Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1860-02-24

bre fof the OCCASION, Wn1cu epou'" "e
one of more pleasant ASSOCIATIONS. For
getting the troubles and endorsements
IF the present, let us then draw upon the
mas, for = few recOllections.
Twenty years, and what change mas
Lccn effected in orr country. linen
settlement here and there, with ofoaa
expanse OF prairie between, ana on TINS
sno, a vllls &c Of 500 inhabitants, re-
ioicing in being the county seat. For
NJ that time the desperate struggle be-
tween the combatants. Davenport and
Rockingham, had been decided and the
former wore the laurels, proudly boast
ing to tho stranger that she was the seat
of justice.
Permit me here to relate an incideut,re-
Gently told me by one who was present
on the occasion, and which do not re-
member to have seen narrated in any OF
the books or speeches published OF our
city. A little knot of old settlers, among
whom was Seth n. Whiting, gentle,
man we'll known 10 some Of you ana
who will be remembered as rather par
simonious in his disposition, stood TO-
gether converting when the news was
received that Davenport had been de-
clarsd the county seat. Their JOY knew
no bounds, something must be done and
that right speedily. Let's have bon.
fire. shouted one. That's it, said
another, sbut what shall VIC burnF II
was . question Of dollars and cents IN
those days, when money OF its equivalent
was so scarce. Here cried Whiting,
in the exuberance OF his feelings, burn
my haystack.' agreed was the re
Spouse on all sides. The torch was ap-
Piled, and soon the flames rolled up to-
ward heaven, bearing the incense OF the
first holocaust to judicial power In Scott
county.
Ali over our county their broad
acres of rich and arabic lands, teemlng
with an exuberauce Of vegetation, sown
by the Almighty hand, and bearing his
i'm press in the many lovely flowers that
beautified their surface, lay spread out
inviting to cultivation. Three or four
miles from this embryo city, lands were
held at government price, and farms
could have been bought for one hundred
dollar., that have since sold TOR ten
thousand dollars. Here and there
among the groves scattered throughout
our county, farm houses and few cul-
tivsted acres could be seen, otherwise
the land was as tho mighty seas left it.
Here, in Davenport, the centre Of at
traction and the cynosure Of every eye
was the majestic lie Claire House, which
doomed up among the smaller buildings
like giant among pigmies, or as though
some huge superstructure had been
transplanted from eastern city to west
ern hamlet. The pride and boast OF
every citizen, well did it deserve the
praise lavislled upon it; far in advance
Of the town, it was the landmark by
which many were guided hlther, and
who dare build an inferior house in a
city claiming so magnificent structure!
remember with what pride, in the
summer of 1910, old Capt. Ebenezer
Hulse, the then proprietor, preceded me
to the summit of tho Le Claire House,
and from thence pointed out to me the
scattered houses and the green hill
sides, the noble river and the dilapida-
ted fort, the down-the-river valley, and
the rival town OF Stephenson, all com
bined constituting one Of the loveliest
landscapes that ever gladdened human
vision. No. I'll not say that,-a
lovelier landscape l saw when about
noon on the 10Th day Of June, ls40, a
steamer rounded the point below Steph-
en.on, and standing upon the hurricane
deck, for the first time l beheld Daven-
port and its surroundings. remember
noting in my journal OF that trip, jotted
down on the spot, that the views had in
creased in grandeur from day to day but
now this scene capped the climax, and
my pen utterly refused description
On the island small tribe of Indians
had erected their wigwams, which, with
the block houses aud fort with its tall
flag staff, added much to the pictur-
esqueness Of the scene. AT that time
extensively engaged in business At Gin
cinnati, and merely travelling for pleas
ure, had not the remotest idea of ever
becoming citizen ofthis place, and yet
such was the effect of that frat impress
ion on my mind that few months
thereafter saw me rounding the same
point on my second visit to Davenport,
and with the intention of making it my
home.
Handed at the foot of Brady street
you will all recognize the sccne-near
clump of cotton wood trees, in front of
Mr.. Lesslie's drug sto.c. Dr.. Brown
had just completed his fine brick dwell
ing at the corner of Second, and Mr..
Witberwax's frame stood back from the
street on the opposite corner. On the
other lide was vacant lot and between
that and the lie Claire House was a
small ravine. On the lower side of the
street stood diminutive brick house oc-
cupied by "Jcw" Miller, on one side of
which was the frame carpenter shop,
subsequently lyceum room and meeting
house of Mr.. Tapley, and on the other
the 6ne family mansion of Mr.. Squres.
Well, those Old landmarks have all
disappeared, and 90 all over the town
statlier editices have reared their ample
dimensions, until now We have a city OF
many thousands, with as fac buildings
IS any Western CITY can boast. Then We
were denizens of the far West, a little
nearer shutdown than any Inhabitants of
the Union, but since, California has
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