The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1856-11-22


example Of other places, and the introduc'
ton Of an energetic spirit through the add
ton Of enteryrisng mFn--breathed LIE and
action into the .lnmbprug, and Davenport
took its start The unparalleled beauty ans
richness of the country by which she ls sur
rounded, seemed suddenly % s'rke the az
,ention Of strangers, and aueh Of the imml
grafton which had been passing by, was ar
rested here As the back country rapidly
commenced filing up, the town ielt the m
auence, and responded by rapid growli
On her part.
Situated at the foot OF the Upper Rapids
and far enough distant fromSt.Loufs 10 BE- be.
yond her influence. yet near enough to real
ize the advantage of her markets, and on lh.
banks Of river nayigable the greater part
OF the wear, she only needed railroad con-
nections with the lakes a, Chicago, TO make
her commercial advantages a. notable as hz'
agricultural. This connection was made
and her growth and prosperity still further
fos,ered. The coal region was opened to
her, and thus one great drawback 10 her
prosperity, especially in view OF manutac-
tnres, removed. The building OF another
railroad opened to her an interior trade
uith rich and we'll populated region. which
trade has been rapidly in the increase. 1t
has startsd large jobblng business, which
must annually grow more important. Final
ily, one demand created another--one me-
! chanical branch instituted second--one
kind Of manufacture something else--untii
these in return, first drawn here by induce
| ments offered them, are now welding their
I pow erfu! influence as inducements to new
population, and in securing a continuance
| Of the general prosperity. Upon them we
| rely, 90 the surest of all guarantees for our
future greatness. What onr manufactures
are in numbers and in Importance, we have
| by lsbored details this week introduced to
| the attention of readers.
We NAV now consider what Davenport
is, havisg briefly traced portion OF its late
past. In 1859, the population Of Davenport
vas probably 100 or 1000. Last summer
il was over lsO0s, and is now probably
rising OF $4,000. greater number than the
whole State or Territory Of Iowa could
boast in 1893. Davenport was laid out IN
1886 In 1854, about 400 houses were
erected here IL 1855, the number reached
600. ~In lS56 while probably not 50 many
bulldogs Easr been erected as were put up
the year prosious, 'neir value must De al
most double Among the Improvements oil
this year are rows Of brick buildings, which
would be creditable to cities Of any size,
fine church edif,es, elegant dwellings, etc.
We have no means right at hand enabling
lis 10 make a statistical table of the busi-
ness of Davenpor, this year 1t would
show marked heavy increase over last
YEARS. business in all departments. 1t may
be set down from fourth to third more
than last year. and in some departments
even above this A healthy activity seems
to prevail everywhere. More capital is
coming among us, and all the energy that
man can summon to make capital and la
tor bring their reward, is being used here.
What we have done ard what we are doing,
is but the beginning. Next year will mark
its increase over this, and the next over II.
A fictitious, speculative growth, such as
NAV cease as suddenly as it commenced,
can readily be distinguished from that heal
,hv prosperity which surely founded, can
never cease, so far in the future as the eye of
sagacity may penetrate. The growth started
nv some bubble of expectation or specula-
lion, instead OF BY real advantages growing
or becoming developed with the increase OF
population and capitai. Glay at any moment
he stopped But thers is healthy pros.
peri,y in some young cities which makes
their future just as certain ss their present.
in rapid progress Davenport Illustrates
,h;. Ma place un I've Great Mississippi
has better aal fici,er back country, more
RAPIDLY fitting up wi,h substantial popu-
,s,ion, than this city. Its advantages Of
t,sde cannot he excelled anywhere west OF
Chicago. Indeed, the roads diverglng from
Rock Island, the Bridge across the Missis-
sjpp! connecting the Railroads OF Illinois
and Iowa, their extension West, with the
river commerce, as a close observer has re-
marked, give her similar advantages TO
those possessed by Chicago. There Is an
bbundance of good coal, lime stone ana sahd
.,one. within few miles Of the city, on
both sides of the river, al moderate cost.
Lumber, too, is cheaper here than In the IN
terror Of the State, or at any point oeiom
These tend to make Davenport the ehgioie
point for manufacturing she is proving her-
self to be. os
OF course in the marvellous growth OF
Davenport, fortunes have been MADE w the
rise of property. Yet high as some regard
the prices of real estate here, It is piaceu Ut
no fictitious value. II is now but littie
over half the price Of property at Dubuque
Burling ,on, and Keokuk, where there Is no
reason for the price Of lots being any high-
er than here from the respective sizes ol
The places. Business houses are spring'hg
AN q, poin,s in this city where but year ago
it was though. for years 10 co'"e ''e'
would be nothing but residences frepa-
rs,ions are now making for tearing down
substantial dwellings TO make room.tor ous''
ness rows. Foundations for new houses are
being laid in every part of the city There
IS every outward evidence that more houses
and more valuable houses will be erected
next season than any previous year IN pav-
export. This does not hetoken anything
but Il steady increase in the price OF town
property.
We have not written this with any dlspo-
siton TO puff Davenport, for she is above
the adventious aid of such cforts-butsi SIM
| DIV 10 assist citizens in answering the many
| inquiries which are daily made BY strangers
/ abroad relative to this city.
The Old Pioneer Bakery still ahead!
l,HE subscriber has recently made extensive prep
arglions tor the nianuIacture OF sutler, sugar
Boston, soda, Pic Nc, Water and Oyster Crackers,
Pilot Bread, sc, &c., together with good assort.
| ment OF Loaf Bread, SaSes and Rus.s;