The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1859-05-12
A few days fr0m Home.

n lew Od lfehea kteSxhes
We have just returned from hasty visit
to Burlington and Chicago, to purchase paper
and materials for the Office. This is Tues
day Evening, and we find ourself in advance
of a communication for the paper mailed at
Chicago Monday morning, somewhat longer
than we shall now have time to write, for
this week. ....
We would again express our admiration
of the close connections and present able
management of the B. & NJ. r. and the
c. B. & @. Railroads, insuring to the travelling
public heretofore unheard of speed, safety,
and economy of travelling. ....
We acknowledge kind attentions and IA
vors, highly appreciated, from all the officers
and conductors of these roads, with whom
we had to do, among whom we mention es-
pecially, Col. C. G. Hammond, the able Gen.
Sup. of the G.. B. & @. and David Remick,
the popular and efficient Gen. Agt. of the
same, Conductors Northrop of the b. & NJ
r. and Littlejohn of the G. B. & @. on whose
Trains we rode going and coming. Our
friends Withrow & Wilson and others of the
Western Stage Co., laid us under renewed
Obligations. ..... ... -.
We call attention to the time tables in
this paper, Of both roads. They will be
found correct. .. .... .. ..- ..-
When we left Iowa it was very warm for
the season; at Chicago Sunday and Monday
they had two of the cold misty days peculiar
to the Lake region, and which always bring
even in midsummer, furs and over coats into
requisition.
Along the route Trombone to Chicago, via,
Burlington, farmers are exceedingly busy plow-
ing and.planting. Very little Fall wheat is
visible, but Spring is coming up finely, and
there is a large breadth sown. Vegetation
is considerably more advanced here than in
Northern III. The weather to day, Wednesday,
is unromfortably warm, probably $50.
There is very little travel, and general
complaint of dull times in the cities. The
people are too much occupied at home to go
to market or travel
Chicago, however, is lively. The war
news has excited an influence on produce,
which is always felt in that heaviest of pri-
mary markets. The city at present is going
up. Since we have known it intimately,
some twenty years, we have never known it
to take such a rise as it is taking now
Magic has been the instrumentality hereto
fore generally spoken of, but they use Screws
now, by means of which the stateliest blocks
shoot up into the air almost impreceptibly,
perhaps it might be entirely so to even occu-
pants, were it not for the rubbish which
blocks up every street. and makes tia break
neck business to get about Such going
up and down ofplanks, stairs, &c, as one is
subjected to, is novelty in street pedestri-
anism. -.
Chicago is destined to be among the
proudest of our cities. In 1914, we have
reason to remember, they had just 1880 in
habitants now, the number can scarcely
fall below 100000. She boasts numerous
of the statcliest and most beautiful public
edifices, business blocks, and private resi-
dences, to be found in the broad Union, and
her limits have extended up and down the
Lake, and out into the prairie to an extent
truly astonishing to those who remember
her outlines even ten years ago. But the
mystery will be solved by climbing to the
dome of the Court House and looking out
upon the grand panorama of City, Railroads,
Warehouses, and vessels Of all sorts and
sizes, arriving and departing, and which lie
for miles along the wharves. Some IA Trunk
Railroads, and 100 arrivals of vessels a day,
all freighted with material of trade and
commerce, must push Chicago onward in
spite of any and all depressing influences.
We stopped on this occasion for the first
time at the Matteson House, corner of Ran
doph and Dearborn, now very well kept by
Messrs Bissell & Goodrich. The Matteson
is quiet and pleasant Hotel, and occupies
perhaps the most convenient locality for
those having business, of any house in the
city, and the charges are less than several
other Houses. We cordially recommend it
toIowans visiting Chicago. ....
PERsoNAL.-L. ID, Ingersol, Esq, the