The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1857-07-10
Eass.rsas Cerrsspss Assce.


ems and the cats, the waving grass and The
growing grain, away from the crash and
chatter Of tamhling boxes and raabling drays,
steam whistles and confusion Of all sorts.---
Every thing IL % calm and quiet that It seems
odd enough. There is nothing to disturb
my meditations, or break in uron my repose.
The only sounds hear are the occasional
chirp of chicken. the crazy song OF bob
olink, or the nestle of the leaves in the san-
mer breeze. Yes, there 10 one other sound
tina. hear every couple Of hours that re-.
minds me Of the busy, roaring world that
have stepped out Of for little while. About
three rods from my door lies the track Of one
Of the busiest railroads on the continent,
and every now and then there goes rushing
past the hissing, fendish engine, with IT.
snaky train, with roar and rattle that
seems Is IL il had no business among these
quiet graces Of nature with which am SUR
rounded. II 1 ever get to heaven, and Sa-
tan sometime goes screaming through the
skies of Paradise, it will seem Ike the intru-
sion of the Internal engine, with its 6ery
mouth and smoky tail, into this Arcadian
scene.
thought l was going to write letter
home almost every day, when came away,
as did last year when went up the river.
But the spirit of things is very much differ
ent, and you will hear little from me while |
am gone this time. Then there was con-
.inual alteration Of scenery. and every mo-
mens my eye was resting on new things, and
fresh incidents we're transpiring before me.
Now, every day and every hour tis the same
placid view, and the spirit OF everything is
repose-s silence. Ipsrtake oft, and though
do not feel either dull or languid, am in
clined to almost total inaction and repose.--
Thoughts pass through my mind freely and
pleasantly, but the mechanical labor Of wri
ting seems displeasing and out Of character,
so much Of force and effort ~ to be incon-
gruous with the phenomena about me and
my mood Of mind. The herbage grows, the
leaves nestle, and the breeze plsys about ",
but il il all done just Is man breathes; il
is NO task, there is no thought Of labor in it
all. there is no violence done to the feeling
OF repose. How different are the ways OF
nature from the ways Of man! Our results
are achieved with toll and pain Of body
and Of rain,--with sweat Of the spirit and Of
the brow. Hers are accomplished with ease
and glsdness; noiselessly, gradually and
happily yet how much more perfect, mirac-
ulous and stupendous are they! What is
railroad to blade Of erase! What 10 an
engine TO a thunder-cloud-to hurricane?
Yet must make an item Of my journey
hither, even thought is slight disturbance
to turn my thoughts in that direction.
came up from Keokuk in the J. Mckee.
And have to thank the captain Of the craft
for the ndness Of his attention to me and
mine. II he didn't make much money out Of
me, he made an abundance Of good will. And
he must have made decent purse out Of the
balance Of his company, for his boat Was
When We started away | didn't
think there was such an uncommon load
But when supper eame--gracious! II was
like swarm OF bees around honey comb.
The table had to be spread three times be-
fore all the mouths could be filed.
There 10 more travel ON the river this sen
son than ever before. Perhaps the good
stage Of water has contributed somewhat to
this, for in consequence the boats have been
lble ia. make prompt and regular trips, and
when people can travel with some degree Of
and arrive with tolernble certainty
by steamboat, they seem generally to prefer
that method Of travel. And it is an indicA-
ton Of general good sense that they ar. in-
cined TO do SO.
The boats are consequently making money.
They are full oil the time. The great ror
lion Of the travel on the Rock Island boats
from Keokuh up, however, from one-half
10 two-thirds, ---of course leaves the river 1t
1t ID quicker and more econom-
ical TO leave the river Mt that point for the
lake country and the East. The travel down
the river !. mainly through.
lam glad to see our up.river packets max
ing money. wish they could make enough
so that the proprietors could Afford to put on
some new, fine boats, which Of course they
would be glad to do If business would war
rant il. Another season like this, hope,
will make them feel AZ If they were able to
DO it.
Over the Burlington 4 Chicago rvad had
I chance To observe the condition Of the
crops, and TO calculate Autumnsl prospects.
And in all that have seen there 10 every
thing to encourage one. TIE root, grain and
grass crops are all excellent. They are RAJ
Ihcr backward, but have never seen them
better. Oats, wheat and grass are prolific
only the corn looks in any way discourage
ing /; but that is now rapidly changing from
hopeless yellow TO hopeful and thrifty green,
and getting on Fromisingly, though some
fields may ye. be thin in consequence Of poor
" corning Everybody says that there is
still plenty Of time for corn, 30 that there i
bu. little likelihood of short crop OF any
thing. So, let the ravens croak il 10 their
nature, and they would not be happy IL they
could NOT.
have been among railroads ever since
was boy. II was my fortune to DO brought
up in that part Of the country where they
6rst began 10 lay rails. But It has been my
good fortune too never to see the slightest
accident upon railroad until this trip !; not
50 much rs car Of the track, fron ANY
cause whatever. But 90 coming up hsss,
while stopping at Wyane. station, : freight
train started out ahead Of US. Il had pro.
casAed "A mia or a md n nrnat pa..;a.