Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-08-31
9ailg girsiuiau.
Correspondence Of the virginian.l
The State of Iowa. Descriptive Sketches

The State of Descriptive Sketches
DAvKNroRr. Iowa. August, 1859.
M, o. persons at the East, In speaking of Iowa,
pronounce the word I-owe-wa, (aceent on the
second syllabe) whereas the true pronunciation is
I-o-way" (accent on the last syllablc) Daven-
port is by far the most prosperous town In the
ter natural advantages, and will, in the end, out
strip her in the race of prosperity. They contain
now about the same number Of people, viz:
10000. The population Of Davenport Ia made up
about as follows: Dutch, 1900; Irish, 1000;
French. 200; English, l,0O0 Americans. $500;
Negroes. 200; Austrans, 10. II Ia estimated by
good judges that tho population Of this town is
four thol sand less than IT was two years ngo The
failure of the crops in 1857 and SO. together with
tho money crisis that succeeded, has completely
parnlized this whole Northwest Merchants who
used to sell, in '56 and '57, one hundred dollars
worth of merchandise duy last Fall, sold about
ten dollars worth day. Since the beginning of
this year matters have becn gradually improving
30 that now there II about ono half the old amount
of business done. There is, however, absolutely
nothing in tho Eastern half Of the State for sale
no corn, nor wheat nor cattle, "no NOTHING"
They are better of in the Western part of the
State, whore they have turned their attention for
several years past to stock raising All along tho
Eastern border. for some years past, the spirit Of
that they paid very ltlc attention to raising corn
and wheat. When man bought a farm il was
with the expectation of selling it during the year
for ono or two thousand dollars advance upon his
purchase.
The history Of ono man, which will give you,
is about the history Of throe-fourths Of the Iowa
farmers.
lilo came to this Stnte in 1854 with $4,000 in
cash. lie purchased half section of land 1870
ncrcs) at So nm acre, luilt him small house and
put in n small co of corn. In 1858 he sold his
farm for SO an and Immediately bought an
other half section Mt 80. In 1856 he sold this
fam for Sl5 nn acre and invested again int whole
section of prairie at Sl2 per acre, going In debt
5000 for il after paving all his money. In tho
Spring Of 57 he sold his last farm for $40 m mere
and had ten thousand dnars cicnr money. lie
then bought two sections of improved lnnd ut $40
per ncre raid one-third cash. gave n trust deed
on thr whole TO secure the balance put in crop
of corn and wheat, fixed up the house, bought
now carriage aud waited for n $40 customer who
never came. His crops failed, he had contracted
hcayv debts for labor on his farm, for groceries,
fpI machines, ploughs, horses. &C.. &c To bring
the matter to end the Sheriff sod his iurm last
week for nine thousand dollars leaving him still in
debt about fireice Mousond do'idrs with nothing
to pay It, The last heard of him was, he hind
moved to town aud was keeping n bowling alley
and grog shop.
In consequence of this state of things thousands
of FIRMS will fhnngc hands. The old settlers W i'll
| move farther West and new and bettcr men will
t,k, their rlsrcs The system If agriculture iif
il can he called system) nursued in Ills State is
| most miserable one. |, is ycrv Ittlc removed
| from the way in which the Indians cultivated the
grounds. Nature has done 20 much for Iowa soil
| that the farmer thinks he las nothing to do. |
believe if the soil properly cultivated instead
f nroducn, 60 To 80 lmsbels sr onts 3O 10 30 lm.l
rls of ,ybe,i orJ ~ Ia 100 bushes or earn n tLe
| .c,o !, m;.ht hc mndc u, ,I,,,LJ, ,l;s n,nn,;,y
~. ororoso n-,dr,iin, or J,;sh rootnos IL aOO IN
| 90, Lu.bels n ,he acre Jusk,J nm nll Farmer
, .h,,rt ,mn since how many h,.h.ls he raised
II. s,d ".,rp go ,o 400 iushrls nor arrc oc.
,,nr,;ns, IN thc scoscpu
TLo Jr;sb ,,,,toc. ;.od be,o oro Ella f,..t I
h,yo oycr aeon l b,yr soon them ,ye,,c,g = sevcn
"mn.os n ,ro;,,h, sell;,,, a., ,o, .an,. tn.hai
p,r.,;ns ,r,,r tn n w. Lt IF tro ar ,hr.e ,o,,L.
poe,s 6ye nr .;x n,u,Js b,vs sa.n ,,o or ,Io
ia,,ar ,,.o,,,,.;v ;nnh.s i,,r Wv
no ,,;i - e,c.e,;n,,i,, r,.h Iho,o M, -. ,o,
o,.I,scJ !, Ian, ! inland tn 40 on sbnr,i, u:,,h
San,n,c. fran, d;fiercnt r,r,s ot rho state Tho
.o;I T. no, n,,v r;cb nm, yerv doen ,eneraJy
aha,, ,,r, foo, and lo"Ls ve,y rI',l s, ',r;,,,
ra.lv ond cots muddy roniJy When il rains
hnro' soo, 10 rrornJ .o, ,o l.. n,nd anLI, Joon
nave seen .ao er"d"u d .a% 0 % 10 maa an,s aeer
Ils q m,,,re of oil lomnhIock tor mil soft snon
Ths on;rrot;o, tn low, has Leen yorv jnrnc
~, Snr;n,, Somc,;mo. n doxor ,r ,,, ,.,rnns
In . ~; ,,Ioo. In n a.u an II, o;u ,. ~, ,h
;,,,a.t 80 af .h. S,o.o r., ',har .a,rns ~ tIa
-. W. = ~ H. s.,,o ~ ,,;'... "
,,'. ,a', .,s."n',r oa,,;nr J,,na WIZ "'' ""h
,rI.o :; .,c. r,,, I ebo,o n,;ool J.; uo,rJ J.,
,,;''rar,a =, ,;no,r n;na o,sos WV, or h,,.d.od
,rha, ,. ,,,,s ,rsa, N;ssonr; !. f,iod n ,.;,, r.o
,,,o f fTr'n, V;r,,;n;, Knn,uctr Chic Indana ppnd
fHE,,;s rh, s',,,tharn ,nrt ar I,,wn ,'n,n;,s 'o'