The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1855-06-22


companies ii with extended remarks Of if
own, from which we make the following
extracts.
TIE ;ntimstion # orr neighbor tia
Keokuk is too much inclined to qunrre
with her contemporaries in the vicinity. i
hardly deserved. Less Of that sort Of re
mark Is INDUCED in here then is usual a
places similarly situated. The people
have too unauestionne confidence ID the
advantage Of their position, and Of the
lpkure before them, 10 feel overmuch
prompted to any thing of the kind. Tie
Lntslligenssr will seldom observe !! except
when called out in sell defence.
But 70 the article
Among all the thriving cities Of the
Upper Mississippi, which are growing II
pqpulat on, business and wealth, beyond
The sredence Of the old fogies Of St. Louis,
Ws confess 10 almost Partially fer keo
kuk. That point has strong natural i'd
vaniages, and the people there have the
sagacity to see, and the energy to take
hold Of them. In past years. owing 70
the difficulties in land titles. growing out
OF the half breed reservation. other towns
up the river grew more rapidly than keo
kuk but these difficulties, now quieted
by judicial decision, can retard her growth
no longer and though crippled in her
youth BY this cause, keokuk IL now
bounding forward in a manner that evin-
ces more than ordinary ,igof. The diff
culties in titles have had one good effect
as it seems TO as that OF keeping the
prices of real estate in keokuk within
limits entirely reasonable. We do not
pretend 10 assert that the prlces Of city
lots in Burlington. Muscatine, or Dayen
port are at oil inflated but we can say
unequivocally that prices in keoAuk do
not seem extravagant, III view Of her pre-
sent growth and promising future.
Ii affords us pleasure to speak we'll OF
Keokuk though we regret that her own
people cannot at all times aescant on her
At their nighbors Of Warsaw, Madison or
Burlington. This seems 10 us in bad
taste; vet we are disposed 10 admire the
city and its people, rather than to reprove
what offends our nice delicacy. II is es
senlial TO proper dignity OF character that
people should respec, themselves, and this
the people OF keokuk seem 10 do; and it
may be that ire are wrong in believing that
they do not give any force to The argument
in favor Of their own city by depressing
others. We would only exercise friend
~ freedom in suggesting, that this imita-
ton Of a city ON Lake Michigan, which
cannot pray for blessings en- hsr own head
unless coupled with petition for curses
On the Lead Of S.. Louis, is unworthy Of
our neighbor at the foot Of the Rapids.
Tel or twelve years ago, keokuk was
almost, If not entirely confined 10 the vii.
lape under the bluff, "Rat Row, " As it was
called, and was pretty generally .4egarded
as a place which il was gooi fortune for q
man with money to get safely away from
Now, it is believed, with good show o
reason, to present strong inducements te
mon of capital and enterprise Then
several other towns in Iowa, had 81
acknowledged superiority, both in capital
business, and future promise. Aou--bu
we need not institute comparisons.
.lf Keokuk can grasp and hold the trade
of the Des Moines valley alone, it will b.
sufficient to make her one Of tie principa
cities OF the North west With the navi
CATION of the Des MONIES improved b,
slack water. and railroad parallel wit.
the river, Keokuk will occupy position
in regard to tba, valley similar 10 the pc
sition Of St. Louis in regard 10 the valley
of tie Missouri, and she need have liult
fear of rivalry She will continue TO be
o she is now, uholesaleing place for
great part or that fertile and prosperous
region and, in time, will probably sup
ply many OF its manufactured articles
These are consequences which seem Il
grow naturally out Of her position. y
Then quoting from US, and making som,
remarks relative 10 our interests il respec
oil navigation, the Inte!l9enoer concludes
ave cannot be wrong in the opinion
that young city OF such lofty pretenslons
able 10 establish her sle anboat line if sh
chooses city with two or three Gail,
papers, six TO eight thousand people.
large and rapidly increasing wholesal
trade--and with elements Of failure growtl
palpable 10 every obseryer-is a pae
whose current history and movement ar
worthy Of come attention in St. Louis
We have therefore given the views OF til
GAte City Editor the prominence 10 whc
they are entitled; and If any cold iogy''
inclined 10 regard the preiensons of keo
kuk as too lofty lei him rub his glasse
and take patient look a, her and at he
interior resources; or il he can't see then
let him get up his car trumpet and liste,