Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1859-05-10
Correspondents ST the Tribune. }
AvoCA, MAY 1. 1859.


heart. With what curiosity. earnestness and
anxietysis the column of deaths and marriages
scanned, and local " read and re-read in search
of the names OF. friends are We an xioas to
know how many have been launched into the
shoreless ocean of future life, or upon the uncer-
tain Astounding with matrimonial breakers.
Even the names attached to old advertisements
call to the minds eye the familiar face which
used TO tighten up With hearty good morning
as they proceeded to their daily tasks. the
social guten abend" after the tolls Of the day
are over.
The sweet vale of Avoca" of which Tom
Moore or some other rhapsodist sung, Is gen.
orally located by Gecgraphers. In the Emerald
Isle, is supposed to be Inhabited by those sons
and daughters of Eriu vino have ceased TO dance
after the Harp that hangs IN Tara's Halls
and which the soul of music She'd but the A.
voca Of which I sing, or rather would sing,
The poets inspiration mine, according to the best
authority l have been able to consult, to-wit
the Wisconsin river one mile and a half north,
Muscoda FIVE miles west, Highland ten miles
south, and my own personal observation, is sit
uated not far from where Iowa County peters
out on the northwest corner, and Is bi-sected
by the Milwaukee d Mississippi Railroad which
runs in a straight line for some ID or 20 miles,
whose first locomotive, | am told, startled the
primitive inhabitants of these regions, the
Wild war hoop OF the Aboriginies of Nassachu-
sets Bay startled Miles Standish in the good
old Colony times" Our Avoca is not like its
distinguished predecessor. inhabited by Emer-
al. I,Noil, by and
children and in warm weather-rnosquitces.-
Among the objects of Natural History may be
mentioned, ducks, pigeons and pickerel, II you
can catch them but yet the first SWIM too
far from land the second all up on the bluffs,
and the third. which do not belong, believe, TO
the class mammalia, lie too deep IN the water,
which has commenced spreading itself OF late,
until one immense sheet extends from the lofty
hills on one side to the - shore on the other,
for the distance of nearly thousand miles,
more or less. if anything-less. The principal
production are sand hills and sugar cane, the
first of which makes excellent mortar, with the
addition of a very peculiar substance they call
h2le, and the latter (sugar cane, not limc,) first
rate nolasses. The climate Is remarkable some
tines warm and sometimes cold sometimes
hot, @nd sometimes not ; sometimes wet, and
again sometimes dry sometimes the wind
blows from the East and sometimes from the
West the Wisconsin river, particularly at this
place, IS said to down stream, and the lum-
bernen generally follow the current with their
RATS, except III high water As now, when they
do the same. The town was settled some years
ago, if not earlier. and if it takes a start and
Irv fnr
time or other be considerable of town W hen
they get few Grist Mills. Iron Mills, Machine
Shops, Cotton and Wooden Factories running
my impression is that there will be some man
ufacturing done here. When the wind stops
blowing, the soil may be considered fixture :
but In a gale at the present time a could
not catch his potatoe patch with the orig
inal " cork leg" to assist him in navigation =
However, we have a stirring time, to say the
least and on the whole the town is equal 10 any
/ which has no better natural advantages. and has
mo more improvements is as handsomely situa
ted rs most towns which have no more pcctur-
esque scenery, aud does much business
binary towns containing more population,
/ having no more money invested in Stores and
I Mills, surrounded by no richer farmers, aud Of
fering no greater inducements to trade. These
are nay impressions of the place, and | will now
attempt TO give you statement of facts and
prospects, according to the best of my judg
ment as it is Of interest to all your readers to
know what change Is going on within the linn
It's of their own county.
Avoca is a thriving village of some forty or
I fifty houses which number BIDS fair to much
increased during the coming season. The click
of The stone chisel, the grating of the saw, aud
the stroke of the hammer can now daily be
heard ia all parts of the town, and several good
+ buildings are in process of construction. There
is already one of the best Hotels in the county,
Quilt from Milwaukee brick and large stone
/ Warehouse. which. although making frequent
shipments of grain. potatoes, hides. dc, seems
/ always to be well filled. Stores are not very
plenty, that Of Joseph Smith of your place be-
/ ing the only Dry Goods Store in the place, but
others are soon expected. AS a market Aveca
I has no rival in the county for wheat, one dollar
4 per bushel having been the ruling price for the
season. For lumber, it will soon be point as
+ Messis Swineheart Il Underwood are hauling a
! large lot out of the river. As centre for trade
it must eventually be important since it is the
most convenient place OF access on the line of
the RAJ, Road for the people of Wyoming,
! Clyde, Highland and the neighboring towns in
+ Richland, and must undoubtedly be the termi-
/ nus of the Mineral Point Rail Road when it is
extended to the River, rs it soon will be It's
nearest competitors are Lone Rock, across the
River and six miles above, and Boscobel some
20 miles below; Muscoia being nearly gone
up" from what l hear. 4 new Grist Mill will
+ be erected this summer, on water power owned
\ by Asa Patton, one Of our most Substantial farm
ers and citizens. This alone VIII make Avoca
I the rendezyaus for the custom of large extent
( OF surrounding country. So far then rs the bus
mess prospects are concerned. the signs truly
encouraging. and Mineral Point Viii have - stir
herself if she wishes long TO be the commercial