Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-01-21
-MUscATINE, IOWA, FRIDAY, .JANUARY. 2l,. 1859
Trip into the Coantry.

.1G.Acz ~.
Trip into the Country.
| In attending the Railroad Convention |
Rome, Jones county, on the 18th inst, "
had occasion to pass through portions of tn
country before unknown to US, and as "
presume majority Of our readers are NJ
better posted than we were, we propose t
give few notes taken by the way. We wi
say as . prelude, however, that we wer
sgresably surprised at the rich resources {
Cedar and Jones counties, and portion {
Linn county through which we passed. W
do not wonder at the anxiety of the people Q
that region to obtain a railroad, nor at tb
solicitude Of the rival river cities to secur
their trade There is scarcely foot of sol
through all that vast extent of country no
susceptible of cultivation, and it is all as ricl
and productive as any to be found in tn
State. The prairies are more rolling than il
this immediate vicinity, and they are inter
spersed with frequent groves, and are vel
watered with pure and swift running streams
For health, rs well as for productions of tn,
soil, this part of the State is unsurpassed
While there are many fine farms to be seen
and the roadside is dotted with houses, there
are vast tracts of land waiting the husband
mans plow to yield rich harvests. We hope
soon to see its agricultural resources fully
developed by railroad facilities.
On our way to Rome, We stopped for the
night at ,... "a ... ....5 ...
-. ess. se. Upton, -, -s r...
The county-seat of "Old CEDAR" 25 miles
distant from Muscatine. This place has now
a population of about 1GOO 1t has number
of fine buildings, and among them Court
House, not yet finished, which will cost
upwards of $4,000. 1t is really handsome
edifice, but constructed on an entirely too
costly plan, as the taxpayers of Cedar county
have some time since realized. This building
will be completed next summer. Upton
contains five churches-Methodist, O. S.
Presbyterian, Episcopal, Congregational and
Catholic. 1t contains, also, a fine union
school building, and large steam grist-mill
The business houses are 6 dry-goods' stores,
drug stores, 8 grocery stores, l hardware
store, ! exclusive boot and shoe store, l Jew
slry store, bookstore, marble yard, tin
shops, 8 harness shops, 8 saloons, 2 meat
markets, l barber shop, gunsmith shop, 2
cabinet shops, blacksmith shops, 8 wagon
shops, l daguerrean gallery, 4 shoe shops, 2
millinery shops, &C., &C. There are two
newspapers published in the place-the
Adveriser and the Democrat-the former
Republican and the latter Democratic in pol
tics. OF professional gentlemen there are 8
lawyers and about an equal number of
physicians. We were told that the prohibit
Dry law was enforced in Upton, and that
here were no doggeries in the place, but from
The confused language of Hibernian gentle
nan who took lodgings in the gutter under
The window of our room at the hotel, we
Judged that the "ardent" could be found by
those who could scent it out. Onour return,
We heard of drunken fight in the street,
between the Morrissey and the "Pernicious
Boy of the village, which resulted in
the phiz of one of them so COM
pletely with mud that he could not be distin-
,uished from member of the colored popu-
alton. So we imagine Upton cannot boast
over its neighbors of temperance and sobriety.
There are four hotels in Upton. The Union
House, kept by our old friend and subscriber,
2. Fleming, we can recommend to the public
IS comfortable place to stop.
Upton is a subs 'antial young city, and its
inhabitants arc putting forth such efforts for
their railroad interests as cannot fail to give it
rapid advancement. tits confidently expected
that they will have their railroad to the line
Of the c., I. & N. R. R. completed and in
running order by the 1st of August next. If
Muscatine puts forth a corresponding effort,
Upton will also have railroad communication
with us by that time.
From Upton, we went by way of Red Oak
Grove and Fairview to
ANAMosA,
The county-seat Of Jones county, SIS miles
from Muscatine, 60 from Davenport, 20 from
Lyons, and 60 from Dubuque. 1t is situated
IN the north bank of the Wapsipinicon river
"a stream about 80 yards wide, affording
excellent water power. There are two large
yrist-mills at Anamosa, run by water power.
This place contains about 1000 inhabitants, 9
dry-goods and grocery stores, exclusive
grocery stores, drug store, hardware store,
l jewelry store, l tin shop, harness shops,
wagon shop, l gun shop, 2 blacksmith
shops, meat market, 2 shoe shops, 2 tailor
shops, 8 saw-mills, Zone steam daguerrean
gallery, millinery store, &c. There are 6
lawyers and 4 doctors. The number of
church edi6ces is 8, though there arc relig-
ious organizations. Anamosa boasts Of 8
hotels, one of which, the Fisher House, is the
finest in the interior of the State. 1t is built
of brick, three stories high, fronting SO feet
on Garnavillo street, and 63 feet on Main
street. 1t contains GA rooms, all furnished in
a style of comfort and magnifcence equalling
the first-class hotels of the larger cities. This
house was built in 1857, and we are safe in
saying will be sufficient for the hotel business
Of the place for many years to come. A. H..
Peasley & Bro. are the landlords. .
The Dubuque Western Railsead is to ter
inmate ut Anamosa. The cars are now run
ming within II miles Of the town, and will be
running into it by the 1st Of April next. The
only hopes of the people of Anamosa for any
other railroad connection are in the road to
Upton and Muscatine, the construction of
which they have taken into their hands with