The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1857-06-15
(o0rrsspons.aos Of II. Daily Ga.s cisy.]

(00rrsspoAasncs Of the Daily Gats City.]
CLtx1oN, june 10.
Mrssas. EDrroRs Since my letter Of u
9Th inst, have visited several Of the nsv
cities in this section Of lows. Clinton ooa
tains . population Of aboct 1850. II ]
, rapidly growing in new buildings. Ever.
thing in and about it looks new. The build
: ings are mostly built Of wood and painted
white. 1t wears the marks of youthful
Young America. In fact one would be ap
to suppose that it had put on its Sunday-go
to-neeting ::6xins. Clinton is very quie
place. No teams from the country wer
seen in tho streets raising = duet and MAXIM
! a noise. In my early walk about town thi
morning, read oil the signs. A great man.
Of them read ~ follow: "Land Of5cs,
"R6al Estate Once" ssReal Estate Agency
Judging from the great number Of this clas'
Of establishments, real estate spsculations
must be the principal business OF the place
and spsculations rule high. | looked into
all the unoccupied stores and uninhabited
dwellings, and endeavored to end some on.
stirring, but oil in vain. ! became lonesome
and concluded that Clinton offered myriad
of inducements for the man Of leisure OF
the merchant to retire from the cares and
turmoil Of business and make it his home
This monotonous stiffness Was broken BY
thr shrill whistle Of locomotive. So here
was change for me, and Ihastened towards
the depot. On my arrival found that the
train would start in : few minutes.
learned that they ran out Ia miles. There
was no hustle about the station, no passen-
gers hurrying to obtain their tickets, no bag
gage to check, no noisy news boys, no small
girls vending apples orpeanuts, in fact moth
ing that We had been accustome ed to look upon
as nuisanccs which travellers are annoyed
with Mt railroad stations. The bell was
rung, the lungs Of the whistle tried, the
steam let out of the cylinders. The conduc-
Tor shouted, call aboard !" the train was 0 q
there were only four passengers in the cars /;
plenty Of room for more, but nobody seemed
to be expected, and nobody came.
! This railroad, understand, was started BY
the Iowa Land Co., whose oiIcs is estsb-
lished At this place. The company are com
posed Of New York spsculators, and judging
from appearances, they are making this
land .jobbiDg tell svery time.
Here End my reverend acquaintance at
tending meeting Of some land operators,
With whom he 10 connected in business
The almighty dollar seems to control his &C.
tons - we'll as those Of the circus company.
He Was coming to this place to keep good
his engagements with some gentlemanly
land spectators, and they were going 70
Rock Island to meet their engagements to
please and entertain the people.
Lyons, one Of the termini of the Iowa
Central AIRLINE Railroad, is about Ia miles
above Clinton. and nearly opposite to Fulton
City, which is the western depot of one Of
the Chicago railroads, and 10 looked upon a.
an important railroad point. Lyons 10 rather
low in It's location, and see they are filing
and grading the streets from to S feet
above the natural surface, "a strong indica-
ton that the Mississippi occasionally makes
serious sncroachments, and that they are
endeavoring to dissuade the "Fatber Of
Waters" from those unpleasant wstery visi-
tatious.
Lyons is vain; she is ostentatious; she
has been highly favored, as one Of the re.
cipients Of the muni6cent land grants for
assisting in the construction of railroads,
which ensures the 6nal completion Of her
road to the Pacific. She assumes much i'm.
portance upon this favoriteism of the Gen
eral Government. Ii mAksa her, in her esti-
nation, the only valuable railroad point in
Iowa, and the Iowa Central Air Lime the
road.
Lyons is somewhat jealous Of her young
neighbor, Clinton, and makes some dispar.
aging remarks about the future growth and
prosperity Of her ambitious rival, and pre-
dic.s that after this year the Iowa Land Co.
will have made their pile out OF Clinton,
and that Clinton with her railroad will be
abandoned, and Lyons will be the place Of
refuge.
Last but not least Of the important rail.
road towns Of Clinton county 10 Camanche,
which ! think . much handsomsr location
than either Of her rivals. II 10 six miles be.
low Clinton, located upon beautiful plain,
some ten to fifteen feet above extreme high
water; the soil, sand and gravel, alluvial,
and the streets must at all times be quite
free from mud or water. II claims popu.
lation Of one thousand inhabitants. Its city
lots extend about three miles on the river,
and over one back, with Rne location to
extend westward. Like her neighbor, Gin
ton, she has famous land company, OF New
York speculstors, known by the name Of the
DE Soto Land Company. The company are
making strenuous efforts to give the city the
appearance At growing in wealth and popu-
lAtion, and they arc the projectors Of an at
tracsivs sppendage--a railroad to the great
West. The road 10 designed to 90 to Iowa
City, thence to Kansas City via such places
M may be the most liberal in donations of
lands to the land company.
In connection With the great projects Of
Camanche, there 10 railroad to commence
at Albany, on the opposite side Of the river,
running easterly.o Joliet. At Jolic, to form
connection with the "Joliet cut on" The
design OF the projectors OF this route 10 to
shorten the distance to Europe via New York,
and to ''cat OF Chicago" from the great Eas,
and West air line.
few miles below Camanche il located
Princeton, on the lown shore n MAJ to~n ri