The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1856-12-29


rtrss snpressAsns 81 ksskak.
| One Of the editors Of the Evansville (Ohio)
Gaze recently here on avisit to soma
relatives, writes quite lengthy account Of
matters and things for his paper, from which
we extract the following paragraphs convey
ing his Impressions Of our city:
| All this, however, has nothing to do with
| Keokuk, the young city OF which we have
heard so much, and the fame OF whose high
priced sscorner lots" has spread even to the
Far east. Speaking Of these, let me say,
that Slots" ''corner lots, formed the hrst
topic heard discussed after my arrival. 1t
was on the tapis not ten minutes before the
present writing; while between, have heard
il q number Of times which this deponent
would not undertake to say. 1t is doubtful
whether the "weather' is ever discussed In
Keokuk though it would be fair to presume
that the mud, one of the effects Of the wealth
err, was both sscussed" and discussed -
Friends, when they meet, talk Of lots; how
"Mr. So and so has sold to So and so, for
such md such; what a bargain il was TO the
BUYER; how he should have held on little
longer; that three per cent. per month was
nothing under the circumstances; that he
maximum rate OF fpe, while property is AL
vancing so rapidly" or perhaps, the friends
get up s.dicker" between themselves, and
10 five minutes interview, settle the terms
upon which thousands in value shall be trans-
ferrej. The rapidity and magnitude OF the
operations constantly going on here, startle
one coming from the slow moving east. My
own first impression was, that the citizens OF
the place ought to quit everything else, then
build a mammoth lunaic asylum and--all
move into it! That was when ] first arrived
here. Since then have seen the city--the
whole Of it, and my opinion has considerably
| changed. am now come to regard il ms a
wonderful place, with a magnificent destiny
before il. You would be convinced Of this,
] think, were you to have no other view of
keokuk than that afforded from the window
at which | write. Look where you would,
you would see houses going up and houses
just gone up. New roofs are more plentiful
than old ones. So it is as far as you can
see. Were you to 60 to the eminence which
bounds our view, YOU would find as | did,
that the same state Of things exists there and
beyond. Go into the outskirts, and you will
find the city expanding as rapidly there
New buildings, by scores. in close proximity,
glitter among the jack oaks. People have
not had time to cut the brush from Cd their
lots. they must have home, SO the FIRST
thing Of oil, is to build. l have seen new
buildings by the half dozen, almost ready
for the occupants, standing amid the fresh
| ly cut stalks Of the present years crop
Of corn. Citizens Of the place have taken
me to see choice vacant locations, ut which
we arrive only to End them built over -
Up the river, down the river, back from
the river, in every direction, the city 10
stretching You would think the
Slave of Aladdin's lamp had turned city
contractor ana that il had been busy time
even for him. Were it customary now as Of
old, to build walls around cities, caoutchouo
would be found the only substance suitable
for that of Keokuk.
Blu, with all this building, houses were
never SO scarce in the place as ut present.
There are none to rent. The hotels are con-
stantly crammed. Night after night the
floors are strewn with the beds of sleepers
who are glad Of even such accommod ations.
am told that several families have been
compelled TO live in tents during the greater
part I the season. Such pressure makes
rapid work. Houses go up as If BE- magic.
As an instance, across the street from where
| write, stands very pretty two story BRICK,
twenty DAYS ago, nothing more could be seen
than the foundation. Ii is now finished and
inhabited
The city grows principally because ii can
not help it. Virtually the Mississippi ends
At this point. Hence. downward there is
free communication with the far east; the
far west with the Gulf Of Mexico with the
world Above this, it is quite different !;
sometimes there is communication but Oft
encr there 10 little or none. Ii is always i'm
peded save in high water, by the rapids
which commence just above the city ami ex-
tend as far as Montrose, IL miles above
When freight is Is cents per HUI ired from
81. Louis TO this city, it is IS cents to Burl-
ington, Is miles above. This is a natural
tariff in favor OF the trade OF the city. The
immense and fruitful country living back,
finds this the best marke, for purchasing,
and, so far as it has surplus produce 10 dis
pose of, the best also, for selling. The
trade of the place proves this. There are
now, orer s,riy srh olssaie stores in the city,
ali doing brisk business, and even afford.
ing room for additional sstablis hments.-
Their business, | am told, ranges from City
to two hundred and City thousand dollars
per annum. That the trade of the place is
very' large, can be seen from the throng Of
teams upon the streets. They are always
! there III numbers, and sometimes u perfec
jam. Some Of these teams come from
back country O miles distant, and many Of
them from distances varying FROM $50 TO 200
miles.
The city already contains quite number
OF manufacturing establishments, all said to
be doing well. should think it would be
difficult to Gnd place elering mora ready
market. Fine facilities are certainly offered
for the production Of many varieties Of fab
rics, which have SO far been uninterrupted. 1t
I is city in which every one 10 busy. There
is work for all the population for more than
all, and NJ remunerative prices. Mechanics
are especially in demand. Brick layers
readily command So per day; carpenters
" SO and 50, and common laborers from
/ 81 % to 81 80.
MAGAzIsKs.--Harper, Graham, Cody and
other Magazines for January have been put
! in our hands by Cave 4 Railey These onen-