Quasqueton guardian. (Quasqueton, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1856-1858, 1858-04-22

strate the rracticability of its culture. a fine
nursery exists in Delaware county, adjoining
Buchanan, in which many trees bore excellent
and well-matured fruit the past year, Natural
fruit, such as plpms, apples, and grapes, groY
in great profusion, and grape culture, wherever
tried, has been highly successful
CLIMATE, &C.
The climate of Northern Iowa is generally
mild and uniform, The present winter, which
is the general avcrage of those of this region,
has been n most delightful one, devoid of either
high winds or very low temperatures. There
has been too little snow, perhaps, the greatest
depth not having exceeded three inches In
winter the air is bracing and invigorating, and
in summer the prairie winds, which are con.
slant, modify the atmosphere, preventing hui
nudity, and making field labor comfortable and
pleasant. The country is uniformly healthy,
miasmatic influences being no greater than must
be expected in every new country. The few
forms Of endemic disease which we have are of
a harmless character and readily durable.
The present inhabitants are mostly from New
England, New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio,
and are an intelligent and progressive people
Schools are established in nearly all the districts,
and churches and religious societies exist in ev-
cry neighborhood. Iowa possesses magnifi
cent school fund, and it requires nothing but
the adoption Of proper system, to give her peo-
pie better and cheaper facilities for education
than is possessed by those Of any state in the
Union.
Abundance of clay is found in almost every
section of the county for the manufacture of brick
and several yards were in active operation, some
of them with improved machinery, during the
pastse Building stone ofexcellent quality is
everywhere found, and limestone, which, when
burnt, possesses considerable hydraulic proper
ties, is also easily attainable
RAILROADS.
The artificial advantages of Buchanan coun :
ty are no less important than her natural ones
Lying within n short distance of the Mississip-
p, she has the advantage of proximity to local
markets. In reaching those markets, and also
those of the East, she will have the very material
advantage of competing railroads, an ndoubted
guarantee of cheap freights and costs Of travel
for her citizens.
The Dubuque and Pacific Railroad passes d.
rectly through the centre of the county. east and
west. This road will be finished to Manchester,
in Delaware county, AZ miles from Dubuque, by
the lst of June of this year. This will bring it
within seventeen miles of Quasqueton and twen-
ty-two of Independence. Considerable grading
has been done within this county, and the road
will be in operation to Independence by the fall
Of 1859. This road has been richly endowed
10y the state with grant of land, and no proba-
BILE contingency can prevent its rapid construc-
ton. 1t will, therefore, soon furnish the people
of Buchanan county that great desideratum, a
ready and cheap communication with their mar
kets-enhancing the profits on everything they
have to sell, and cheapcning, materially, every
thing they have to buy.
The Wapsipinicon Valley Railroad passes di-
agonally through the county from southeast to
northwest, crossing the Dubuque and Pacific road
at Independence. This road commences at Ana
mosa, on the Iowa Central Air Line Railroad,
and runs northwesterly, up the rich vallies of
the Wapsipinicon and the Cedar, passing direct
ly through Quasqueton, Independence and Fair
bank, in this county, connecting at the north
line of the state with the Minneapolis and Cedar
Valley Railroad, one of the land grant roads of
Minnesota, and through that connection extend
ing directly to st. Paul-giying the best pos
sible southern and eastern outlet to all the land
grant railroads Of that State. The Wapsipini-
con and st. Peters Valley Railroad Company
was organized one year ago, has made all the
necessary surveys, maps, DC, Of its route, and
was only prevented from the further prosecution
of the enterprise during the past year, by the
financial revulsion. There is not the shadow of
doubt that the road will ultimately be built,
and that it will be prosecuted theoretically rs
soon as circumstances will permit. 1t furnishes
the shortest practicable route from St. Paul to
st. Louis and Chicago, and being feeder for
one, and an outlet for another important road
both having an endowment of land sufficient to
build them-will certainly he urged forward
From Independence to Chicago, by this route, it
is IL miles nearer than by way of Dubuque,
and the competition of the two routes must en-
nance the interests of the people Of this county
These roads, from their situation, will be of
easy access from every section of the county
The extension of the Wapsipinicon Valley Road
into the timbered regions of Minnesota, through
its connections with the roads of that state will
materially cheaper the cost Of all kinds of lum-
Der, and forever insure supply, while the ex-
tension of the Dubuque and Pacific westward
into the great coal field of Iowa, will give us
this great convenience for domestic and manufac-
turing purposes, at cost almost nominal.
Fairbank, in the northw estern section of the
county, is situated on the east branch of the
Wapsipinicon river, close to the line of Fayette
county, and contains about 400 inhabitants. 1t
is situated in the midst of a beautiful farming
country, in close proximity to large body Of
timber, and possesses good water power, upon
which there is an excellent saw mill and -four
ing mill there is, besides, good steam saw
mill in active operation. The town is supplied
with good hotel, a dstillcry, several stores.
blacksmith shops, churches, dc. 1t is the ter
mnation Of the first division of the Wapsipini-