Litchfield enquirer., 1855-12-13
Trip Ont West.


pels US TO close it up more briefly than we
designed. From Muscatine west we trav-
eled by stage about two hundred miles, and |
We gazed in admiration on the wide and |
lovely prairies stretching away on every
side as far as the eye could reach, and
presenting the appearance of boundless
ocean covered with luxurian, grass.
The natural advantages of Iowa are ex.
traordinary. and could hardly be rivalled.
Within her limits are $4,000 square miles
of as rich soil as is anywhere to be found
in the world in the same compass. There
can hardly be said to be waste acre in the
State, "swamp lands" are almost unknown
there. The greater part Of lis area consists
of a successionof small undula,ing prairies,
well watered, and generally well supplied
with groves of timber. OF minerals it has
an abundant supply of coal, lead and
gypsum, and in agricultural resources it is
unbounded. With an eastern waterline on
the Mississippi, the State stretches to the
Missouri on the West, touching Missouri
on the South and Minnesota on the North.
1t is intersected by some half dozen streams,
flowing through it southeastward into the
Mississippi, furnishing great amount of
water power, and giving pleasing diver
sty to the natural features Of the country.
The principal Of these are the Cedar, the
Iowa, and the Des Moines Rivers, the l.t
ter of which rises in Minnesota and ira
verses the State diagonaly for about 400
miles. Situated as she is, away in the
heart Of the continent, far from the national
frontier, she will never be subject to the in
roads of foreign enemy's troops, in case
of war such foe can never penetrate the
country SO far as to reach her territory
In this enumeration Of natural advantages.
we must not omit to state that no local
causes Of disease exist in the State, and
that the climate is milder than in the States
further east between the same parallels of
latitude.
The soil is no doubt as good in Missouri
as in Iowa, but the incubus which checks
the progress Of the former has made that
difference in the original value of the land
in two States. nall departments of indus
try there is an equal difference. Iowa,
though so many years younger as a State
than Missouri, is rapidly leaving her in the
rear in the march Of improvement. The
time is not distant when the same disparity
of condition. though starting within nearly
equal advantages, will be observable be-
tween Iowa and Missouri tina, now strikes
one SO forcibly when ins,i,u,ing compari.
son between Ohio and Kentucky.
In order to afford convenient points of
comparison in the career Of this young and
vigorous State, it will be necessary to recur
to its early history. In 1888, only II
years since. Iowa was organized under
separate and territorial government, having
previous TO that time been under the same
government as Wisconsin. At that time
there We're only about $4,000 inhabitants in
the territory, which in 1910 had increased
to $4,000. After eight years of independent
existence in 1860 Iowa was admitted
into the Union as Stale, with a greatly
increased population, which in 1850, as
shown by the census, had swelled to 1885,
GOO. It's present population is estimated at
100000, and is increasing with "a rapiji,y
inconceivable to those who have not wit
messed the endless proce ssion Of canvass
backed wagons (each bearing a haf.score
Of little white heads,) winding its way
over her prairies.
The railroad Improvements in Illinois for
the last four years have been of almost as
much advantagelo Iowa as to the former
State, by furnishing easy access 10 it's good
and cheap lands. Iowa, too, is awake to
the Importance Of internal railroad com.
munica,ion. and but short time " iii elapse
before she will have railroad running her
entire breadth to Council Bluffs, soon 10 be
followed by one of about equal length
further north With such resources and
such population, both in numbers and
spirit, the progress of Iowa is a ratio Of
geometrical progression. The character of
the population is guarantee that the
moral and intellectual advancement of the
State will keep pace with lis material de-
velopment. In no other portion OF the
Union is 10 be found more orderly, in
dnstrious, sober and intelligent class of
people. Education receives the fostering
care which its importance deserves religion
fourishes-and beautiful fabric of society
is being built u2 there.
To those who have never travelled
through the west, much that is reported of
it is utterly ncredible-aIlhough western
resources and western capabilities have
never been fully described. The State of
Iowa alo.e, is capable Of sustaining twenty