The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1857-05-01

~eopyycE sEAR CORNER OF MAIN AND FOURTH
ovsN =. r. aAws 4 sos's NOOK STORE
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OpsuAng spring.Li1e OF keskak.
Stransers visiting our city are struck with
wonder and admiration at the life and hustle
exhibited on Main street and the Lcvee.--
They see steamers and barges constantly re-
ce;ving and discharging freight, and behold
our ample Lcvee filed with lumber, produce
and goods, Of every description, while lite
large Wholesale establishments are be-
siessd with intcrminable trains Of drays and
wagons, loading and unloading. And then,
passing up Main street, they find II thronged
with trains and vehicles, OF every pattern,
from the six-horse Pennsylvania road wagon
and the 'spraire schooner" with i've yoke OF
oxen, to the one horse market cart, all roll
ing in or out, or backed up against the pave
mcnt receiving goods. While on either side
massive rows OF business houses, filed with
goods Of every character and quality, and
even OVERLOOKING, to the interruption Of the
rushing current Of pedestrians who throng
the pavsments, show that the "GArE Cry"
has ample store Of goods to supply the wide
valley of the Des Moines, to the utmost linn
its Of the frontier settlements. So that with
this view oil are impressed with the idea that
keokuk has an extensive trade, and Is lively
and busincss-liks town, fourishing very fast,
even for this fast age.
We would like to have our visitors entend
their observations around the city little
more, still further to enlarge their ideas, and
6x them firmly in the opinion that Keokuk
has no rival above st. Louis, in any OF the
towns OF the upper Mississippi. Let them
look and they will see that the busy and bust
ling life pulsations OF Main street and the
Levee, are equally distinct oil over the city
and while this energy expends itself in trade,
IN the heart Of town, it wreaks itself upon
city improvements aud the erection of build
ings throughout the entire limits.
Pass Of Main and johnson, and portion
OF few OF the cross streets already impro-
we'd, and whatever direction one takes, he
will encounter gangs of workmen engaged in
sxcavating or McAdamising the streets, set
ting curbing or constructing culverts.
On First street, below Exchange, thirty
men and twelve horses and carts, arc en-.
ployed in cxcsvating First street and depos.
iting the earth to extend the Levee. Fifteer
men and three teams are grading Exchange
between Third and Fourth, and filing ths
earth into Fifthstr Foot of Bank thirty
four men, with ten carts, are excavating earti
and rock and depositing material on the eI
tension of the Leyee. Ten men, with three
carts, are at work on Des Moines, betwee,
Second and Third streets, and filling up Sd
On Palcan, between End and Sd, thirteen
men and i've carts are employed removing
earth to Third street, and twelve men ar
quarrying rock at the foot Of the same street
Black Il Mcintosh are working Stillson'
Patent Excavator, with force OF twev
men and ten teams, Of Twelfth street, be
tween Exchange aud Timea. They are re
moving the earth with very great dispatch
and at small comparative expense. Or
Third street there are sixty Ave men and IF
teen carts employed inquarrying rock, exca
waiting, grading, McAdamising, and sestin,
cnrbstones. There is also a small force OIL
Fourth street. On Blondeau are twenty -fy,
hands, several carts, and the street ploughing
force.
At various other points we noticed small
squads OF hands at work on the streets, ant
also observed force of stone masous en-
gagged in constructing the several culverts oil
Concert and in the lower part Of the city
There are between ninety and hundred
quarrymen excavating rock in Cedar street
and the quarries are alive with men all alonl
the blua. |. is estimated, by persons bcste
posted than we claim to be, that there are
10 all, ut work on the streets and in the pub
fic and private quarries in the city, near on,
thousand men.
Aside from the public work and that going
on at the quarries, we found, in every quar-
ter, workmen engaged in the preparation o
building material on large scale. Welch
man 4 Go. have started the fires in their lime
kiln--Page's patent--and expect to turn Of
an average OF $50 bushels per day. Zwar
has three common kilns 10 full blast--ha
completed the construction Of one kiln oil
Avery's Patent, and is about commencin!
another, in the lower part of town, while DR.
Tarbell is engaged in the business extensive
just above the city.
The church property, consisting of som
thirty acres Of land, on Main and Johnso
streets, is literally covered with brick yard,
most OF them having hands engaged in mould
ing, and prepared to do large business. O
Cedar street preparations are made for burn
ing brick on large scale; there is also q
extensive yard on the corner Of Exchang
and Twelfth, and another on the corner Q
Fourth and Orleans streets.
) There are several new lumber yards oper
ing, and the old ones are busily engage
halling in and stacking lumber, large quar-
tlties Of which have come in from the Oh.
river, as well MS from the usual sources {
supply. The Indications, on every hand, ar,
that We shall have an immeasurably bette
supply OF building materials here than eve
before.
The preparations for building are no.
all behind those OF any previous season, an
Tally justify tie extensive provision mad
Tor furnishing rock, lime, brick and lumber
"e-smcn src engaged urcn .he sccnas.;c
OF the Catholic church, which promises to !
the largest and mos, splendid structure j
the city. DIR. Sanford has commenced III