t may be SO, but
it is situated on a dead level; its streets,
which are wide, running east and west,
seem to extend from the rising to the set
ting of the sun. Its circumference appears
bounded only by the horizon!
This is the capital of the great, the rich,
the magnificent State of Illinois. All the
aristocracy center here. The State House
is ample in size, but squatty, Dutchy, with
little windows, heavy dome and low, cover
ed with copper, which is dark and incapable
of rejecting back single sunbeam, which
always gives lively, brilliant appearance
to lofty building. The square in which
this House stands is entirely too small, with
but little grounds around it for promenade
or establishment. The Court House and
State Banking House stand side by side and
are much alike, both being large and fine
in outward appearance. Many beautiful
residences are in the outskirts of this young
city and there is still room for many more.
The principle sidewalks are paved with
brick, but the streets being neither turn
pked, paved nor McAhmized, must in wet
weather be horrible.
lam stopping at the American House, the
largest and most fashionable in the place,
but will bear no comparison to the LIE Claire
House either in size, appearance or good eat
ling. About one hundred sat down to two
long tables this morning, and were not at
TENDED to by as many or as competant SER
wants as friends Lowrys have to wait on half
that number. The Mansion House in Jack
sonvlle is better house than this, but that
is nothing to compare to the LIE Claire House
in Davenport.
As journey further East | suppose
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