Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-02-19
lCOrrespondsncs of the Muscatins Daily Journal
From Wilmington to DublsG ue

!, - 4u0e 8gRf tNt'7 L-a eLaa. rie1; ruf
sl,isr ss Won sse DuBuQus, Feb. 8, 1861
A telegram Of no importance whatever I
the public, but of considerable interest to tn
subscriber, induced me to evacuate the ma
tional capital, the other day, and make m,
way toward this glorious State. Accordingly
on Wednesday last at twenty minutes past :
O'Clock, Pm, precisely. bads o fond adler
to all the members. Of my numerous family
and, luggage in hand, started for the depot
"And here am!' 5a.lt vlfihs1s as
A rapid journey from Washington to low,
has not much in it which can be profitablJ
told. At Washington, one takes ones seat ir
what the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad company
Call q passenger coach, but which We western
people would call cattle car In about two
hours he reaches Baltimore, where he discov,
ers that his omnibus ticket, paid for at Wash
ington, isn't worth continental. A little
superfuous profanity and another quarter is
the consequence Of that ma cuver, not count.
! ing q detention Of about three hours at the
Monumental City at all, for that can be i'm.
proved by the acquisition of little useful
knowledge. l learned, for instance, that tie
keeper of quite ordinary restaurant oppo.
site the Northern Central Depot had taken in
twenty-five thousand dollars during the past
six months. He had a very genteel mulat,o,
and, two very pretty girls to wait on the
tables, and / took few biyalves, and am free
to confess liked the girls better than the
oysters. 1t is astonishing how calico rises so
soon after one leaves home-a fact which l
have frequently remarked but have never
been able to explain, and beg leave respect
fully to refer the whole subject to our Legis.
lature, the members from Polk exclusive.
Tho Northern Central Railroad used to be a
miserable affair, bat it is now greatly i'm.
proved, and may be fairly set down as "a
success" The Pennsylvania Central is one
of the great institutions of the country. 1t
landed US at Altoona on time, of course,
where everybody took y tip top breakfast
Then off we go for smoky, ironish, coalish,
noisy, busy Pittsburgh, where the forges are
never still, the fires never put out, where
most OF the men are glorious s'red-necked
abolitionists," and the women wear colored
hose. 1t is great town, finely located. =
The neighboring hills are very much like
mountains, two beautiful streams form the
River of Beauty right here, and the hand of
man places in the midst Of this gorgeous
handiwork Of God that good and sinful, hap
py and miserable thing, great city. But
just as was getting into train Of reflection
thus commencing and which might soon
have carried me into as many reveries as TX
Marvel ever had, the train of cars stopped,
and [ followed suit. Stepping off, the first
man saw was Hon. Hiram Price, your able
representative in Congress. We had been on
the same trains from Baltimore without
knowing it. Mr.. Price was on his way to
Iowa City, to attend the meeting of the di.
rectors of our State Bank. The only incident
of note during the rest of the journey was
the taking fire of one of the cars on the train.
Your correspondent had the honor of prevent
ing panic simply by the exercise of little
we all been copperheads, don't you see, we
legs or our necks, which would have been
better, and let the car gone to everlasting
smash because we had had nothing to do with
selecting the conductor! Not seeing it in
that light, waved out in as much of stem
torian voice as | coule command, for the pas.
sengers to be still, gave the rope a pull, which
the engineer understood like book, and in
less than five minutes the train was stopped,
the fire extinguished, and everything all
right again. The fire was caused by the
heating of the axle. & -f
The city of Dubuque, take it all in al, is
the finest town in Iowa. Much as I have
travelled about the State was never here
before, and am most agreeably surprised to
find SO good place. Keokuk is great town,
so is Burlington, so is your own hospitable,
go-ahead Muscatine, so is Davenport, so is
Iowa City, and 50, no doubt has Desmoines
got to be. But think Dubuque beats any
Of them in several respects. The city is To-
Gated, for the most part, on tolerably level
but not low plateau on the river, here about
three quarters of mile wide. Almost all the
buildings, as in Muscatins, are built of red
brick, and are generally unpainted. Many CT
them are three and four stories, and there
are not few large blocks, entire ~ built up
with these large edifces. The architecture
Of some is ornate and tasteful, but for the
most Mt the business houses are plain.
The custom.house, unfinished, has beauti-
full exterior and by all means ought to be com.
pleted at once. In the compact part of the
city, and especially on Locust street, there
are many beautiful private residences beau
tiful even in winter. noted especially the
residence of F. E. Bissell, ESQ.,, the leading
lawyer of the place. 81 t. p. !.
But one must go to the bluffs if he would sea
Dubuque in all its glory. Thanks to the gen.
erous kindness of Geo. Ballou, Esq, lately of
the Times, had good opportunity to go all
over the bluffs and all over the city, and have
"a glorious sleigh ride besides. The ''rig" was
superb-fast horse, jolly little cutter, and Bal.
lou scientific "whlp." On the bluff, out
Julien Avenue, there are many very handsome
residences, the most handsome of all, and the
finest / have seen in Iowa, being that of
Gen. Jones. 1t is large two story building,
in style of architecture more rich than
gaudy, as one would say if speaking of lady's'
toilet, and is surrounded by spacious grounds,
interspersed with shrubbery, ornamental and
mer house. They are now, of course, in SYM
patny WIN the OeneTal, Delpg OUT IN the
cold In the neighbo' hood are several fine
residences, equal in solid comforts to any
reasonable mans desires, but not SO good, in
the aesthetic view, as the Generals Never
theless, they show very high degree of cul.
tivated taste. MIR. Cooley lives near by in q
beautiful, spacious home that ought to satisfy
any one. sanW .bgc g3.a5a .el5aigf az /
From here. passing beautiful places all the
while, we drove round to Kelly's bluff There
are several bluffs, You umust know, Immediately
to the rear of the compact part Of Dubuque.
With the exception of this one of Kelly's,
they are all built upon" improved by fine
residences and ornatelY cultivated grounds
In short. the bluffs may be well enough call
ed the Fifth AYenua of the city. !oecupled