St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1861-01-03

coming more ihduoiio "S """ SS
ical than heretofore; and, strange as
it may seem, the hard times are like
" to become the greatest blessing with
which we were ever cursed. Three and
four years ago the man who had a
hundred dollars. or could get trusted
that amount, bought fine forty" or
eighty" or corner lot or two in
some famous paper torn, on the rise III
value of which he expected to make
an independent fortune! Speculation
was the only business worthy the at
tention of any man with reasonable
share of brains. Old men looked wise
and drove sharp bargains, young men
smoked their cigars and spent their
time in lounging around hotels, spor-
ted pondcrous chains made to initiate
gold, and paid their board bills out OF
the avails of the merit lucky specula-
ton.
Times are changed.--the phantom
is gone. The next lucky speculation
is not likely soon to be realized. Lille
and its stern duties, as we'll as credit
or's dues, stare them in the face.
Work or starvc," is the motto of the
present necessity. Now he who has a
:" fne forty,7 or 4" eighty" is improving
it, and he who has corner lot" has
given up all hope of immediate rich
cs from it's sale. They, who three or
four years since were consumers, arc
now producers, adding to the material
and substantial wealth Of the country
Now, instead of believing in luck and
despising labor, our young men are
learning that it is the hand Of the
diligcnt that makcth rich"
ENcoURAGEMENrs.
Notwithstanding the want of the
many comforts incidental to a new
country and the great distance from
markets, there is much to encourage the
settler to hope and to labor on. II
has been often said that we "live in ar
age Of improvement" and permit me
to say that such improvement consists
largely in the invention and man
ufacturing of labor-saving implement
and machines. Less than u ccntur.
since, the best plow was bunglingI.
made of wood and pointed with I
small piece Of iron or steel. Now VT
have steel plows, light and strong
convenient in size, and handy for use
Horses and cattle were the only means
used to drive the plow. Now WI
learn that steam, that power which
has completely revolutionizcd mechan
les, has been applied to agriculture
and that the steam pillow is a complct
success! At the State Fair of lllinoi
last year an acre of ground was pillow
cd in eleven minutes. This power ne'
er tires. What it can perform in on
term of eleven minutes, it can contil
lie to perform, all things being cqua
as often as that number of minute
recurs. Our Iowa prairies are as VIC
: adapted to blowing by steam as tho'
Of our sister state. Formerly all plan
1a,,1 W
- ,y7anter comes into use, onabirr
one to perform the labor of man.
Down to within the recollection
many of us the good old way
rcaping with sickle was in us
Now tine "reaper is in universal US
esthc last Improvement of which is
combined reaper, raker and bindc
Our grass used to be cut with scyth
now the "mower" performs that dut
From time immemorial onr anccsto
shclled corn by hand and thresh
with fail, or trod out their gra
with oxen. Now corn shelters a
universal, and thrcshing machine!
not only thresh but winnow grain re
DIV for market. The old fashioned wi
of milking by hand is even now
general use, but the recent invcnti
of the milking machine will
doubt soon correct that practice.
short time since, and "stitch, stit'
STITCH" were the words of the sol
and "stitch, stitch, stitch" was I
practice and portion Of the fair won
of our land. Now the Sewing n
chine" can be procured for SO rcaso
bic price as to be brought with
the reach of all, and will do all t
stitching" needed in the fami
We have heretofore been COMPEL
to send to Southern market for tho
healthful luxuries, sugar and molasss
but the successful cxperjmcntscf'tl
last few years, Notwithstanding Il
late and eaA1 frosts, demonstrate Il
fact that v Pill soon supply our ov
demands, cially of molasses.
indeed wcyy9 not able to furnish
surplus for export.
Years ago in sporting circles "2:4(
was esteemed the perfection of spec
now Flora Temple and Geo. NJ. Pate
en- skim the turf at the rate of %
showing that our blooded horses ha
not dctcriorated in nerve and muscl
Our fathers travelled by means of stas
coaches, now we use the steam ca
and soon the iron horse will con
rushing up the Cedar Valley bringiI
a market to our doors. We now ira
ell safely only on land and wat'
Prof. Lowe proposes soon toscstabli
H. -. -, ..oc that ,,,i III pufvt,