Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-11-06

A GLANCE AT MUscArINE (oR BLOOMING
ToN) IN 1s44.-The Home Missionary for
July, 1874, published the following letter
from newly arrived emigrant to our town,
who has ever since made it his residence.
We are sailing up the Great River, Illinois
on the right and Iowa on the lett. Twelve
miles before we reach the landing" we can
see (across large prairie like island, twenty
miles long, seven or eight wide, formed, as if
iE wantonneSs, by branch of the Mississip-
pi,) few dwellings, and stores, apparently
thrown in among the hills on the margin Of
the river. As we approach, we pass between
a small island on the left, all covered with
dwarfish trees and under brush, and another
island on the Iigh', four or five miles long
and one mile wide, more heavily timbered.-
These islands are both flooded when the riv
er is very high. As the boat, putting and
blowing, nears the landing. notice, first of all,
large brick building, a ht,le out Of the town,
high up from the river. 1t is the Muscatine
county Court House. 1t has cupola upon,
it, and pillars in front, and is an ornament to
the place. You look in vain, however, for
the least sign of a church; and the bell of
tie boat, which reminds you that her stay
is short, sounds ten-fold more like your
Church going" bell at home, than any you
will hear for years to come, if you tarry this
side of the Father of Waters" There are
those here, whose eyes have filled with tears
at the sound of an unusually large bell, on
new boat recently in the trade" But the
boat has left you on the ''bottom," and des-
pite the 'Iowa House." with its bar-room in
its cellar, you pass through mud or dust,
over very gradual ascent, till after few
rods, enough however for two streets piral-
lei with the river you are at the base OF
hill or bluff, rising almost perpendicularly
sixty or seventy feet, 130 above the level of
the river) There is no way to escape the
toll of ascending. On the way up, you pass
here and there the stump of some old forest
tree. When at the top OF the bluff, Bloom
iagton is beneath you. Upon the two streets
parallel to the river, and two or three others
ernesng them at right angles. are dwellings
az stores of every shape and size. few
decent Brick buildings tive stories high, now
and then log cabin remaining, frame build
ings, standing, some side-wise, some corner
wise and some broadside to the street-each
man having consulted his own taste Cor rather
his purse) as to size and shape, color and
material. Here is the business of the town,
and thousands of bushels of wheat and pounds
of pork are exchanged for goods Of all kinds.
During some seasons of the year, the atmos-
phere is strongly impregnated with the smell
of lard. On the sides and top Of the bluff
are also dwelling houses. The view of twelve
miles distance down the river and few
miles up, amply compensates the toll of
elm bling the hill.
Bloomington possesses advantages on &C
count of its position, commanding, in conse-
quence of bend in the river, large inland
country. This makes it one of the best stu
atoms on the upper Mississippi. Otherwise
you would wonder that town should be
planted on such rough spot. With the ex-
ception of the level place called the bottom,
the whole town is crossed, at an angle of
about 45o, by deep ''ravines." Some of them
contain water, others are dry. These are Of
ten thirty feet CT more in depth, and too
steep to venture down on horse back. They
are now, (May 1st covered with grass and
flowers, trunks and stumps of old trees, &c.
Some of these stumps are three or four feet
high. The trees, from what l regard as a
great want of taste. are almost all cleared
away. and it is not until you pass without
the town limits, that you find the timber"
Stil StduUlIlS. IucIc OCiiiE ho ohoOA ~ uSHS
the green grass grows luxuriently among burr
oak and hickory"
Old residents will recognize the truthful
ness of this picture; but those who now be-
hold for the first time our we'll built and
prosperous city, can scarcely believe it had
so unpromising beginning. Those deep
ravines have been nearly all filed up and
those rugged hill-tops Ieveled with the sur
rounding landscape. Still Muscatine shows
a rough site, and much yet remains to be
done to /" finish" it. When our streets shall
have been macadamized, but few cities in
the west will present more substantial and
business-like appearance.
~ The vote in Drury Township, Rock
Island county, Illinois, Opposite this city,
on Tuesday last, was "a for the Union ticket,
and SO for the Democratic and Conserva-
tive,"-a majority of Al for the Union. Pref
ty good for township which formerly went
Democratic. The officers voted for were
County Treasurer, School Commissioner and
and Surveyor.
~ Capt. F. w. Fanner, Of whose recent
exploits as bogus recruiting officer at Dav-
export we have already published an account,
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