Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-07-16
LETTER FROM IOWA.
Correspondence of the Belmont Chronicle.
CANAAN PRAIRIE,}

EDITOR CHRONICLE. My preparations for
returning to Ohio were completed on Mon
day, :he 18th OF the present month, and as
my manner of travelling affords IN oppor.
tunity to gather items. propose submitting
some of those not journaliIed to your nu-
merous readers.
Ny starting was from relatives in the
SOUTHWEST part of Marion county, four
miles East of Mouroeville, and about the
same distance North of Red Rock, on the
Des Moines. The first rays of Sol that
swept the prairie struck Us in motion or
the Fort Des Noines and Mt Pleasant read,
stretching from South-E E ST to Nor,h-West
in comfortable twu-horse wagon, fully
eq quIpped Tor the trip. one hundred miles
The road pursuss the dividing line between
and crested by the Des Moines ard SkuHk
rivers, but skirts for the grester disssnts
the tiu.ber belonging 10 the former Our
horses travelled to tie bit with . wiltaa.
we we're but an hour making the 'nIne mil&
intervening between our starting and the
Incorporated city Of Pella, the principai
commercial mart OF Marion county. Pe.Ia
presents happy appearance, owing to its
beautiful locality; is surrounded by fertile
prarirs, with extensive timber lands in The
perspective. 1T Is OF ten years growth.
contains near three thousand inhabitants,
principally German, and is fashioned very
Ike the German lopes, stall out wide," as
in fact are most of the Western ,Owns.-
The buildings are inferior TO those of most
Western towns OF her enterprise, which de-
feet. though, is readily acct united for
Driving un three miles East of the city, We
made our noon ha ltiDg, but was in motion
by l.3O, P. N. The Country passed during
the afternoon was undnlating, or rolling
prairie, inters spersed 18th artificial or natural
groves OF the cotton wood. (populus angus
t'oiiu,) with an underground OF birch, (bet-
ula) hawthorn, (crataigu>) and tall rushes,
(.quIcelum-hyemale.) These afford excel
lent shelter TO emigrsnts from wind and
storm, and traces uf one or more camp-firps
are visible about each Of them. At 6, P.
n, we arrived Ut Oskaloosa, the county
seat of Mahaska County, thirty miles East
OF our starting, but as severe thunder-
storm ragged at the time, We did not de-
tain. 1t is considered one Of the mos, busi-
ness inland towns, and supp les many miles
of the West and North West country with
provisions. 1t contains about four thous-
and inhabitants, whom we should Judge to
be oroerly and Persevering, from the rapid
growth OF the city. Four miles East of
this, in one OF those sweet hazel aid plumb
retreats that chequer this country, we en-
camped and spent an uncomfortable night,
as the rain descended in torrents IT was
with fficuIty that we kept dry, and ony
succe eejed by employing cur entire stock Of
quilts, ETC., On the cover above. The light.
nings fash and thunders roarwas incessan,,
and when sleep succeed in overiaking us
we dreamed 70 The music OF Heavens artii-
lery. Next murning We drove out OF camp
by six, and fed after making three miles :.
From thence We continued the divide, whe, e
las-.Sss-, a lad lsileeted - be- lepie Il,
two inch, IN mehy places.
Thrrr iIts scope o. country here, IN
which the vioge 0. Fremont is located,
too Ieve, 10 b. profitable To farmers for other
;Ean graz ng purposes; but cultivation will
soon renuer IL exec lent :or crops Fremont
is yet i'll its infancy, and | ste but little
prospect OF it ever improving. Leaving lhe
village se drove on eight miles over some
excellent country. well " CODED and warered,
and made our nuonday hating two miles
West ui Mariinsburg, keokuk county We
were detained here some minutes, and I
was favored with an introduc. ion TO and
conversation with Judge Martin, Formerly
of Licking county, Ohio,) the founder OF
tie village. 1t contains about five hundred
Inhabitants, and poss. ses tlattering pros
poets of becoming ImporIa t, Pursuing al
s. ction line due East t"r Iwelve miles, wei
8 ru,k the timber o. Rl:hland Creek, one
and halt mi es Est oil Ioka--another new
born village vi keokuk cuunty-and en-
camped ON tn margin of the creek. Curl
camping place was delightful. |. in turn,
served as cook, and IN honor OF my kitchen
know iedge, was pronounced chief cook u
Alter lying down, numerous night songs ers
were aroused by our brilliant campfire,
and greeted US with lew broken sentences,
except the whiporwill that sat Oil buugh
above us, and sang loud ant
long his cherry dit y. We moved out OF
camp quite early On the morning of the |
18th, through light fall of rain, and !, ere
confined to the ravines and bluff points for |
IN hour or So, but aiterward was allow ed |
10 select that which pleased US best on the |
nigh prairie. Much oi the prairie was ex-
renely level. but so completely siuccoodl
" tin clump groves of dwarf oak and quakngl
asp (pupls ,remuloIds) as TO present p leas-
ant and inviting picture. L. the midst of |
hose OASIS, svme miles distant rom any
water course, IS located the town |
# Rlchland, of some seven hundred inhab-
tauts, suIne cosy residences, and one excer-
ent grlst and saw mll. Our course hence |
pore L. 5. E. Tor The distance oc ten miles
% the village OF Pleasant Pain, supporting
me smith shop and one trading post. BpH
must hurry On to say thai we srfesa
skunk River one hundred and twenty i've
niles below my bathing place, and about
werty miles from its junction Gith the
Des MCines. " here We iorded-at Deed = |
river is about forty rods in width, (
with a rapid current. On entering thel
irlber skirtiug TIN, river, which is princi-
1aliy white oak, the suii changes fir IN allu-
,lel to (apparently) primitive. the bluffs
exiehsive limestone quarries, " here
great numbers OF cut stone we're lying, in.
ended Tor the construction OF the Lunatic
Asylum in Mt. Pleasant.
We encanped t~o miles East of Tren-
ton, Ii, al lhe waters oi Big Gre. k, aad alter
ing Though long night of cold wind
ind rain, huIrieu ON to the city. where e
,rrlvcd 10y $40, A. NJ, and here ended nv
|. agun ng through The "Great W,st"
Mt. Pleasant is estimated the most i'm
pur tanl iniand town vi the State, owipp to
.ue abundance ol freight that is CARED to