St. Charles Republican intelligencer. (St. Charles [Charles City], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1857-08-20
Editorial Correspondence Of tho lntelligeneef.
Detroit, Aug. 9TH, 1857.

y u
fail to claim an interest in the journey.
The country every where is charm
ingly beautiful, but thus far in my
Journey l have seen no portion that
excels cur loved state Of Iowa.
have travelled all through Southern
Wisconsin and Northern Illinois, and
across Michigan, and am bold to say
that if any state may boast OF
1.-THE prodigality of nature,
The balm, the bliss, the beauty and the bloom.
The bountcous providence In every feature,
that state is Iowa, with her broad and
excessively fertile prairics, cerulean
canopy, sky-blne pools, music breath
ing groves, pearly showers, atmos-
phere Of perfume, lovely rivers,
Banks wherein the wild thine blows,
Where ox-lips and the nodding violet grows,
Quite oyer.canopied with wild woodbine,
With sweet musk roses and with eglantine.
All, Iowa is indeed a state Of which
her citizens may we'll be proud. Her
vast fields Of Indian corn, Of wheat,
oats, barley, &C., are unrivalled.
Imay say that my journey hither
has been pleasant one. The wealth
er was just cemfortable-neither too
warm nor too cool. At McGregor
found the people awake to the impor'
lance of constructing the railroad
westward, and there appeared to be
no doubt that the work would be push
cd forward with vigor. The town
no, e;ty Of McGregor has grown won
derfully the present season. Those
ancient bluffs which old Mississippi
has failed to demolish are giving way
to Anglo Saxon encroachment, and
making room for the homes Of pioneer
settlers and the marts Of comreniie'
aasr..sspptil.snto one u the new ane
beautiful passenger cars Of the Mil
waukee and Mississippi Railroad Com
pany, a few hours ride landed me
safely in Milwaukee. The track Of
this road is now in good condition and
everything pertaining to it in excel
lent order. In courteous department
and kind attention to passengers, the
conductors cannot be excelled.
Visiting GAINESVILLE, l found that
thriving city as active and full Of
business as ever. 1t is indeed what
the Hoosiers term "a right smart
place" From GAINESVILLE I proceeded
to Beloit. Here is lovely spot, but
oh how different are the people from
those of Janesville--quiet, staid and
orderly, but lacking the Yankee 60.
ahead.a-tive-ness Of their up-river
neigllbors. Passing over portion Of
the Racine Railroad and then the c.,
St. P. and Fond du Lac Road I find
myself in Chicago-the same noisy,
bustling, reckless, dirty Chicago, we
have read Of, only little more So"
A ride Of three hundred miles over the
Michigan Central Railroad brings me
to Detroit. Here l find an old friend
of early days,Who long ago left the
green hills Of Vermont and took up
his abode in this metropolis of the
Wolverines. He and his excellent
wife, son and daughter, are now living
in afauence. and enjoying the fruits Of
carly industry and the reward Of a
well-spent life. he has seen Detroit
grow from a village Of four thousand
to city of nearly one hundred thou
sand souls. The site on which the city
is built is one Of the finest in the world.
It .is on the west bank of the straits
that lead from Lake St. Clair to Lake
Erie. The ground rises gently to a
height Of nearly one hundred feet above
the river, forming ridge parallel to
it. It is on this swell Of land that De.
troit is built. The buildings are most
" of brick, neat and substantial.
Jefferson Avenue. beautiful street
one hundred and twenty feet wide,
passes lengthwise on this ridge in
direct line for many miles. At the
highest point and about in the centre
of business. } Woodward Avenue, Of
like dimensions, crosses Jefferson Av-
enue at right angles. My friend took
me across the river there abont mile
wide) to Windsor on the Canadian
shore, small, pretty place now build
ing up at the terminus Of the Great
Western Railway. After viewing
the landscape Ger" we crossed back
IN the Railroad transit boat, on which
we made the acquaintance Of P. Ho-
nan, ESQ., the affable superintendent
# the Canada road. He was once Of
he editorial fraternity and would not
Omit that he had gone up higher by
ecoming a railroad manager. On
ort street, the dwelling house Of
en-. Cass was pointed out--a plain
nd unpreten,ling edifice, such as be-
mes democratic pioneer, hardly such
one would expec; for q man Of Gen. !