Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1861-08-16
EDITORIAL coRREsFo NDENCE.
SUMMIT. SC0HARIE Co. \. I.
August Sth. 1861.

porarily fixed, however, at this place, so that
have little leisure which I gladly improve
in telling YOU how l find matters and things
down here and in that part Of the country thro'
which have travelled
Leaving home, as said before, some three
weeks since, and having an eye to pleasure, l,
of course, came by the Detroit and Milwaukee
Railway, as far as Detroit, preferring that
route at this seas of the year to any other
The advantages it possesses over other roads,
or in ether words the inducements it offers for
persons to travel by it are that the distance is
shorter, the time quicker and if am not mis-
taken, the fare less than By any other route to
the East The ride across the Lake from Mil
waukee to Grand Haven (some ninety miles,
is accomplished in about six hours, and is real
" one of the pIeasantest trips q person can
take l forget which one of the steamers I came
over in, but it is immaterial, for both Of them
the Detroit and -Hi5lraufee-are by far the most
elegant ones that float upon the Western
tiers, butt after the fashion Of the Collins line
of Ocean Steamships, and only differing from
them in size, being somewhat smaller. They
upon the bosom Of Lake Michigan in the rough
est weather with he utmost ease and comfort
for passengers, the sea hardly ever being une-
ven enough to disturb their equanimity, Be-
sides this they are fitted up in an almost gor-
geous style, with all the appointments Of a first
class steamer, and oficered by intelligent and
accommodating gentlemen, which. with the adj
? -,
we'd constitute for them no small claim upon
the travelling public for its patronage. But I
did not intend to be led of into an elaborate
puff of this or any other Railway Company
and so, with this depression, will pass on to the
consideration Of other matters.
Arriving at Suspension Bridge in the after
noon, we had favorable opportunity for be-
holding that mammoth Wo-k and the Falls of
Niagara. need not, however, stop to say any
thing about them. Their praises have so often
been sung, and the story of their grandeur and
magnihcence has so many times been told, as
to leave nothing for SO feeble pen as mine
to dwell upon. We remained there long
enough to change cars when we were off for the
East by the New York Central Road. driving
along at the rate of twenty-five to thirty miles
per hour and arriving in Utica at midnight
Here we concluded to stop and the next morn
ing went out in the country some four or FIVE
miles to visit some friends. We remained in
that vicinity a few days looking about and ia
king notes Of what was to be seen. We found
all kind Of crops far behind Wisconsin in their
appearance. When we left there ten days ago
bot farmer in ten had finished haying, while
En&ny had but just commenced. Winter wheat
and Rye, Of which considerable quantities are
raised, with rare exceptions had not been
touched. The times there are decidedly hard
Prices of all kinds CT produce are low, while for
daires of Butter and Cheese, which are an i'm
portant item in the resources of that county,
there is no market at all except at nominal
prices. Ten cents for the former and five cents
for the latter is about the current rate for them
in small quantities Whole dairies cannot be
contracted even at figures as low as these
Oneida county, besides suffering in this re-
spect, is also much affected in its manufactu-
ring interests. Within radius of dozen
miles surrounding Utica, there are as many
and WOODEN factories, which give employment
in ordinary times to a large number of persons.
But now they are all exceedingly dull, except
ing the wooden mills which are engaged night
and day in making army goods, and at the
same time are coming money The cotton fac
tories are less active. Some of them are en-
tirely idle, while others are working a reduced
force and only ON half time
This county, following more closely agricuI-
tural pursuits, does not suffer as much as To-
calties like Oneida where their interests are of
more diversified character. But great CON-
plants are made here of the scarcity of money
and the gloominess of the prospect ahead
They are sroaning terribly at the low prices
now paid for att kinds of pI oduce, and the abso-
Lutte certainty staring them in the face that they
are not soon to be any better. Then, again,
taxes must necessarily be high for some time
TO come, and that fact has a depressing infiu-
ence also. But crops of every description.
with the exception of Corn, are looking well.
and l see no reason why farmers here should
De Ill at ease" For few years past they
have been largely engaged in the culture of
Hops and the business has been found bigbly
remunerative. Indeed, as the prices have av-
eraged, no other crop could have been raised
to so good an advantage. A friend of mine in
the town Of Sharon assured me the other dav
that he realized last year s., 900, from the prod
uct OF i've acres ofland. He might have done
even better than that for he sold 1T 25 cents q
pound. whereas the price soon after went mn to
80 cents. But he was perfectly satisfied az
we'll he might be, at the amount he actually
received. The crop this year will not be- :,
large as it was then. Still at the Il ures now
offered by contractors, twenty cents, there is
little, if any business going that pays better
than raising Hops
am sorry to find in this strong Democratic
county, and among my Democratic friends a
feeling Of hostility to the War now going on for
che union. I had heard before / left home
thar there were some Tories here. but I was
disappointed and mortified at finding so mauy.
What struck me with amazement. also. was the
fact that they were all Democrats. l do not
mean to say that all the Democrats are Tories
but that all the Tories are Democrats, for there
are many honorable exceptions in the party
who are not so blinded with partizan luminosity
as to oppese the War, as the Tories do, because
it happens to be prosecuted under the admins
alton of President elected as Republican.