The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-02-24

DAykxroar, Iowa, Jan. %, 1857

DAVENPORT, Iowa, Jan. %, 1857,
stand for the second time On The hank
OF the mighty M.saisaippi. now heavily ma :
nacled by ice, across which loaded wagons
are constantly passing. and which an army
Of one hundred thousand men might cross
in fearless security. The weather has been
gradually moderating for week, until i is
10 day quite spring-like, and rivulsts Of H.
quid mud are brawling down every street
that leads to the river. and forming poole
and sheets Of turbid waters above ito rocky
hike covering. just above the principal
crossing from Rock Island lthc town. COM
pany 10 taking out blocks Of ice OF generous
thickness Tor next summers use, and there
are other indications that t..e severe cold OF
the last month hss been felt here Also
From the Illinois blufs, some three or four
miles distant, men are bringing in wagon
loads of coal, dug from their several farms
tor the late acold snap" has made fuel
scarce and dear here ~ almost everywhere
else. The white yapor from hundred
ste am boilers rises on either side OF the
river, and in the multitude Of new buildings,
as compared with those which have seen
ave years or over, aud the stir Of prospe
business on every side, there 10 ample evil
dence that great aud hourishing commu-
nity 10 soon to cover most OF tine area with
IN my present range Of vision. Let me try
so to describe it a. to answer the natural
inquiries of enterprising, energetic Eastern
mechanics, laborers, merchants and others
who may be contemplating emigration | c
tue West.
Rock Island lproper) 10 something less
than miles long and perhaps hundred
rods wide, dividing the Mississippi into two
rapid aAd unequal streams, Of which by far
the larger passes it on the west. The is.
land was once . military post. and is stli
mainly Government property, though some
one has engineered through Congress bill
whereby some sixty acres Of the upper end
has been handed over to an individual on a
shsl'ow pretense Of prescription. These
acres are worth II least a Thousand dollars
each, as they command the immense water
power created by damming that arm Of the
river which runs between the island and the
Illinois shore. The residue of the island
ought forthwith to be sold in lots at auc
ton TO the highest bidder, so as speedily to
be covered BY thrifty population Of manu-
lecturers and artisans; but, though it has
unsold the sale being regularly counter
manded at the last moment BY an order from
Washington; and presume some one will
soon worry through Congress bill giving
him a presumption to the best Of il for a
thoussndth part of its value. The pre-
enpted or northeast quarter of the island
is already studded by great saw-mills aud
by the dwellings of those employed in
them.
Directly opposite, or east of the upper
end of the island, on the Illinois bank, il
Moline, an active manufacturing village oil
some two or three thousand inhabitants
while a grand Railroad Bridge-the first
bridge which ever spanned the Mississippi
connects Illinois with Iowa across the low
er end of the island, and is daily traversed
by trains connecting the Mississippi and
Missouri Railroad Through central low a
with The Chicago aud Rock Island, which
runs hence east by north to the great Rail
road focus al the head OF lake Michigan
But, in addition 10 these, new Railroad is
| nearly graded south-eastwsrdly frem Rock
Island TO Peoria, soEis fifty miles distant,
piercing rich and vast coal-bed some ten
or twelve miles from this point.
Directly below the Railroad Bridge are
the important cities of Rock leland on the
| Illinois, and Davenport on the Iewa side Of
the Mississippi, whereof the former claims
some ten or twelve and the latter no less
than fifteen thousand Inhabitants. The lat.
ter is relatively new, though Rock Island
is hardly dozen years old The whole
region was occupied by Indians, and " as
the theatre of the famous Black Hawk War,
less than twenty f*e years ago. And no
past growth OF these yeung aspirants can
have equalled that which lies directly be.
fore them.
The current language oil the people Of
these cities-at least of some of them-irn-
plies a jealous rivalry which 10 simply alb
surd. They, with Moline and the city of
wheels which is soon TO cover the Island,
and perhaps another settlement on the Iowa
siee above what Is now Davenport, will
form virtually one city within twenty years.
And even now mans arms might 40 ra.
tionally be jealous Of his legs Davenport
is better located for trade than Rock /.
land, since produce in this quarter looks
eastward, not westward, for a market;
while Rock Island has like natural and
permanent advantage in the prosecution OF
manufactures, through her proximity to coal.
Coai.beds dot this section of Illinois, but
none are found 20 far north on the Iowa
margin Of The Mississippi; so that fuel i.
always somewhat and at times decidedly
dea,er 10 Davenport. The fact that coal il
found on or near the Mississippi but a little
above this point, combined with the yasr
wsser-powsr here existing, the eztraordina-
~ facilities for crossing the great river, and
the rare fertility and a,tractiseness of the
country surrounding it In every direction,
marks this for one Of the great manufsctur.
ing and commercial centers of the Mis.is.
siPpi Valley. Already there are more steam
mills and iron founderies within sight here
than al any other point shove 81. Louis.
with two large and excellent Plow Fscto.
RES, Bucket Factory, DC. The natural
advantages Of this poin, are but little, ifany.
inferior to those of Pntssulgh, which ii al
ready begins 10 rival in steam, though not
in smoke. And have reliable assurances
That thousands more OF capable, energetic,
industrious, temperate artisans aud mechan.
les would ind ready employment here a,
good wages, with food and fuel CHEAP and
abundant, asd nothing sbsolutel, dear but
hoase-room. | presume thousand modes,
dwellings would be taken up mex, spring at
rents which would pay twelve to twenty
per cent, on their cost. Good bitumiuous
coal costs usually about SO per ton; wheat
aow Commands 80 and corn 40 cents per
bgshel, while mea. and vegetables are ma.
turaiiy cheaper here than in New York -
| am conhden, thar this point (and Of course
Quincy, Burlington, Galena, Dubuque, and
other poin.s where railroads touch the Mis-
sIssiPpi, ss welD proffers ample work and
good recompenee for i, to almost every de-
partment of skilled labor-and TO unskiiled
also. Almost every class Of iron.worker.,
coai-mners, furnace and foundery men,
carpenters, brck-mskers, quarrymen, ma
sons, jolners, sawyers, choppers, &c. can
here find ready and satisfactory employment
early in the spring. In.ime there must be
great WOODEN and co,ton-miils at this point;
out not yet. A Boot and Shoe Factory, en-.
ployin9 thousand men and women, should
De started here al once; and there are "a
uzeH branches OF fabrication which, being
conducted on an adequate scale, based on
solid capital, aud managed with ability and
prudence, could not TAIL to be abunduntIy
successful. la fact, this 10 . great country
Tor those who have their fortunes to maze,
Win the ability and will to make them
don't hsppen % know favorable location
- 49,