The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1862-07-09
NIcGrcxor ~ seen BY Dubuque Eyes.

D. A. Mahony, editor Of the Dubuque
Herald, who recently spent day or two
looking about this busy metropolis Of
Northern Iowa, on his return writes the
following tip top article descriptive Of the
place, its people, its advantages, etc:
No one who has not gone out into the
country and taken notice Of what is trans
spirisg in the large region eastward and
Northward Of this city, within distance
Of q hundred miles or more, can have any
idea Of how the interests Of Dubuque are
affected injuriously, or rather totally neg
lected by the want Of business energy and
enterprise in the merchants Of this city
During a recent few days relaxation from
the cares and trials of editorial duties, we
made it point to visit the far. famed town,
or more properly speaking, city Of
McGREGoR.
We had heard marvellous stories OF its
growth, and business prosperity; so mar
yelous indeed as to impress us rather with
incredulity than belief. On our way up the
river, designing to reach st. Paul, we met
gentleman from Fillmore county, Minneso-
ia, who corroboratcd all that we had ever
heard respecting the amount of business
done at McGrcgor, and so interested did we
become in what he said, and what we had
heard respecting this commercial entrepot,
that we determined to forego the pleasure
We had anticipated Of visit to St. Paul,
and crafty ourselves and be the means per-
haps Of gratifying others, by visit to Nc.
Oregon.
We reached the place on Saturday after
noon, and although there was not much Of
the stir and hustle which we had heard Of,
Saturday being the dullest day Of the week,
except the Sabbath day itself, we were new.
ertheless convinced that much, if not all of
what had been told us respecting the amount
Of business done ut this famous little place,
vas the truth. The fact that most of the
houses in the town are business houses Of
one sort or another, was itself strong proof
corroborative Of what we had heard, but we
determined to have more proof Of it than
this, and so stage over until Tuesday morn
ing, so as to have ocular demonstration Of
some of the marvellous tales We had heard
Of the number of teams, said to number
some days as many as seven hundred,
which are to be found in McGregor in q
single day. On Sunday evening the teams
loaded with wheat principally, commenced
rolling in through the long and almost only
street of the city. The line Of teams became
almost continuous through the day and
probably through the night of Monday, and
on Tuesday, by 10 o'clock q. m., there was
perfect jam Of grain loaded teams at the
warehouses along the river above the town,
and as far as the eye could reach along the
Main street one line of laden wagons could
be seen turned towards the warehouses,
while as long line was turned homewards
on the opposite side, most of them laden,
or partly SO, with goods, lumber, etc, pur.
chased at McGregor. A gentleman, a stran-
ger like ourself, who accompanied us to the
neighborhood of the grain warehouses,
spoke in Norwegian to one of the tcamsters,
enquiring how far he had come with his
load Of grain. The answer was, hundred
and fifty miles. We enquired farther, and
were told that it is common thing for far.
mers two hundred and more miles distant
westward and northwestward, to haul their
wheat in wagons toMcGregor. This being
the case, it is easy enough to conceive that
q vast amount of business must be done al
this thriving place. And now, why is i,
so? There arc several reasons for it. In
| kuc HISI place MCOTeSOT IS III INdIIIOiu COIIl
munication with Milwaukee and Chicago
the breadth of the Mississippi river being
the only exception and thu only difficulty
to be overcome. In the second place, there
is vet no railroad extending westward oil
McGrcgor. In the third place, and probab
ly the most important and influencing rea.
son Of the three, it is believed by farmers
that better price is paid for wheat at Nc.
Gregor than at most other places Of equal
facilities of access on the river. Then
again, it is said that lumber can be pur
chased at McGregor cheaper than at Du
buquc. Now, whether this be so or not, i
is believed by farmers to be so, and conse
quently an immense lumber trade has
sprung up at McGregor.
Indeed We became convinced that farmers
who reside many miles nearer Dubuque
than to McGregor, in Clayton, Delaware
Buchanan, and even in Dubuque county
haul their grain to McGregor, aud of course
make their purchases there also. The en-
terprising merchants and business men O.
McGregor deserve all the business nd pros
perity they have acquired, and more too
We heartily commend them for the energy
they have displayed and the exertions the,
have made to secure the immense and prof
tia BILE trade which makes their town mar
vel to every one, and the envy Of much lar
ger communities.