, 1860-02-15
OUR IOWA 1ETTGN.


IT., M,,,r; f.. 1it.. 1.en.
n. ,,,o rt;c,,, - 711, " ~, Tucsdor,
ria Chicaso, burlington and Qalncy Il. H., ar-
irving ut East Burlington ut clock ne1tmorr-
;nv A.uoor ..w wc co,ta IL. tr,r>f.rred ncroxa
49, a.. ,: ~.
'ee 'llssass't'p' GU 'ne ice oF'oge' VIC "s'e y"
our way westward via the Burlington and Mis-
sour; Rtrer R.R.
.:,
o'hee our 'as' ''s'' ne'c' a"'': casnse n"S
been made IN tue ground presented bF The city
Of l}urlin v:on to the u, & n, L. R. in the war
or G,1;,r -, c,,e,r,,,;,,,, suo ,o,aa ~ I'm
~. f' ".e -.
M'ssss'ln', anu the erection OF uepot end other
buildings.
The Railroad runs un ,hc v,,1cv of uowtave
o'ee"' sl'a'' ''sean "n1eo divides nurnog'
ton into Upper and Lower Town, and is famous
for giving the nnule of "uaykeyen TO Iowa.
''''e' p~ss'oe a'oos 'n's creek 1of TWO mics toe
road emeTses on tic prairie, passing tue towns
of MiddIetown, Danyil,e and Sr,y I,ondou. The
.nr.;r;a m 1,o,h sid.e :, laval ,,,.;, ,.o,.h
-. ~, - 'e'e'' oo''t W.
IT, fleaSao'' when i becomes more rolling.
| Just as re come in si"l,t Of 3ft Pleasant. the
| Iowa 1nsane Asylum IS to be seen On the left
it is quite an imposing structure built Of tie
| kenkuk limestone which ia found in ,he neiob-
borhood The cost ufits erection 50 flr Ias react
ed $50 900 and ,s estimated that it vii! eaui,e
fl0o,0u0 more TO complete it, When flushed
it will be one of the finest buildings OF the kind
in the country, and m honor to lLe ]iberaIisv
| and philanthropy Of tic State,
Mt Pleasant bus derived its name from being
situated on the l,isbest ground between tile
| Mississippi aud Skunk river, and ia tile County
| seat of Henry county. 1t is pleasant md
wel.Luilt town, containing about 400 iuhabit-
ants. THE keukuk and Muscatine IT, r., when
| completed will pass through il. On the rirht.
Is VIC leave the town, il ile Iowa Wesleyan
University, one Of the oldest and most flourish
| ing educational institutions in the State
after leavinv Mount Pleosact the country he.
comes more broken, and we soon cross Nlc
Greek. Timber il now to be seen On boil, sides
| Of the road. Six miles from Mount Pleasant il
| crosses Skunk River by q hir. bridge. The
road approaches tue river by deep cut tbroue.,
clay aud eoencretouar. limestone. out OF which
we're taken when being made, the skeletons ot
| full grown, and several small speci,ncns, ot
an extinct species of peccary.
| On the Opposite side Of tue riSer is the towt
OF Checau4ue, which is the Indian name fo1
skunk. Tne classic town of Rome is hal
mile lower down, on the same side, where, il
days comedy, we were wont to be ferrie. acros
the rlrer.
Af'er leaving Checauque, the road runs OF
the divide between Bu=h und Woolf Greeks :
Three miles from the 1iyer the road strikes ah
Iowa Coat Field. The coal ou,crops OH boil
the aboye mentioned streams. and is used t.
| some extent, as will be seen by the coal car
Seven miles from Chccanquc is G!cndale.
1t is on the edge Of the timber. To the south Il
, t it is the celebrated Round Prairie, one Of th
finest agricultural regions in the State. On Ill
north is hlso geSwedish settlement. Afte
leaving Glendale the road passes OVER hig
t rolling prairie. and continues so until We arrir
, at Fairfield. Fairfield is the county seat OF Je
terson county, and contains about 3,ooJ inhab
ants. 1t is situated upon h,ga prairie, froi
: which it has derived its name, and is quite
substantial town.
Two miles from Fairfield coal is mined on tf
, road. The seams here about three feet thc'
: and the coal is Of good quality. 1t oulcrops q
Cedar Greek, where the road grasses, and It hs
been ascertaiDod that tho coal becoMes bettt
. the further west it is found. After passing It