Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1854-04-05
Pun from a stranger.

4
pom the glorious young State of Iowa, although
q advocating the cause of her Democracy and
er general spirit of railway enterprise, as we
ave iabored faithfully to do feel that we
ave thus Iavished praise upon two of her SUI.
ereminent merits.
But putting as a general thing does not
take so we'll, from the mouth Of an adopted
nd permanent citizen. People suspect his
elf interest and begin to question his motives,
nd quoting the ancient fable Of the "Spider
nd Fly" will not dignity his concentrations
y he title Of inducements, and therefore re-
main burrowed up in their old homes, as ig-
orant and 2rejud.ced as ever. in regard to the
natter at issue.
Now, we honestly believe, that this Sister.
ood" which We denominate the United States,
8 emphaticaily Gree. Country" We be.
anne convinced Of this years and years ago
'hen We ratronised John Frink' line of mud.
wagons from the venerable port Of 81. Josephs
IN Lake Michigan into the stumpy interior Of
hat exceliently timbered State. Bat like any
Their family Of sisters, there are choices 10 be
made. One may be more lovely than another
in personal beauty. still another may excel in
intellectual fertility, and yet another in the
glowing charms Of the imagination and still
again may one fair individual combine these
various traits in more fascinating profusion
and greater exec than all the rest.
Like ~ lattl ps'd efalnr
'nsss. We hold her to be the "Flower Of the
Family" But stsys--we have Strangers
opinion to offer. tits part ola long letter
written by . Mr. Dewey from Mt. Pleasant to
his friends in Ohio, and published in the MI.
Pleasant Observer. THIS gentleman appears
to be close and candid thinker. Read and
judge for yourselves. We have but room for
extracts.
You may perceive by glancing at the map of
ders are bounded by the Mississippi and Miss
ouri rivers. The eastern slope is drained by
the Des Moines the Skunk the Iowa and Cedar
the Wapsepinicon. the Makoqueta. and the
Turkey rivers, and their almost innumerable
ontributaries-presenting as fine body of
agricultural lands as can be found in the world.
The surface in general, after leaving the vi
cinity Of the Mississippi river, is neither fiat
nor billy. but gently undulating, dry, and to
all appearance o! almost exhaustless fertility.
The country is very we'll supplied with timber
the prairie predom,nating. But married char
acteristic is. that the soil IS all good. There
are no waste lands almost every acre is sus.
cep,ible Of profitable culture. j.
The Minerals of Iowa consist chiefly OF lead,
iron aud coal. Lead is lifted in large quaint
ties in the northern counties. Iron ore is said
to be abundant; aud her coal fields are cOmpu-
ted to cover an area of $4,000 square miles
almost doubling that of Pennsylvania.
Hence you will perceive that nature has
furnished Iowa with the elements of exhaust.
less agricultural mineral and manufacturing
wealth. We need men and means to devel-
ope these native resources, and they are crow
ding in through every avenue by the thousand.
1t is believed that both in population and
wealth. the State has fully doubled during the
past three years.
We have direct communication with the
South by the Mississippi and Missouri rivers,
and will be connected with the East in a few
months at farthest, by means Of continuous
rail roads, tapping the State at Burlington,
Davenport, Lyons and Dubuque. The Bur
lingion Railroad is now being permanently To-
Gated. by way of Mount Pleasant and Fair.
field. to the Missouri river-the Davenport
nuu ~ 'oouSt " 10Y oA Ao"" ivy "uu
Fort Des Moines, to the western side Of the
State. Besides these. numerous other roads
are projected, some Of which will doubtless
be built.
Among the most important river towns of
Iowa, we might name Keokuk, Fort Madison,
Burlington, Muscatlne. Davenport and Du
buque. Those Of the interior. Iowa City, Ce-
dar Rapids, Mount Pleasant, Fairfield, aud
Fort Des Moines, with populations varying
from one 10 Ave or sig Thousand
4
The people Of Iowa, as far as my observa
ton extends, are, at least, on an average with
the popu alton Of the older States, in point Of
intelligence and morality, and perhaps also in
wealth. There is rarely village or popu
lous country place, without its school houses
and churches, furnishing the ordinary educa
tional and religious advantages. And We have
very few really poor men here. There are not
many wealthy. but nearly every family has
enough OF the substantals Of life and some.
thing to spare.
Improvements here cost much less than in
Ohio. To illusttrae, let us make an estimate.
Suppose man to push little out Of the settle
ments. and with 5000, to enter l6O acres Of
prairie lands. The breaking up Of this he can
hire at from 81 so to $500 per acre. To take
the highest figures this would cost 1920 Now
suppose the rails in the fence to cost So per
hundred to enclose this land with fence nine
rails high, s'aked and ridered would cost, say
800. Then in ALL the l6O acres Of land would
cost him $3.50, every acre reduced to better
condition for culture than could be obtained
in any timber country in less than eight or ten
years. Besides, II this land should be sowed
down in wheat (Which the first year after
breaking produces an almost certain crop) and
should it yield but ten or twelve bushels per
acre. this crop alone would itself pay the entire
outlay Of capital While the outlay Of cash
for breaking the sod and enclosing can be di.
minished indefinitely by the laborer. who is
willing to perform this labor for himself. From
this simple statement it will be readily seen
how easily a laboring man with few hundred
dollars at command, can acquire q competen-
cy in Iowa, and why SO very few are depend.
en-. on the charity Of their neighbers for sup
port.
The public school system seems 10 be in q
healthy condition. Besides which Colleges are
Qua religious denominations. The Baptist at
Burlington, the Congregations lists at Daven-
port, the Presbyterians at Dubuque, the Odd
Fellows ut Iowa City. and the Methodists at
| Mt. Pleasant, are successfully at work rearing
up institutions of Collegiate grade.
There are six land offices in this state, loca.
ted at Dubuque. Iowa City. Fairfield. Fort
| Oes Moines, Charlton and kanesville or Coun
Gil Bluffs. Aud there are still large quantities
OF government land to be entered.
| Literary Notices.
/