Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-08-06

EDN M0RuG GAuMST8

"a Reliable CoRREsPoHDHKT."-
the Wellington. Canada. Atyewry. Of July 2s.h
ws 6nd . rather amusing eorrespondencs, sx-
tracts from which ws think will do 70 copy:
It may not Be smiss to state that ''vesuvius.'
while tarrying 10 our city made bis hssd.
qusrtsrs at the great depot for '.iats and rsli-
able nsvs"-Harrisons Land Office. A speei.-
men brick - E*
The most important place On the Mississippi b.
tween st. Paul and II. Lonis is Rock Island-and
the twin cities Of Davenport and kock Island city,
which lie on either side Of the river facing esch
other. At this point 10 thrown across the only
bridge which spans tho navigable portion Of the
river. Rock Island has an area Of some thirty or
forty acres. stands high and clear from the water
and 10 great msss of limestoDe ssmewhas scanti.
y covered with trees 1t the upper end.
We should not object to inv estiug in real e..
tate provided We could iLduce the holders 10
sell Us by "Vesuviu.' ms.surmsot. Rock Is-
land 10 soms three miles long by half mile in
breadth, and contains nine hundred acres
Again:
Il is . government reserve and consequently
there ~ but few baildisgs thereon. Dhspidated
portions Of an old Fort and Block House still re-
main wherein Major Davenport was 50 brutaly
mardered by tho great ndian chief Black Hawk
Shades Of the poor Indian. Hunted like .
wild animal while living. he is followed. to bis
grave by those ignorant Of The most importsnt
incidents Of history, and the acts Of bis life
falsi6ed in cruel, unfseling manner. Bla ck
Hswk had mouldersd many years 10 his grave
when Col Davenport vas murdered b. band
Of dsspsrsdoes. bent on piunder.
But it has been left for "Vesuvius" to make
discovery which sur oldest inhsbitsn,s
never dreamed of-vix: that ws have man.
moth cave near us. Hear him:
On the western side Of tho Island there is hole
io the limestone rock about the size of an ordinary
doorway-sAid to enter into cavern OF great d.
msnsions, ~ yet but partly ex lsred. Il 10 ca led
"Back Hawks Cave" and is said to have been for
. long time used by him as q stronghold and place
Of retreat during reverses Of fortune.
We reocllsct once Of attempting to explore
this "esvsrn Of great dimensions" when The
river was quite low. We went 10 some eight
or ten feet and ran against stone wall, which
had probably been placed there by Back
Hawk to prevent . surprise. An old resident
however, told US that the cave extended no
further. He was probably mi.tsken. After
giving glowing description of the river. the
bridge and other important objects. Vesuvi
as" goes on to tell our Canadian neighbors
what nice thrifty towns We have out this way
What jolly piece Of news the folio wing ex-
tract will be to our friends across the tig creek:
The city Of Rock Island, on the Illinois bank is
about thirty five years old and has 10000 inhabi-
tsn,s. 1t is situated on a low track Of ground,
great portion Of which formerly flooded by
the river every spring and fall. which consequent
ly made it very sickly and aguisn but now hy
is confined TO the other channels, which has i'm
proved tho ea0itary condition Of the place. 1t
has q quiet. we'll built, staid respectab blish air
about it, eaty contrasting with its busting twin
on the opposite bank.
Have to build an smbankment, eh, to keep
tte water from drowning you out. Well. we
shall be little more careful in future how we
venture on the other side during high water.
Eoginssrs place Rock Island some twenty feet
above high water mark. They must have
made . wrong calculation, and now q few
words of Davenport:
Davenport, on the west shore, is bot twelve
years old and has already within its own proper
limits Ii, QUO Inhabitants, beside some 6 QUO mora
in suburbs almost connecting, but differently in
corpo.ated Its site is very snperior-well above
the river level from tho very eage-it rises more
or less sleepy 1t recedes the1efrom till it At
tsns the level Of the table about three qu arsers
of mile from the water, at an elevation VI about
two hundred and fifty feet fine and costly villas
crown the summit. and the land in thoir neigh
borhood 10 held at bulous figures.
The view Of the river valley from the sum nit is
truly magnli'ent. 1t is fully equal to that from
the Citadel OF Quebec. or from the Heights 1t
Queenstown. The river south
wards down tho stream is exceedingly lovely and
forciby calls to recollection these beautiful
sketches Of scenery On the Rhine v hich our mod
| ern artiet. SO love to depict. 1t needs but the
rocky cliff and old ruined castle to be fac-sim-
lie Of Heidelberg.
Numerous RATS float down rapidly passing the
city. the raftsmsn locking like busy colony Of
nautical ants as they, with song, work heir long
and rude oars. In the immediate foreground
crowds tho busy scene of Davenport city-streets
crawling with ie-roofs and spires glisteniny
With refect.ons-domes beaming with brilliant
rays AS the fervid sun shines broadly down. Ferry
steamers crossing and re-cro'sing every ten min
utes, whist here there and every where, feathery
| steam jets, rising amongst mingled building and
tol age bespeak the busy presence Of thrifty in
dustry.
The city. considering its slender years" 10 csr-
tainly marvsl-stssets we'll graded and macsd-
Vs kosOUS N AooVIu8 poIV1s 0IVeWoIkS,
lsggsd or boarded, al ia cssck order piles Of
stately commercial blocks four and Eve stories in
heght-an immense extent Of heavy stone paved
lsvse skirting the river every feature hstokens
rare course Of property. The streets sre lighted
With gas and the lamp: continue quite to the out
skirts Of the town. The Hotels are numerous and
some of them very stately. The finest building
in the place 10 the ''State Bank Of Iowa" built Of
clear limestone and somewhat approaching in text
u,e 70 marble, and highly aad tastsful'y ornament
"Vesuvius" was no doubt veil stayed with
while in Davenport. and he givss 10 very
haadsems setting up. Inspeaking Of our pop.
ulstiou hs ssys:
The population has preponderating element Of
the Gers an race, who carry With them, along
with their love of lager, sourkro1t and Bolognas,
their tree and easy habits Of Sunday afternoon
diversion At the "Dutch Gardens" as they call
one place Of amusement, ssv on Sunday sftsr-
neon several hundred people swigging lager On
benches under the trees whilst listening 20 the
strains Of anne band peri forming operatio selce-
tioas. All ages and sexes we're there. Six or
attendant imps Of boys ran fyantically hith-
Or and thither with handfuls of lager muxe.
Three sweating bar tenders banded liquor over
the COULTER and scraped the dimes into The draw
or. Hans and Mynheer, Frau and Frauleen, were
all holiday making and taking lager. Towards
evening the performance was to wiLd mp for the
day with dance and then to Open again in III q