The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1855-12-31

DAYrox, o., Dec. %.

"VEning, ma nave 10 lay Dv TIL noon. WHICH
untortunate circumstances affords me an OPP
portunity to s'post up" my travels You
cannpt expect anything interesting or anus
ing when you learn that have been thus un-
expectedly detained after riding all night
without wink Of sleep, and while writing
now at the window through which / sec the
rain coming down with kind OF gloomy
and persistent sameness which indicates a
regular Ohio rainy day.
We passed over the Ohio and Mississippi
roadto Nincennes, hundred and fifty miles,
yesterday, by daylight, and did not see any
spot on the way whore | would consent to
live could | obtain an entire township Of
land in simple consideration of occupancy.
It is generally low, fiat prairie, presenting a
dead level almost from the Mississippi to the
Little Wabash. The country is but thinly
settled, and the improvements along the line
Of the road remind one Of the Half breed
tract as it was few years ago. A gentle
man in one of the towns made an apology
for the lack of impror ement after this fash
ion He said there was a great deal of i'm
proyement in contemplation, and a large
number of buildings would be put up next
season. There would have been last season,
but there was so much sickness that nothing
could be done. From appearances ! am in
chned to believe that the apology is equally
applicable to all the towns along the route,
and is likely to remain so, for do not believe
the kind of people who iWrove can live
long enough to make improvements in such
country.
The Ohio and Mississippi road is broad
gauge, as YOU may know, consequently the
cars are wide and spacious, and notwith
standing the lack Of ballast over almost the
entire line, the riding is much easier, more
agreeable and safer than upon the narrow
guage which have travelled from yincennes
to this place. Every thing about the road
seems TO be conducted in excellent order, and
heard not word of grumbling or com
plant during the day.
We had fair train Of passengers aboard,
and was sorry though not surprised TO no
tice good many TASKS and bottles Of liquor
carried by passengers and passed round to
friends. man and wife with several child
rem aboard particularly attracted my atten-
ton on account of the g matter of course
way"in which they passed the bottle, and the
readiness with which that family Of little
girls and boys turned up the bottle and each
in turn quaiied the accustomed beverage
That family lived on the borders of Egypt.
Win those friends Of Temperance in Iowa
who assert that the Liquor law causes men
to resort 10 the bottle instead Of the dram
shop, and thus makes more drunkarls, please
note these facts occurring where there is no
such law in force, and account for them ia
accordance with that theory
We had specimen Of Young America on
the cars who oficiated as newsboy, water
carrier, apple and cake peddler, and furnish
cd the company with an infinite deal Of fun.
As a specimen Of his off hand replies: when
he first came on board CRYING his papers, our
Mayor asked If he had ssFree Love Adyo-
cate - 'sNo sir" ssWe1l WHY don't YOU
have them for sale?'' s'Becanse there is
enough of that kind of thing going on with
out any Advocate" This was the first OF
a great many very quick wtted retorts which
established ''Young America as the ''lion,"
and the favorite Of that passenger train.
The connections are all sbrokcn up" on
st,.4 , h -
we believe, Of an excessive development Of
tho 'sbig-bead" in the Evansville and Craw-
f0rdsvineTompany. Ilearned this morning,
however, tint Mr. Ward, Superintendent of
the ON b ana asissippi r. r., is on among
The Indiana - Ohio conpanies, md has
rell nigh q ~ an ffrangenent III which
direct sC 6n viii be n.sde oxsr ~
whole li - at present arranged, ispps-|
r1tes = : perfect outrage upon apge |,
for we were detained three or fou9 rss ~
Vinccnnes, and will be compsllekG 10y 81
|oren longer than that at this PA
q regret that cannot tell 90 aomething
put the towns on Their but the truths
p Eps dark whom we stopped a YincsHaes
onsed throngh Tcrre Hante and Indi4ns
and it il raining too savagely to i'd
NIT any observations in Dayton. Rail
.rcs Faxeling, discover, is not the most
favor ~ for making observations of town
md ID pGy, ~haseyer else there may b to
'r1pom1pA it. am SO vexad TINT cannot
90 ~ old home before Sunday, that
49, 4 bis asnlahle, 20 ga bys, before
Issy sons inE vssEedS
u, l1s E: b: ss.e n. = as ss