The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1861-08-06
Excursion to Cedar Falls.

OH board, and the cars, 13 In number
we're crowded. Taking advantage of {
generous invitation from the Superinten
dent Of the road, we concluded to jor
the Company, and make our first visit t
the Valley of the Cedar. Some dozer
or more of our citizens also went, though
many were deferred by the dread of hea
and dust The train was somewhat be
hind its time, and did not leave here un
til about half past eleven o'clock. eros
sing the Wapsi and passing rapidly west
ward, we soon reached Jesup, situated
on the open prairie, its few houses and
stores unsheltered by tree. There wa.
a good air sweeping over the prairie
and the cars were by no means dusty
and though the crowd was SO great, We
were not, as long as the cars were in mo
ton, sensible Of any great degree of DIS
comfort. The great prairie, bounding
the vision in nearly every direction, with
its long grass waving in the wind, its
bills rising one beyond the other, like
great rolling pillows, charmed the eye
and gratified the sense. As we approach
ed the Cedar timber, and came within
the valley Of that river, the country be-
came more lhickly inlerspersed with
farm houses and cultivated fields. The
crops Of oats and wheat seemed rather
short and thin in many places, showing
that the light loan OF that locality had
been unable 10 Withstand the dry wealth
er of the past month. AS we neared
Waterloo, the land became more flat and
level, and exhibited beauty and rich.
ness we never yet saw surpassed Fine,
thriving farms, with rich fields OF corn,
and crops of rpened grain, showed them
selves around us in every direction. Wa
tcroo soon doomed up, covering con-
siderable extent of surface, and with It's
large Court House and churches pre-.
scnting very fine appearance. We
passed At too great a distance from it,,
however, to gain any proper appreciation
OF lis attractions. At half past one we
reached Cedar Falls, where the great
concourse uncoiled itself from the cars
into an atmosphere Of 100 degrees Fab.
renheit and followed the Cedar Falls
Brass Band, with the sun shining down
upon them with torrid power, over the
two bridges spanning the river and the
mill race, TO grove at the upper end Of
the town, where facilities for eating the
provisions brought were found.
We had 50 little time to look around
'he village, and the intense heat was SO
litde calculated to invite motion, that we
must refrain from speaking particularly
of Cedar Falls. lis location did not
seem 10 us to be attractive, but its fine
water power, great Touring mills, saw
mill, and many business houses, showed
a gratifying degree of prosperity ard
business energy, and gave evidence Of
those substantial advantages which must
make the town one Of considerable i'm
portance in the failure The two four
story stone Touring mills Of Messrs.
Brown and OvERMAN were as fine mills
as we have seen in the State, and with
the never failing power of the Cedar,
must have capacity 20 -four vast
SAount Of grain. In the second story OF
OvERMAN' S saw mill, we found our friend
KILLER experimenting large amount
improved machinery for turning out fur
nilure. Messrs. Ely & Co. employ some
dozen hands generally in furniture man
uiacture, and their warerooms, in the
second story OF our friend PLuMMER's
building, shows very large assortment
Of manufactured work, very nicely fin
lshed. PLuMMER has an excellent new
drug store, well filled with goods, and is
doing gratifying business. We found
him knocking around among customers,
but none too busy TO give cordial well
come TO all his Independence friends.
Messrs. STEAD q DrEHL, We believe,
have sold out their sash manufacturing
but are still at work in the
business. We had no time 10 call on
them.
We paid "A flying visit to the Gazette
office, which is located in OvERMAN's
fne three story brick block. We found
the senior editor gone, but the Junior
around TO give word of welcome to his
quilts. Accompanying him and
Mr. MELENDY, the energetic president Of
the Horticultural Society. we went to
visit The Horticultural Rooms, where we
found some interesting old time relies
This Society has also the nucleus Of
Tine library. and is doing much, rs we'll
Tor the literary character Of the town, as