Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1864-09-09
A TRIP To FORT DODGE.

Falls between four and five in the morning,
where we stopped about an hour and had a
good breakfast, Iowa Falls is sure to be
thriving town at no very distant day. It is
pleasantly located in beautiful grove on the
banks Of the Iowa River, and is surrounded
by rich farming country, which is being
rapidly settled up. That the people of this
town are of the better and more intelligent
class is evinced in the excellent taste dis.
played in buildings and arrangement of
grounds. We know Of no town in Iowa of
its size that can boast of so many really fine
residences as arc to be found in this little
place of few bundled inhabitants. Many
OF them are costly, and all give proof of
refined and cultivated tas,c. The next town
on our line Of travel was Alden, eight miles
west Of Iowa Falls. Alden is little hamlet
that some folks once thought gave promise of
future greatness. But the seed time has past,
the harvest has come, q, I'd Alden amounts to
about as much as our potato patch did when
the bugs deserted it. From Alden to Web.
ster City, about thirty miles, it is one broad,
unbroken expanse of prairie, with the cxccp.
ton of one little grove, that goes by the GU,
phonious title Of Skunk Grove,--and We
were inclined to believe that there was more
truth than poetry in the maine, for just be.
fore We reached the stage house there locat.
ed, the inmates had killed skunk in the
cellar, and the odiferous perfume of the mar.
tyred sponsor of the grove filled the house
from cellar to garret From this place to
Webster City there is not a settler. Thi,
latter place is the County seat of Hamilton
county, and has a population Of about five
hundred souls. Its prospects for becoming
thriving city are not the most fattcrny,
yet 1t has chance to become Place of some
local Importance. Ii has large, fine looking
brick school hous., which would be a credit
to much rorc rretcntous town, and which
led us to form favorable opinion of the good
sense and enlightened lbcrality of the citi-
zsns. We here made the acquaintance Of
Mr.. Ballou, the editor of the Hamilton Co.
Freeman. Mr.. B. is an energetic, wide
awake young man, and gets up an excellent
local paper, which the people of the county
should support most literally if they would
subscrvc their own interests. After getting
an excellent dinner at the W illson House, we
started for Fort Dodge, about twenty tive
miles distant. Between these two latte,
places there is but one house,-a poor one n,
that and which reminded us of disman
tied ship at sea. The broad, smooth bosom
of the virgin prairie, with the tall grass IN
dulating with regular sweeps before the
breeze, was to our mind a fitting representa-
tive OF mighty inland sea, and we could
compare it to nothing else. But let no one
Tor moment suppose that because these
broad prairics are uninhabited they afe
worthless. On the other hand, there is none
of its vast area waste land it is of a rich
and fertile soil, which, if but cultivated, would
feed the world. The great drawback is the
lack of timber and water, but when railroads
shall have penetrated these vast domains, the
difficulty Of obtaining the former will be in n
great measure obviated, while the latter will
have to be supplied by artificial means
Northwestern Iowa contains a much larger
population than one travelling over the stage
road would naturally suppose The settle.
ments are mainly on the streams, while the
stage route avoids these, striking out across
the prairies. In travelling to Fort Dodge I,
is seldom that the traveller cannot catch a
glimpse Of timber miles off, either to the
right or left, and if he should visit these
groves would find thrifty farms in abun
dance.
We reached Fort Dodge about six o'clock
in the evening, tired, hungry dirty, having
staged it for twenty four hours, without any
In,crmission other than that necessary in get.
tihg our meals and changing horses. After
supper at the Sc. Charles, we went over to
the Republican Office and made the acauaint.
ance of its talented editor, b. +. Cue. Mr..
Gde is one of the prominent men of the
State, having represented Scott county for
several ycars in the Legislature, and during
the last session was in the Senate--and it
was universally conce led that he was among
the foremost in that body. En- appearance
nc is plain and unprctendlng, bht he posses
ses the clear, vigorous brain, and solid, ster.
ling worth which are too often found want.
ing in many Of our public men. Mr.. Melen.
dy and the writer were dolniciled in Mr..
Cues house during their stay IN Fort Dodge,
| and TO him and his esiimablc lady would
| return their heartfelt thanks for the generous
hospitality shown them.
Fort Dodge is bound to be tie town be.
tween the Cedar River and the Missouri -
On account Of its now isolated position i,
does not assume that prominence as a bust.
Eess point which its natural advantages en-
title it TO- in its large beds of coal and gyp.
sum alone, it has an element of wealth suffi.
cient to build up first class inland city, and
then the situation Of the town is such AS TO
draw the trade Of large scope of fertile
country. What Fort Dodge most wants and
must have to develop its resources is rail.
road. II has fine natural advantages, and
when il once secures cheap and speedy
means Of transit to and from the outside
world, then win Fort Dodge become bust.
ness center second to few in the interior Of
the State
On Wednesday, the slst ult., the Convcn.
ton asserntled. or the doings Of that body
we need not speak particularly, as the official
minutes are published in another column
Though the representation was very fair. the
attendance was not as large as at the Con.
vention held at Webster City two years ago.
Ihe manner in which Judge Hubbard was