The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1859-03-15
ESTABLISHED


L
nected with the Davenport Gazette, and q
present on . tour Of examination and discovery
visiting various places and localities and writing
familiar letters, descriptive Of whatever may b,
found worthy Of note. The following is wha
he says Of Burlington:
/ BURLIxGroN, Iowa, Feb 25th.
Arriving on time, passengers are informed
"Cars leave for Chicargy in one hour" Makinf
| my way through the crowd, soon land at ths
Barrst House, an extensive Eve story building
corner OF Jefferson and Third streets. Il is vel
kept BY Mr.. r. A. Demng, and is certainly one
| Of the best hotels in the West, having ample
accommodations for two hundred guests.
As this is my frst visit to Burlington, and a
the condition Of the streets Except the bust
ness streets, which are well macadsmised) is uufa
vorable to locomotion, cannot give you - foil
description of the city as it deserves. In my
former opinion of Burlington was behind the
times As many Of your readers have been
| there, my description shall be brief. Burling-
| ton is 2l0 miles from Chicago and 237 from St.
| Louis by the river. East Burlington, upon the
| Illinois side of the river, has a poor location,
being fiat and low. There are but few buildings
in It. The folks down this way say if our bridge
| is allowed to stand they will build one At this
point. The reports started by the enemies oi
the Rock Island bridge, as to its very danger
| Gus condition, are much exaggerated when they
get away from home. As general thing they
have but little weight. The celebrated civil en-.
sineer Of Rock Island has an eye for business.
He doubtless thinks it will pay St. Louis better
| to have the manufacturer upon the ground, in.
stead Of having TO pay his 'fare" and hotel bills.
''Go it SNOWFALL"
Burlington has not the natural advantages Of
location that our own beautiful city possesses,
and from appearances enough capital has been
expended in digging out site, to have con-
structed upon favorable location q large town.
The business portion OF the city is surrounded
by an amphitheatre of high bluffs, some ofthem
l should think to be two hundred feet above
the level Of the river. small stream (Hawk-
eye) passes through the centre Of the city to the
river, the valley of which furnishes q road of
easy grade to the interior. The Burlington and
Missouri River Railroad comes in at this point.
The bluffs furnish beautiful building sites,
which are improved with handsome church ed
iices, school houses and residences. From my
observations l think Davenport is ahead of Bur-
lington in private residences, and uice versa in
business houses. was much surprised to see
SO large number Of fine three and four story
substantial brick blocks, and but few of the
store houses unoacupied. visited several OF
the largest and must say, Burlington is ahead
of any city in Iowa. as TO quantity and variety
OF merchandise on hand, and is evidently enjoy
ing large share of healthy business prosperity.
notice her merchants supplying large ex.
tent of country in Illinois with goods. At pres
ent, here as elsewhere, short crops have inter.
fered,.
Burlington, as manufacturing point, can
claim position in the front rank Of western young
| Cities There are foundries, -four and saw mills,
| anuiactories of various kinds, and many OF
| them extensive. There are sixteen church Or
| CARNATIONS, most Of them having substantial ed
| ifces As the population Of the city 10 about
| fifteen thousand there is no excuse for "absence
from meeting" The buildings for school pur
poses are pleasantly located, well arranged, and
are credit to the city. Burlington is also vel
| supplied with public halls; although our Metro
| poIitan is ahead in interior arrangements and
architecture we have to "give in" as to size
Grimes Hall being one Of the largest cut west
| It is one hundred and eighteen feet long, and
eighty feet wide in the clear. Schramm's "Mo
| zart Hall" is also fne room, being only te v
feet less in size. The county at present is using
Rand's Hall for Court House purposes. They
have an excellent building Tor Jail purposes, anc
when times ease up a little will build Cour
House "as is one, SO they say. The Gas Work.
are in successful operation and learn the stoct
is well up. The corporation furnishes gas Il al
lude to street lamps) for the public.
From reliable authority obtained the follow
ing figures as to the amount OF tpork business
done at this point the past season: S2,9s2 hog
| we're packed, and % 900 were shipped to Chi
| cago. The hogs averaged about $50 pounds
There are four firms who have done most OF th'
trade. The grain trade has been uncommonl.
light, and the mills for some months have beer
working upon wheat from over the river, and I
large share OF it from Chicago.
The Burlington and Missouri Railroad is now
completed to Agency City, seventy miles ives
of this, and seven miles from the Des Moine
river. Beyond Agency very little has beel
done, as the company are undecided upon loca
ton had the pleasure of making the acquain
tance Of Mr.. John G Read, the Vice Presiden
and Superintendent of the road, and Tor hi
courtesy am much indebted The road, con
sdering the times, is doing well. see by tn
reports that for the month Of January, BAG
passengers have passed over the road, and TO
the past six months, $4,000 hogs, 2,2l2 head o
cattle, 1869 tons freight, 2,525,s40 feet o
lumber, Asa, ,263 shingles. Most OF the lumber
is from Chicago, and about two-thirds OF the tol
freight has gone West. The city has acted lib
orally by the Railroad, subscribing $4,000
eight per cent bonds, aud giving them severa
acres of land for depot purposes at the river
The road has been assisted by Des Moines coun
| ", ACuy NOuusyb VAvot"VSt
son county, 100000; Wapello county, 500,
600. In the two last named counties the au
thorities have only surrendered $4,000 bond
each, / give these particulars, knowing Ou
| citizens are interested in Railroad matters, an
to let them know what our neghbors are doing
| believe Burlington assisted the Peoria branc
Railroad over the river, SO, 900 in bonds. Tn
Pixies Peak fever 10 taking off some Of the ma
tives hereabouts, although not as many as abot
Davenport.
Burlington can also boast Of having yer
fine building for market house purposes. 1t
two stories in height, aud cost fifteen thousan
dollars. The lower room is used for hoioln
market; the upeerisiory is divided into Counc
Chamber, rooms for city officers, ana Q iare
: hall for public meetings.
I Having a letter Of introduction to Major La
man, learned from him that the First Battalit
of Iowa Militia was in fiousishing conditiO
Four companies compose the battalion, and c
e Tuesday, the 22d of February, they paraded OF
hundred and fifty men. l became acquaintt
8 with several of the officers and members of II
"BIues," "Guards," "Rfes," and VOLUNTEERS
s and found them soldiers and gentlemen Bu
' lington should be proud of her military. r.
GREETED to hear that the Fire Department "
not in that active and healthy condition 1t shou
be to compare with the other organizations
4 the city. 1ney nave Que nuHne"AH Auo' !se
ond class, one Agnew Galley Engine, 80 cias
. two Hose tenders and fifteen hundred feet do
3 and an excellent Hook and Ladder Truck al
. equipments. The last named is manned by t
n German Turner's, and is said to be of great q
vice. Atpresent, the apparatus is located clio
together, the engine companies occupying t
a same house. The authorities have construct
. house up town, aid one of the engine conn
nies will use it.
The Slckles Affair."
v Reaction in Public Sentinent-1hs Seamen
. vestigation-Defeat Of Lobby Sehe"es-C
* den and OBrien.
Of rTelegraphc Correspondence Of the Cincinnati Gaze
- WASHINGTON, March 8
Developments affecting the ansecedents
Sickles career, and connecting him with q
grant disregard Of the very obligations
which he took such sanguinAry vengeance