The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1854-08-31
Davenport ald its Environs.

Alter an absence of two weeks from the
city. pissed with the less progressive people
of the South, we find upon our return every
thing in and around Davenport advancing
with ira steady prosperity which seems to
mark all Of our Western river towns. On
every side may be heard the noise of the
hammer and the plane, while you cannot
cast your eyes in any direction without
seeing houses, the ages Of which are yet
numbered by months. We observe FIVE
brick buildings on single Block carried up
to the square since we left. four of which
are three and four stories Our sidewalks
are being planked and--nobody knows
when the streets uiR be graded, though
such an event is annually prognosticated.
Above the city the pertinacious contract
ors OF the great Mississippi Railroad Bridge
are at work building the first Golfer dam
ever erected in the mighty Father of Wa
tiers, with a perseverance that, il witnessed
by him, would cause our little friend of the
Burlington Telegraph to draw himself up to
the full altitude Of five feet, in astonishmcnt
at their temerity. A steamboat employed
BIZ them is anchored there to facilitate the
work, which, with the large number of
hands employed upon it, is progressing as
fast as so extensive an undertaking could
possibly advance. To give an idea of the
immensty Of this work we would state that
single pier, as completed on this side Of
the river, We are informed, cost $4,000.
Still further up the stream, Messrs. Swan
g. Co, the Government contractors, are at
work blasting out the rock which for so
many years hns offered serious obstruction
), stoo,,b,,,, na~ier.iys.. 4.ni ,ictc reel
inclined to stop and assure those gentlemen,
from Jeff. Davis, the Secretary of War,
down 10 Gen. Morgan, the editor OF the
Burlington Teqraph,-or, it may be, the
scale descends the other way-that they
need not fash themselves about matters
with regard to the navigation of the Missis-
sippi. so far as Davenport is concerned; as
our Government, through its worthy Agents,
S doing more in single day towards reno
wing mpediments to steamboat navigation
than the Railroad Company with all Of its
industry will accomplish in month.
With respect to the former work. we are
informed by Mr.. Swan, that although having
been in operation but few days, they have
reached a sandstone of pure white, most
formation and one we don't
think that geoogists who have examined
this region Of country have suspected OF
existing here. hose who have visited the
Falls Of ST. Antony will remember stra-
tuln of this same peculiar stone at Fort
Smelling; indeed. it seems to form the clift
upsn which this fortress is erected. At
this point the Mississippi is only 100 yards
wide. The sandstone blasted from the bed,
which the old Father for so many ages has
been permitted to occupy unmolested' Is
yery friable and crumbles to the touch
We shall obtain a sample in few days
when we shall be happy to exhibit It to
those who take an interest in the construc-
ton Of the globe upon which we live.
Tn the outskirts Of the city on the east
where the bridge begins to make demon
stra,ion, may be seen piles of Railroad tles'
more in value than the Presidents salary.
evidencing that if that great undertaking
has 'pegged OUT as correspondent ihu-
mates. it has pretty big ones and plenty OF
them to do it with. But as we haven't
been ann place since our return home, we
cannot be expected to "take in" at a glance
all that is going on in and around this pro-
gressive city.