The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-10-01
Correspondence Of the Nonpareil.
MONONA COUNTY AFFAIRS,

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Correspondence Of the Nonpareil
.'7 MONONA COUNTY AFFAIRS.
ONAwA, MoNoNA Co., Iowa,
Sept. 10th, 1859.
Mr.. EDITOR :-Monona County seems to
be situated among ;" the rest of mankind:
She does not make fuss in tho family,
commensurate with her importance. In
other words, we have no newspaper to
faithfully represent the interests of the
County to the world, and afford the sover.
eign people opportunities for the discussion
of matters Of public concern. There has
been no one to toot the County horn, since
Father Ephraim, the Mormon Prophet, re-
ceived a communication from the Lord, on
certain dark night, commanding him to
leave suddenly, for Missouri. This is no.
as it should be. We need paper and
ought to have it-must have it. The right
kind OF an editor would receive the cordial
support and confidence of the people of
Monona, and the situation is far from unde-
s'rable, Considering the NonpareH as be-
longing to the Slope, rather than to any
particular locality, feel at liberty to spread
before lis readers, some account of our
public affairs.
SWAMP LAND MATTERS.
During the month of January last, a
meeting, purporting to be mass conven-
ton Of the people, met at Onawa, and pass
| ed a resolution, after much earnest opposi-
ton, in favor of donating $4,000 of the
Swamp Land Fund to the Council Bluffs
and Sioux City K. K. Co., and requested
the County Judge to order an election upon
the proposition, Immediately. The Judge
gave out word that he should comply with
the request. The election has not been or
dercd up to date, and there is no reason to
suppose that it ever will be ordered. The
plain inference is, that the contrivers of the
scheme, concluded that the people would
vote it down, and that it would not pay to
press the matter. Since the month of Feb
ruary, ga change has come over the spirit
Of their dream''-a surprising chang
it pleases me to also add, an admirable
change. We hear but very little now about
railroad. We do hear, however, through
out the county, common sense talk, respect
ing bitches, roads, bridges, overlows,
Swamp Land orders, county finances, &C.,
and, | trust, these sounds are far more
harmonious to the public ear, than the
whimsical, hifa!utin railroad arguments Of
enthusiastic city spectators und needy pro-
for the change. Pixies Peak has vast
deal to answer for. Monona is indebted to
Pixies Peak. The refulgent rays of its
sparkling gold, dispellcd the dense fog from
the Drainage Commissioners Office, chang
Ing it from half dead and the other half
! asleep condltien, to a really wide awake and
bcneficcnt institution. "IIow to do it' took
the place of :'IIow not to do it," DR.. j.
c. HAzELETT was appointed Drainage Com
missioner in March, and soon proved him
self an efficient servant of the people. Judge
WHITING ordered 1000 cubic yards Of
ditcbing to be let, and DR.. HAzELErr imme-
dia.ely pushed ahead the survey, and set
the ditchers to work. More bridges have
been built, until our county is one of the
best bridged in the State, and many men
have been retained at home, who, also,
would have been picking at the ribs of the
Rocky Mountains. Previous to the under
taking of these Improvements, it was diff
cult to create an interest on the subject Of
drainage. The policy then was, "railroad
or nothing" or, "railroad first, drainage
any inae.' 1t is gratifying to see Mcssrs.
WHITING and HAzELErT, who were promi-
nent opponents of the old policy, ready and
apparently willing,to aecede to the new doc
trinc Of the peop'e-"drainage now, railroad
afterwards, rs soon rs we are able" 1t is
gratifying to me, as resident on the Mis-
souri, Bottom, to feel that this land, by a
judicious expenditure of the Swamp Lsnd
Fund, may be made decently habitable, for
consider that no person who witnessed the
overfows Of last Spring, will doubt that it
| is not now in that desirable condition.
Natures arguments often prevail, when
mans will not; they are unanswerable.
The overhows of last Spring, were powerful
convincers. So are the dgues of this fall.
After our worthy Drainage Commissioner
had wandered and waded over the Bottom,
q fortnight, he most emphaticalIy declared
that, unless the Swamp Lands were thor
oughIy drained, our town of Onnwa, would
soon be dead beyond resurrection. And
quite agree with him, Nothing was more
surprising to me, than to see the very men
who, above all others, were to be benefited
by a system of drainage, either lukewarm
on the subject, or in decided opposition.
| Why, Mr.. Editor, it is an actual fact, that
the drainage policy was first talked up, and
urged upon the attention of the people, by
persons living mainly in or near the bluffs
The short-sighteduess of the opponents Of
this policy, although palpable before, was
rendered manifestly clear when Onawa,
became practically an island for time, and
persons wishing to do bushes at the County
Seat, had to be ferried over the expanse of
waters that SURROUNDED it, or undertake the
desperate alternative of wading. 1t seems
a pity that people shouldn't be allowed to
burn their fingers if they SO desire. In this
case, the scorching was prevented, partially
by an extensive application Of cold and
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