The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1860-02-21
E4iteri~i csrrsspenasncs


EAitsriAi Csrrsspendencs.
CrncKNAIr, Feb. is, 1860.
| arrived here this morning, after riding
one day and two nights frsm Keokuk, more
night riding on railroads, ] believe, than II
oil my railroading, since q boy, have sui
fered before. have horror Of il, and have
thus far avoided il in an eminent degree.
/ was TO make trip from end TO end OF
that long State. Indiana, and had desire to
soc what sort Of territory il was, ~ had
never set foot on it before. But had little
opportunity TO soc the upper portion Of it,
for the night was dark, and We left Indian
apclis just a. 1t began to grow light. could
500 enough, however, TO see that to that
point II was pretty much like northern ILL.,
nois, -clear, rolling and fat prairie. But
from Indianapolis southeast it is different
country; tws-thirds of the way fat, but
heavily wooded. All the farmers had 10 cut
their homesseads out Of the woods /; and not.
outstanding the towns mostly look old, and
the orchards, what few there are, show that
the country has been long settled, the fields
Of stumps make 1t look far more new and
unsubdued than any portion OF Iowa that
have yet seen. speak, of course, OF
what borders upon the railroad, which Iprs-
sumo IL fair sample. An emigrant TO the
West would seem to me fool to settle in
that portion of Indiana, when there 10 such
abundant opportunity in Iowa to select just
what wood and clear land he chose, With not
tree to cut, except to kindle his FIRE.
The last third, or thereabout, Of the dis
tance 10 among hills,-just like the old New
England hills,-not mountains, but piles OF
dirt too steep to cultivate, and too good to
give up to squirrels and partridges without a
Sigh at such . waste: hills such as have no.
seen these fifteen years, and which seemed
like old companions to me, pleasant a.
dreams of youthful days. We sailed around
among them on tortuous track, every thing
covered with snow, the dead brown leaves
Of the abundant beech trees still clinring to
the limbs, and the picture was thus made oil
the more natural to me than il had looked
out upon strange timber and bare ground.
The snow Of Tuesday night was quite ex-
tensive in the country it covered, though not
heavy in body. 1t began at Chicago, and is
as heavy here - any where on the road,
presume. How much farther east and west
il reached do not know, OF course. Here
it is very sloppy, muddy and disagreeable.
wanted to run over this town, very much !:
ard | have several hours to do it in; bat in
this slushy weather cannot do It. NV visi
to Cincinnati Is at moment not calculated
to leave very favorable impression upon
my mind, and compels me to feel . great
disappointment of my expectations. But /
hope to return through it in brighter and
more cheerful season.
lam much struck in the difference of an
pearnnce OF the streams here and at home.
considering the little difference in latitude.
| came some distance along the Miami, but 1t
was free OF ice. saw not even bit of ice
along the shores. And il did not look a. il
1t had been frozen at all this winter. The
Ohio, too, at this point is as open and free
as in summer.
Having sort Of pride in the ssfather Of
waters tnss washes our own issse / mad d
little curiosity to see this most famous OF his
tributaries, next to the Missouri. Bot the
little yellow dirty thing scarcely excited
more than my contempt, a. contrasted it
with ''the broad bosom Of the majestic Mis-
sissippi," & believe that is the way the TO.
mancers speak Of "Old Massasip.'')
| Being stranger here, did not know the
name of any hotel but the Burnet House,
So went there. They talk very large about
the Burnett House; as il it was one OF the
most magnificent hotels in the country
Fudgel know better than that, of course
but then it 10 very decent hotel for plain
man, like me. There is nothing about it to
look at or eat OF that gave me 90 much
pleasure, however, as large painting of the
Last Survivor of the Deluge, and an OK.
ceedingly fine photograph Of Powers's
Geneva, which are hung in it's halls. Go.
nevra 10 . beautiful bust; very, very beauti.
ful, of that fauitless Grecisn style which
pleAses every body 80 well; emphasically
Greek nature, not human for the artists and
the poets love to present pictures Of suct
women; but tho Lord never makes suoh, --at
least no specimens Of Thorn ever passed IN
der my eye. The large painting have not
room or time TO describe.
| should have added, too, very 6ne pic.
ture OF Gov. Chase. In his Counterfeit pre-.
sentiment ! am quite disappointed
thought he must be thin, firm. featured,
spiritual looking man. But his faos 10 full
and flushed, and looks ~ though he ough
to have, to match, "fair round belly, with
1 rond canor i;rad - and c~a..u~ T.. -.