Litchfield enquirer., 1858-08-26
FoRT MADISON, Lee Co.,, Iowa, Aug. 12, 1858.

Every son of New England wheresoe'r dispersed. sghs for his " mountain home,'' in such weather as this. With the thermometer at 103 in the shade. the babbling brooks and breezy hills of one youth possess charm the recolectiens of which, time and seasons fail to eace, but still which doubtless are more enchanting, because of their distance
 Iowa, as you no doubt aware, Mr. Editor, is a great Stategreat in the extent of her territory the richness of her sol the character, intelligence and numbers of her population. and in her future pros poets. Containing upwards of eighty organized Counties peopled with individuals from nearly every part of the civilized world and possessing an educa tional system of which many older States might we'll be proud she is surely destined very shortly to take the front rank of the new States. The State will within very few years be filled with network of railroads, second to no State in the Union The present ' hard times, it is true, hindered many roads in progress of construction but the wants and enterprise of our people render her future railroad facilities fixed fact.
 The capital of the State was removed last year by the adoption of her constitution from Iowa City to Des Mones, date Fort Des Mcines, in Polk County. The fine State House and other public buildings at the former place have been ceded to the State University, which institution has been perma. nently located in that city Iowa City contains population of ten thousand persons-Des Moines, the | present capital, 4,OOO of which number 40 are law yers Here as at the East our towns and cities are known by appropriate appellations: Iowa City, is called the |" City of Magnificent Distances Du- huque, the ' Key City, Kcokuk the Gate City," lowing to its location below the Des Mones Rapids and the place from which write, Fort Madison the " Gem City" This appellation is appropriate from the fact that it is ''gem' in every sense of the wQd-''a perfect brick' or a |" trump in sport ing rarlance. Fort Madison is the shire town of Lee County. and in addition to the County buildings it contains the State Penitentiary, large, heavy stone building, in which is confined upwards of sev enty convicts number having doubled within the last twelve months. The town contains popu- laton of about 1000 inhabitants nethird of whom are Germans. There about twenty large steam engines employed here, in -four and saw mills, and other manufacturing establishments. There are also three weekly newspapers and one monthly peridcal published here and daily paper will be started here the coming Fall. There arc from twenty five to thirty dry goods, grocery and hardware stores not to speak of thirty lager-heer saloons The general intelligence and ality of the city great CT than any town of the size I have seen in New England, drunken being rarer object here than in Eastern towns. The city contains several fine schools and eight or ten churches.
 It is located high bottom, and neper over flows, and has magnificent steamboat landing Although not containing so large population by ten or twelve thousand Keokuk or Dubuque there is more building going within its limits the pre- sent season than in any other city in Iowa. The eastern terminus of the q Iowa Southern Railroad is at Fort Madison. The road is in forward state of construction though but littleis doing on it now A road (the Fort Madison and Keokuk,') will place us and the country adjacent with speedy communication around the "rapi,ls." while the q Fort Madison and Rockford'' road which tel1ni- mates opposite city, will give us q railroad con nection with Chicago. Our town is the principal lumber mart of the State and its future is brighter than that of any small town at the West But it is not my desire to weary you with particulars
 The Wheat crop, through Central and Southern Iowa has. this year, roved almost total faiure- for the first time since the settlement of the State Luckily, however, there was an immense quantity of Wheat in the hands of farmers unsod from last year. The Corn crop is generally gcod though the almost unprecedented rise of the streams prevented it from being raised on the bottom lands.
 Yankees in coming to our State, generally prefer the high, rolling ard often billy plairies to the smooth bottom lands, and experience has fully proved the wisdom of their selections better crops of Wheat and Corn having uniformly been produced there than on the former.
 The German population have extensively intro- duced the culture of the grape and this city itself within five years will export hundreds o thousands Of barrels of native wine There are large numbers of vineyards, conducted on scientific principles near this place. while nearly every farmer in the country is engaging in grape-raisng to greater or less ex tent. The Chinese Sugar Cane, too docs remarka- ply well in Iowa. and have no douLt that at least half of the farmers of the State will this year make molasses for the Eastern markets. Last year, the experiment was tried and proved successful. Sweet potatoes grow luxurantly here, and are raised in great abunaance.
 Although in the same latitude with yourselves, we have weather strikingly different. Our winters are shorter than those of Connecticut and for few days in January, several degrees colder. Our sum- ners, too, I think are warmer than in any part of New England. The present season is a very hot one, large numbers of people having died by $ sun stroke" .--.
 Our State election in October, and the can- vass for Congressmen and State officers has already in good earnest. Hoping not to be wea ( risome, will bring this to close, with my best wishes for all my old friends in New England lo
 s. Q IS See Derby & Jackson's advertisement for . agents, in another column, headed A Caskct of il Gems of Wit and Wisdom" n fs@T advices from the West generally un- a avorable to average harvest this season. h H. inois, especially, the yield will be bad one This fl