Demoine courier., 1855-06-14
BEYOND BURLINGTON.

groves or openings. The soil. is of III,
richest and most productive description
and for ON miles out, is highly c~uliivat
cd. Great attention is paid 10 frui
growing. There are in the n~eighbor
rood I large number Of extensive nur
series-ths largest Sf which covers sew
enty.ive acres-besides several smaller
ones.s From these Eve hundred to sil
hundred thousand trees are annually pro
dsced-one alone budding some three
hundred thousand. Great attention az
we have before remarked, 10 paid to hor.
,iculiure and fruit growing. and in this
respect burlington is far ahead OF Chi
cago. as the innumerable quantities Of
the firess boque,s collected and presented
10 the Chicago ladies' on the recent ex
cursion bear eloquent testimony.
But 10 return 10 the country. A ride
of several miles into the interior gave us
pretty good opportunity Of judging Of
Whist this portion Of Iowa is And, we
were nearly ready 10 subscribe to the re
mark Of Counsellor Starr, hat as regards
Iowa God hat almost removed the
primevar curse, tina, by the swea, Of the
brow, &c.
There is a plank roaj CONSTRUCTED
westward. The first considerable Town
that 10 reached il NJ. PIeasan,, tweniy.
eight miles dis.sn, from Burlington. |,
is the county seat Of Henry county. and
contains q population OF 1000. The
~ a ros:~.~hIo co-s..o 81 ska so.vc q. Tho
Wesleyan University, OF which the new
ly elected Senat"t Harlan, is The Presi.
dent. IL is a fine, large building situated
on the west side Of the town. There is
also quite al extensive Female Semina-
~, a little out on the prairie. In both
these institutions there is a large number
Of students, and they are both IN a flour
ishing and prosperous condition.
Twenty TWO miles further west we
come to Fairfield. The county sea. Of JEFF
ferson county, with a population Of abou.
eighteen hundred. Here is a branch Of
the State University. occupying a large
brick building in the west end OF the
town. on a beautiful site containing wen
" acres. There 10 likewise q Female
Seminary, and a Public Library. which
though recent, contains over one thous
and volumes.
Both Nj. Pleasant and Fairfield have
public squares containing ab ~. two scres
each, around which are located the stores
aud other business establishments. III
which a large trade ia carried on.
In iwes,y. five miles more, we reach
Ouumwa. the county seat 0i Wapello
county. II IL situated nj The head of The
present lettings for the slack water navi
CATION On The Des Moines River, and
contains a population Of something over
1000. The river has been extremely
low this season, and al this point there is
a large quantity Of grain awaiting a rise.
We heard uf Que iarLer alone, who had
len thousand busLsls OF corn on hand
ready for ship ment. Here is where The
railroad from Burlington is 10 strike the
DE Moline, consequently connecting this
region with Chicago.
There are some lesser towns, such as
New London, twenty six miles from
burlington, L.ber,y vile, So. and Agelc y
City. CO. This latter place is The old
Indian Agency ground If Gen Sweet,
who resides there still.
Southern Iowa is well wooded-lhere
being an abundance of timber for all
practical purposes. ltgrows principally
along the streams. TSere is a great des
,i,u,ion Of Touring mills, aud the inlabi
,sn,s are often quito much Inconvenience
IN ge, flour for their '.iaily bread" not
wi,hs,aniig hey sse in The mids. OF a
grsnary.
The counties of Henry, ]. ~ferson. and
WapsIlo. contain about 5000 inhabi-
~,snts-b~ine nearly elua! in this respect.
There is a fir p 0 pc tot The X l.
road heing completed from Burlington 10
the Des Moines mex .easun. A large
propornon vi the grading is already
done The Board Of Directors were
ia session on Wednesday. and contracts
wers entered into IT, complete the road
forty miles this fall, and to the river
next season. This is an important en-
,srpr,se, not only 10 Burlington bu, 10
Chicago, as j, will "open up" to both a
rich section whose business relations
are now, TO q grea, extent with keokuk
and 81. Louis. All the prodnce exported
and 81 The groceries, merchandise and
lumhss inporssd-except for the section
which isswihin striking distance of the
Desi hs6ines-has TO be transported in
the primitive way--i. o. By wagons
The navigation Of the Dee Moine. is
~preoarious and uncertain.b boats not having
been able to ascend for over q year. The
improvements will mend the matter some.
The contracts. We understand, have been
lei. The locks are 10 be two hundred
Gestlong. being twenty. Eva fee, longer
than originally contemplated by the State
OF Iowa, and large enough /, pass the
IlArges, class Of boats usually navigating
the Upper Mississippi. 10 be completed
to For. Des Moines, "a distance Of two
hundred and four miles above the con.
uection Of the Des Moines with the Mis.
sissippi.) on the lst July, 1883; bu. q
considerable portion Of The work will he
~navigable for steamboats,. and an i'm
menss amount Of water power created,
al much earlier period.