The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1861-06-18
Editorial Correspondence.
DURr:s House., DAVENPORT, Iowa,l
June 9th, 1861.
DEAR GUARDIAN
DEAR GUARDIAN

Leaving Independence
at six O'Clock on the morning Of the Sd.
riding slowly and tediously along on the
freight train, we reached Dubuque in
something more than sepen hours. For a
person OF an active temperament, on bus
mess requiring despatch, railroad riding
at 10 miles an hour has but few attrac-
tons. However, having no power to
whip up, or urge forward, the iron horse
to a higher rate of speed, we had to tol-
crate 1t, keeping our patience as best we
could. This we did IN part by watch
ing from the door of the +" caboose," the
varied beauties of the prairie landscape,
now so rich in yernal luxuriance, embel-
lished with its wealth OF flowers of beau
tlul form and brightness Of color. Of
ten, as we passed along, fields of wheat
and of oats, broad in extent, and of rank
vegetation, with numberess acres Of
corn, ust making itself visible along the
length of the extended rows, challenged
10 satisfaction our sense of the practical,
giving, as they did, great promise of
abundant harvests. No one can fail to
remark the constant improvement taking
place throughout the whole extent OF
country from independence to Dubuque.
Every year marks the opening of thou
sands OF acres of prairie to cultivation,
their enclosure, and the erection Of homes
of more or less primiliyeness for those
who cultivate the fields thus opened.
70 the man of practical mind, the log
house, or even mud hut, with its little
garden spot surrounded by a turf EN-.
bankment or brush fence, to keep from
the enclosure the solitary COW and the
yoke of oxen latlening on the nutritious
grasses growing to their very sides on
the prairie on which they roam at lber
ty, not only does not mar but adds great.
ly to the attractions of the landscape
For experience here in the west has
shown that rapidly from such begin.
nings grow the great farms, the large
herds, the immense barns and the com.
Portable farm houses of older settlements.
There is wealth beneath the prairie sod,
and the practical man halls with salts
faction ever the limited beginnings of an
attempt to dig it up. And thus, while
many of the evidences Of Improvement of
which we spake are small now in the
time of their inception, yet when looked
at in the light of the sure result which
We know is to follow, are not the less
gratifying.
At Dyersville. where we met the west
ward bound mail train, and where, by the
way, we saw very large number of far
mers with wheat, and heard much ex-
preston of satisfaction at the amount Of
business doing, bad an opportunity Of
a word with Mr.. STUNNING, one of the
new route agents on the Dubuque IL
Sioux City Railroad. lie has had a short
leave of absence from his regiment, the
lst Iowa, now at Keokuk, but had re-
ceived orders to join it Immediately, as
1t was expected 10 move down the river
to Cairo the present week. Mr.. STIM-
MING says il is generally understood at
the camp that some 80 regiments were
to be immediately concentrated at Cairo.
and then move down the river TO Mem
phis. strong position strategically, and
beautiful, healthy point at which to
summer the troops. We find the i'm
preston OF this movement generally OBJ
tanning. Mr.. MINrURN, of Dubuque,
will act as deputy route agent for Mr.
STUNNING, during the period of the lat
ter's service in the army
Arriving in sight cf Dubuque, the
flags ayirg at halt mast on the boats and
over the buildings told us too surely of
the death Of Senator DoUGLAs. The re-
gret at his decease at this time is uni
versal. Coming SO promptly and cor
daily 10 the assistance of the govern