Demoine courier., 1854-08-24


brooks, running over pebbly beds, gush-
ing springs or wells easily made OF clear
aud sparkling water. Is il not beauti-
ful?" beautiful, beautiful, beautiful"
echo the ladies'.
"Beau.ti full" answers the quail from
the topmost rail Of that stake and rider
fence around that magnificent field of
rye.
Beau. li.ful--beau,iful," whistles the
whipporwlll at midday in the dark grove
Of elns AID oaks by the way side. He
has only changed his dolorous note 10
sui, the sunshine.
Iowa Tor me- says the young wife.
Bright and beautiful as a fairy Dream"
says a merry maiden.
.Now. gentlemen and ladies' says an
old stranger-old-he had been ten years
in lowa-"if you are so taken with this
just hold on-don't cry out ,ill you ge,
up about Oskaloosa, and round about
there: UP into Mahaska, Marion, War
rem, Lucas, Monroe, Madison. and go on
clear on, to Council Bluffs; such land
for farming lie not any where else on this
continent, not even California-l've seen
it ALL"
"Can't beat Clark, Union, Mon,gom.
cry, Adams and Mills" replies another
voice.
"Well, gentlemen. it is all good. and
ills pretty hard 10 tell which is best"
Such is the tone of conversation
among the explorers of this new coun.
try on the steamers which at this season
navigate the Demoine river, ard ia the
coaches On roads where three years
ago a coach twice a week was ample.
now two lines a day are required, and 6
or Z coaches frequently to carry the pas.
sengers. Mount Pleasant is a flourish
ing town, 25 miles from Burlinp ton,
(reached by a plank road,) of 1900 in.
habltants, and will have a railroad lhro'
it in less than a year-good churches and
good people; for they take 100 Tribunes.
| am told. and they mean TO take more
if it (ihe Tribune) keeps on the north
side OF Nebraska and western improve
men,. Fairfield, the seat Of i~us,ice of
Jefferson county, is 25 miles from Mt.
Pleasant. Here are 800 people. and
everything active, vigorous and progress.
i've. Twenty five miles further on is
Ouumwa, built upon a fine slope on the
Demoine. 1t has been a little stagnan, =
tor a year or two, on account of the sus
pension of the Demoine Improvement,
which is now abou, to be renewed by an
eastern company and will be speedily
completed; for when any country de.
mands such q work .ha, will pay as well
as this will, there will always be found
men and capital TO DO it. Oskaloosa, the
county seat of Mahaska, is on The prai-
rie; the Demoine four miles distant upon
one side, and the south fork of Skunk
River two miles on the other; thus bor-
defed on either side by living stream,
and heavy timber. Ten years since it
was made the seat of justice, then a place
where a few settlers had reared their
cabins-seeing with prophetic eye villa,
must follow. Now i, has from 9 900 to
$500 inhabitants, and 100 buildings il is
said will be erected this season. Every
house and room is full, and every day
brings new accesslons TO their numbers.
The railroad will pass through this beau
tifnl town in less than two years. Knox.
vile, The county sea, of Marion, is 4 vii.
lage Of 1900. Pells-where a colony
OF iiollanders located six or eigh, years
ago-near the border Of Marion, has
now its 600 people. A convention was
there held the last week in May, aud ar.
rangements made for erecting a college
under the patronage of the Baptist de
nomination. AT Oskaloosa they have
now a Normal School. At Fairfield and
Mount Pieasan, Female S%eminaries and
Colleges are IN process of erection
The jewellers in the east have as ye, no
conception of this beautiful State, its
present Improvements, its progress or re
sources.
The prairles are high and rolling and
bordered with timber. liz many places
nature seems TO have laid out the farm
expressly for mans uss, and cleared the
meadow, coin.field, and orchard. leaving
no stump, tree or bush, to interfere with
the plow. covering it with deep and mat
ted roots OF grass 10 preserve the soil and
enrich it for future use. Groves and
parks surround it; running streams and
brooks ripping merrIly over the pebbles
and sand, refresh II; %shrubbery and I'M
derorush supply the new beginners with
rich iruits-rlums of fine quality re-
sembling the apricot. wild cherries and
gooseberries. smooth and large-black-
berries. raspberries, strawberries and
grapes, all of superior quality to those
growing wild in the middle States, and
in quantities inexhaustible. Potatoes,
both swee. and Irish, are very fine; corn
magnificent; and all agree in one thing,
THAI one half the labor will produce a
better crop than in the farming lands OF
Ohio.
Here, then, by the side or under the
cover OF one of those rare old groves,
The farmer may make his home, break up
his prairie land. and in three years have
his farm under better cultivation than in
hllly woodland countries in fifteen. Ap.
pie and peach trees come 10 maturity
very soon. and good nurseries are now
to be found in many places. At Pella
there is a very fine one. as well as a oar