Demoine courier., 1855-11-29
OUR COUNTRY--lNDUCEMENTS TO
EMICRANTS.
CHICAGO, llls., Oct. 1855.

CHICAGO, Ill.,, Uct. 1898.
MR. EDrToR:-Inicnding 10 make q
home in your State, am DESTROYS Of
ouch iniorwa,ion rs l can obtain from
Two or three points before making a tout
Of observation. You will confer q iavos
by eending me your paper.
Res?'y yours, ST. r.
Being frequently in receipt Of letters
Of This character, from those who desire
10 obtain a correct knowledge Of our
country, with a view Of making Il their
homes, il may not be amiss 10 give here
a shor, article on its resources, and the
inducements il offers 10 those imRigsa-
ting from other States 10 settle in il.
The Demoine Valley, a. far 10 il rs
,hickly settled, is about TWO hundred and
fifty miles long, by sixty IN breadth; and
comprises undoubtedly the sichess body
of lands. Of like extent in the world
In all this space such a thing as ssasts
land i. unknown. Its surface 10 gently
undula,ing, and Ills well supplled with
timber, limestone, stone coal, gypsum,
&c. The Dsmoine River, which runs the
whole length Of this valley, 10 now be-
ing improved BY locks and dams from
the mouth 10 Fl. Demoine, . distance Of
204 miles. That part Of The work be.
tween the mouth of the river and Ouum.
VIZ is now being rapidly pushed ahead,
and will undoubtedly be completed at an
early date. The basis upon watch this
work is being done 10 a grant Of lands
from the u. s., lying in altesnate sections
within FIVE miles on each side Of the
river. amouping to over one million Of
acres. These lands have been sold TO
a responsible Company. together with
he tolts and water-yen,s securing from
The improvement for a period Of years,
for the building Of the requisite locks
and dams from the mouth Of the river TO
the Rackoon Fork.
Of the advantages that this work will
be 10 our Valley we mead hardly speak.
Besides affording uninterrupted naviga-
,ioa for q greater Fars of the year. i,
will build up a manufacturing interest Of
i~ncalculable advantage 10 . producing
country like ours. Already where the
dams have been completed there have
sprung up mills and manufactures iha.
would Go credit 10 much older Ssa,es.-
After the work is completed and ,wen,y-
eight dams are built. what . tremendous
manufacturing interest will spring up a.
long the entire length Of the river!
The psiaeipal towns Of the river are
Harrington, Bona2arte, Bensonsport,
Keosa,eq,ea. ~lowavifbe, O4tsssscs. Ed
dyville, Red Rock and II. Demofne.-
The principal places in the Valley. on
the North side Of the river, are Keokuk,
Charleston, Primrose, Winchester, Rir-
n~ingham, fairfield. Libsr.yvls. Ash-
land. Agency CITY,, Dahlcnega. kirhvills,
Fremont, Oskaloosa. Monroe, Pella,
and Newfon. On the South side, Bloom.
field. Drakesville, Blakesburg. .AIbi0.
Kno1viNe aud Mdianola. most Of which
are lourishing places, and are in rich
agricultural districts. The county seats
We have pu, in itGiics. The health
throughout. this region il very good; not
surpassed ' by thai Of the Green
Mountain State.
But we must now speak Of local mat.
tiers. The counties in this State are gen.
orally is BY ~ miles square. WspslIo
county 10 Of that size and con,aios
four hundred and shirty-two square miles
of territory. or 27e,%sO acres, and il un-
douosedly tho bes. .imbered and wa,ered
county in the Stale. The Demoine riy-
er passes diagonally through il, and thus
gives il an extensive water power. Our
county contains about $4,000 inhabi.
tants, and there are no vacant lands. nei-
ther are there any considerable. bodies Of
lands in the hands Of speealAsess ~ pre-
vent is rapid advance in population and
Improvement. Not an acre Of land in
this county was reported as "swaMp or
overlooked land" Our Farmers sre
bringing their lands into o high state Of
cultivation, AMI are becoming independ.
ent in their circumstances. This year
we suppose Wape!lo county will pul
not less than $4,000 hogs into market.
which at IN average Of $40 each will
D . quarter Of a million dollars into
our farmers pockets. Besides hogs our
farmers will sell, a good many neat ca.
tie and horses, sEd q large amour, Of
grain.
or mile we have only a tolerable