Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1856-07-19
Correspondence.
For the Sunbary American.
Mt. PLKasASr, Iowa. !
July, LIST 1856.
DEAR SrR

DEAR SIR:
believe have written you nc
account Of this town and vicinity II will b,
remembered that this is an inland town with
no railroad nor nivigatiOn; but built up en-
tircly BY the enterprise Of its inhabitants, and
the business Of the surrounding country. II,
location is tha most delightful and its atmos
phcre the most healthIu that the most sensi
tive can desire. ] had estimated the popula.
ton OF the town to be twenty seven hundred
but the assessor says be has alroady taken
the ceusns of that number and that when the
returns shall have been completed the nun.
Der will reach to within scorce Of 300O.--
! The Inhabitants are mostly from Ohio; and
our State, and those Of the north and eai
are largely represented; consequently the
Free-Sol element strongly prevails in the
politics of the county. This community also
gave large majority las: year for prohbi-
tory liquor Law, which was subsequently, en-.
acted by the Legislature. and is now the law
! OF The land; and thc condition Of affairs con-
hrms me in the position taken in advocating
Maine Law IN Pennsylvania that, not
withstnndlng tho prohibition Of tho sale of in.
toxicating drinks, there will always be hotels
enough To accommodate the travelling public
"A nd IN regard to the morality OF the people
| viii merely say that in the two weeks |
have been here have not seen drunken
man aud that ! have seen the boys playing
together i'll the streets hours at a time with
out hearing from them profane word. The
town contains many fine large stores and
storehouses large portion are three stories
high, built OF brick with splendid frouts.-
Most OF the dwellings, are built in the cottage
style, and stand within spacious lots, and sur
rounded by shrubbery and shade treess A
very large hOtel--the Brazelton IIouse-is
being built by a company Of which DR.. Bird
Is president, on the corner Of Monroe and
washington streets opposite the northeast
corner OF the public square. IT will be l20
ittt 'front.' or one street and 90 on the other
The rooms on the first iloor were nll engaged
Tor store rooms at high rent before the
mouse was commenced There are not less
than one hundred buildings in process OF cree.
tlon at this time, and many of them are OF an
important and substantial character. The
Iowa Wesleyan University is located here
ana is III successful operation, aud very large
ly patronizcd. There ara flso several re-
spectacle and well sustained Semnnrics.-
| he congregational, and the the camphelEte
societies have each good and substantial
brick church; The Presby ytcrian, and Metho.
DIST meeting. houses are both giving place TO
two stored brick churches. The Universal
lsts are just comil, ting nice brick church.
The Bartists have II neat frame meeting
house. The State Lunatic Assylum has
been located here and the foundation work is
going on rapidly. There is an inexhaustlble
quantity Of excellent building stone near tho
town; and belts of timber in all parts of the
county. improved farms sell for all prices
from ten to SIXTY dollars per ncre, and on ca
sy terms. Some Of these farms. if situated
III our State as they are here, with such u
soil, and with the same proximity to towns
wOnld be worth two hundred dollars ner acre.
THIS hriRhborhood is as hcaithtul us the most
favorable locations in Pennsylvania; but
along the rivers the people are subject to in-
termllient and bilious ievers. The temper
atnre ct the air MS indicated by the thermoal-
ter appears to be the same as in central
Pennsylvaniu, but its effect is very much
modihed by constant refreshing breeze
which renders the heat Of Summer much more
t"IerabIe. This State is free from the nm
healthy east winds which ofteu visit the At
l"ntic States, and nourish the germs OF con.
| sumption. and accelerate the progress Of ma
ny diseases of the human system Whom
left home OF the crops Seemed to have ceased
growing, aud vGeitnton had cunmenced to
withcr ANA was suffering for want Of rain
and when ! arrived here the drought had in
creased, and it continued up TO about the 25th
Of June, yet vegetation preserved firm and
healthy alpcaranCe. The so being very
deep and extremely porous, plants can eX-
tend their roots down to a grent depth and
! absorb moisture to fortfy them against the
| effects oi a rrotractrd drought. Most Of The
water here is Ike that in the limestone re-
! gi0ns in our State--what is called hard, y
aud require "hreaking" as they say here. or
neutralizcd with lye before il can be used for
washng hut those who are accustomed 10
! IFS use, or have ciSterns TO store rain-watcr
seem to be very little Inconvenience. Uninil-
! ing water is found on every lot in tho town
by sinking well % or 80 feet deep some Of
it is us sweet and pure and cool us the source
Of the ShamOkin or Schuylkil river; yet
there is much thhat would be palatable TO u
taste unaccustomcd TO it. And here permit
me to remark that neither my peculiar studies
nor my experience has led ne to belive in the
unhrallhrulncss Of any could water when Ia.
| ken as God created il, aud in proper doses
| in iii conditions Of the body.
| Yours truly