The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1856-01-18
Editorial Gorrespondc

.'Lang Svue," and before 20 further east
would drop you line Of apology for my
long silence. But probably you have never
spent the holidays amongst the scenes and
friends of your youth after long years
Of separation and absence, and are, there
fore, unable to appreciate how completely
nv time has been employed and my thoughts
absorbed fy the many happy reunions that
! have had with old and early friends during
these joyous holiday times. Yet YOU, and
thousands more in Iowa, can imagine some
thing Of the pleasure have enjoyed here ia
the Buckeye, country home Of my happy
youthful days, when YOU remember that it
has been eight years since was here, and
when you learn that We had first rate sleigh
ing ever since Christmas. Eager hands Of
friends and relatives have clasped mine in
warm and hearty greeting beaming smiles
and tender words of loving sisters, have
thrilled my heart and gentle words Of APP
prevail and commentator from the lips Of
her who has filled mothers place to me,
assure me Of due appreciation in my early
home And this will more than atone for
all the censures Of the world, and is a source
Of greater pride and purer JOY TO me, than
would be the most enthusiastic plaudits Of
oil the friends may have made in later life.
Bat while pleasant sleighrides and s'Merry
Christmas" and ''Happy New Year" greet
ings have filed my heart with gladness, there
has been an under-current of mournful mem
cries signing, alas, how changed The loved
ones Of fourteen years age, now gone forever
from our Christmas gatherings and our fam
ly reunions, almost outnumber the loving
ones that remain.
And this change, if less marked, is no less
real IN society at large thanh our own FAM
Is walk the streets Of Newark where at
Tint period, knew every BODY and all knew
me, and | recognize but here and there one
and another u my old aceuaintances, and
every conversation with these adds several
more - the list OF those whom already
knew had gone the way Of all the earth,
But al is changed the towns are changed
and the country is changed; the staples Of
trade and the character Of trade, the mode
Of travel and the thoroughfares Of com
mercc, all are changed.
Fourteen years ago | left Ohio. and O,
my way west travelled over some forty mile
Of railroad, and on ms return the next wear
Travelled over some sixty miles more, which wa
al the railroad then completed in the Buck
eye State During the brief period that ha
since elapsed thousands of miles Of rail
reads have been constructed in Ohio. am
the entire State Is cheekered with them. run
ming IN every direction. Iowa has NOR
railroads constructed to-day than Ohio ma
fourteen years ago; what is to prevent be
having more fourteen years hence than OH
has now
A. general effect Of the construction q
railroads IN this State, the prices of agricul
taral lands have been greatly enhanced
while town property, save in certain exeop
tional localities, has remained about III
same. The reasons for this are obvious. &
The products Of the lands were enhanced i
value by the greater facilities afforded d
getting to market, while nearly all the town
IN the Interior Of tile State were placed upo
al equality, and their facilities became mn
form oy the construction Of railroads benc
GAINESVILLE and Newark, which had special ad
Vantages IN the produce trade, and Of cor
sequence Of trade generally, by means of IL
Canal and the Muskingum River, have 10
the relative Importance which they had
comparison with other towns through VIII,
the railroads now run. At same time the
Is no question but that GAINESVILLE and Ne,
ark would be infinitely worse of if the 9th
neighboring towns had railroads and TIA
had none 50, 10 draw conclusions for low
our farmers will be vastly benefited by /
construction Of railroads, and il il, therefor
their interest 70 help them forward
every means IN their power, and our int
rior towns, though they may not be relative
much better oH than a, present, viii he i
trlnsically moro valuable, and If any Of the
fail to secure railroads while their neishbo
succeed, they ~iA be actually" killed Of,
all practical purposes
Money appears e be scarce and tight he
at present and has been more than usually
for SIX months past. This results. IN IA,
from the fact that everybody ii this Sta
have been investing their surplus money
Western lands, while many sold out here 4
took the proceeds with them to lay out I
new homes IN Illinois and Iowa.