The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1859-03-02

Ed. Correspondence Of tho Dubuque
Times.
WEST UNION. February 1st.
West Union is very much like IN
city set upon hill, which cannot be
hid" 1t is seen from afar as the trav.
eler journeys thitherward. and it is not
distance in this case. that "lends en-
chantment to the view" The nearer
one gets to the town the better it looks,
and the longer one stays there the lnger
he wants to stay. He fiuds open doors.
kindly hearts and cultivated minds. -
West Union is full of Eastern people,
who have brought their refinement with
them, and who still enjoy the luxuries
of life, social and mental as we'll as
physical.
The first house in tie village was
built by J. w. Rogers-now County
Judge-in December, l849 ; the second
was erected in September, 1850. The
village now has population of twelve
hundred, with two hundred and fifty
children connected with three schools,
two public and one select. We visited
one Of the public schools to-day in COM
pany with s. S. insworth. President
of the Board of School Directors, and
Mr.. Cole, the County Superintendent.
The school numbers upwards # hun.
dred pupils, who show an unusual de-
gree Of attention to "order" and good
breeding. They recited their lessons
we'll and sang ad mi ably.
Considerable attention, We are in
clined to think, is paid to music of all
kinds in West Union. Since we were
here six months ago, a Brass Band,
consisting of nine members, has been
formed and we have had All opportunity
this evening, of hearing them play
They do better than some older bands
which we have heard. Their instru-
ments are new and splendid. The Lite
rary Societies of the Upper Iowa Fay
ette) University, will not have to send
forty miles this year for music at the
Anniversary.
West Union has literary association,
which might be termed juvenile. Some
of its members are only ten years old,
and most of them are from twelve to
twenty. 1t was formed about four
months. its original number being, per-
haps, dozen. 1t now has eighty mem.
bers, and we are told that its exercises
are replete with interest. Itmeets regu-
larly every week, and the large aud com
modious room in the Court House is
sometimes crowded. 1t will hold three
hundred persons. Another literary
society, composed of adults exclusively,
meets on Monday evening. Last even
ing the exercises consisted Of mock
legislature.
The religious societies of West Union
are Methodist, B. Webster, pastor
Baptist. Mr.. Newell, pastor; United
Brethren. Mr.. Frothergill. pastor the
disciples, with no pastor and the Con-
grega.ionalst, s. Halbert, pastor. All
these societies but the last named one,
have houses Of worship.
Begging pardon of the clergy for
placing the lawyers in juxtaposition with
them, we present the list as follows -
w. McClintock, G. A. Newcomb, J..
w. Rogers, L. L. Ainsworth, S. B.
zeigler. NJ. Nc Glathery, S. S. .Ainsworth
and J. Hobson. In this list is a good
degree of legal talent.
The physicians of the place are H.
W. Hart, Levi Fuller, e. B. Lake,
J. H. Stafford, John Ecker and J. Pot
ter.
West Union has five general variety
stores, kept by Bell & Close, L. G.
Noble, Berkley & Winet, d. Lacy &
Co., and G. H. Thomas. Its grocers
are, Crane & Chadwick, H. Lawrence
and William Douglas its druggists,
Morse & Huffman, and A. P. White !;
its book dealers, Henry Richel & Co. !;
its hardware and hollow ware merchants,
W. G.. McMasters u Co., and Red6eld
" Bates; its shoe dealers, Sampson 4
Cowles, and James Washburn and its
bakers, B. A. Bishop and Jas. Staddon.
In the place are two wagon shops, three
harness shops, two tailors' shops, two
livery stables, chair factory, large
cabinet shop, plow factory, and four
hotels. Messrs. Eggleston & Marvin
have a good steam grist mill, with saw
mill attached, and are worthy of all the
favor they are receiving.
Two miles east of the village is "the
DEVILS Back Bone," narrow ridge of
land connecting two high points, and
being itself about seventy feet in height.
1t is not more than ten feet wide, and
the descent on either side is perpendicu-
lar. The Otter flows on both sides of
it, and is separated by it. AS the trav-
eler stands on the ridge, on either side
of him the tops of the tall trees are about
on level with his head. We visited
this curiosity in company with Mr.. Cole,
of the West Union Hotel, and were sur.
prised to learn that probably less than
one-fourth Of the people of the village
had ever seen it
~Women who are deserting their
homes for spiritualism, politics, and
other fanatical delusions, may pause
and ponder on the following excellent
and beautiful lines from Solomon:
sWho CON find q virtuous wornap 2