The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1855-06-07
FROM II EST.

AS a number Of our friends fom Orange
and Greenwood have lately started on a
Western tour of inspection, the following
extract from q letter Of II. ]. WolvetoD of
Sunbury will be interesting 10 readers in the
upper end of the county. 1t is copied from
the Sunbu,y Gazette, and is well written. It
is dated at Fort Dos Moines, Iowa.
Fort Des Moines is situated on the Des
Moines river, which is ~navigable for steam
boats a portion of the year. 1t contains a
population Of about 1900, all the houses and
stables are full TO overlooking. It's location
is a low one. about nine or ten feet above
low water marx, and from what | am told,
some few feet below high water mark
Our tickets from Sunbury 10 this place
(Fort Des Moines) exclusive Of our
living and incidental expense here,
cost just SAT 90. Living is no small item
of expense here, and as for incidentals,
all along the line and here they are a SET of
sharks. All have come here 10 make a for
tune, and they ase trying 10 do it. They all
know you, and know just what you wari,
ane If you 'uould want what they wantyou
too want, you would want them TO have all
your money. Persons coming here must
look and Judge for themselves. 1t is diff
cult 10 get an impartial alement OF existing
facts. The statements OF lawyers, landlords
and spectators, are all sx parte
The doctors seem to be lights of the Sec
ond degree here, unless they are s~pecuia-
tors. Nobody wants them unless in erlre-
mis-. They are generally young and ofhum-
BILE means their eyes are not so widely
open 10 speculations as some Of the other
citizens; they generally do a good business,
their statements are generally The most relia.
BILE they can also tell you where to get
good horses. The men here are very socia-
BILE; The ladies, TOO, look NICE and pleasant, but
don { speak. 'sposs its because they a'int &C.
qaa'nfed. The country here for beauty and
fertility csa not be surpassed. 1t ex-
ceeds The most sanguine expectation of IFS
visitors. The Improvements though this
State are also almost without a parallel for
the short time II has been settled. The cas-.
tern portion begins TO assume The appearance
of some Of the eastern States, excepting the
old and delapidated buildings in some of our
eastern States. Land here in Iowa is as
high as il is IN our own State. Lots in Fort
Des Moines and in Iowa City sell at the
rate from fifty 10 one hundred dollars a foot
front. Wheat is worth from 81 40 10 81 as
per bushel in Iowa City, corn and oats a5
cents. 10 Forte Des Noines wheat brings
from 10 10 rs cents, corn and oats 20 cents.
Medium sized two-story houses rent for from
$3.50 10 $500. per annum; Hotels from $1,000
TO $4,000 per annum; taxes ra:e from one TO
one and a half mills on the dollar for County
and State purposes; legal interest is 10 per
cenlun', but money here readily and safely
commands 40 per centum.
The immigration hither exceeds any rea-
sonable idea Of any person seeing it by al
least one half, and will increase with the ia
%cil;ties of travelling. There are now three
railroads in progress OF construction TO this
place, one from Lyons, one from Davenport,
and one from The city Of Muscatins. This
State is now destined 10 be the garden Of the
West like il better Thar any country l
have ever seen. The soil is deep and rich,
the land is level but dry, The traveller here
frequently finds himself in the midst Of one
vast prairie, without any object 10 obstruct
his vision, and his eye carries him on to
where the Indian sky and land seem 10 meet
each other, aud almost ~imagines the visual
line Thai giris him bout the worlds extreme.
This country offers great pecupiary advanta-
ges TO farmers and speculaiors in real estate.
The professions are crowded, and tradesmsn
are sufficiently numerous for the demand,
except carpenters, There are no stones here.
therefore no stone masons needed. Oxen
here take the place of horses, and feed on
the prairie grass. They break their prairies
first by a team Of nom six to Ten yoke of
oxen.