The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1864-07-20
Editorial Core spon dence,

JOHN. 1t Is quite carly in the morning
say about 3a-and am hearing this busy
city turn itself over preparatory to getting
up to resume the hustle Of yesterday, day
before and every day. In the distance
hear "the watch dogs honest bark y Tho
clarion of solitary city cock, as he an
nounces the approaching morn the distan,
whistle (groan is more like it) of the trains
now beginning to approach the city from
all quarters Of the great northwest; the
streets commence reverberating withthe
sound Of Bus and Baggage wagon; lights
are growing more frequent as you glance
up and down the street; parties Of footmen,
either out very late or up very early, are
heard pattering the streets in various direc.
tons; an occasional scream Of steam tug
as it orders the bridges opened to permit
passage through the dirty slough called
Chicago River; the below of propeller
from the lower lakes announcing it's prox.
unity to the city-all these and countless
other noises indicating the resurrection Of
business and the Punishment Of ba!my
sleep, tell US the world Of strife, activity,
sel6shness and sociality is about to awaken.
Life has its charms, but Sleep, the counter.
part of Death, is so fascinating that we all
are ready to say with the immortal Sancho
Panza, BLESSED is the man who invented
sleep; it covers one up like blanket"
Perhaps you may wonder why I am up
so early. III tell you: On arrival here
Wednesday night found myself laboring
under most painful and threatning sick
ness, caused by eating cucumbers Course
the vegetable. say,) and other luxuries at
Madison. In the night doctor was called,
and for some hours my private opinion was
that there would be another widow soon
n McGregor. Thanks to the skill of Doc.
tor HAY, combined, possibly, with the good
constitution and the obstinacy Of the patient,
the crisis was passed, not, however, until
had swallowed opiates enough to make me
sleep or doze nearly all day yesterday
About 5 P. NJ. I got up and carefully re-
connoitred. To the employees of the
BRIGGS, and particularly to our friend L.
NJ. BoY:E, Esq, Of McGregor, am very
grateful for attentions which are ever ap.
preciated when one is from home, person.
ally helpless and in intense pain. almost
wanted BOYLE to get sick that might be
able to reciprocate his kindness Sleeping
all day yesterday is one reason why am
awake now, but you know sleep is not nay
best hold, either sick or well, at home or
abroad.
The City for some days past has been
excited to the highest pitch, dispatches ar
irving every hour giving rumors Of the
impudent and thus far successful raid of
the most reckless and dare. devil body Of
men who ever trusted their fortunes to the
tide of war. The papers give you the
summing up from day to day, but the
anxiety from hour to hour can only be ap-
preciated by those who, when Washington
was about to be taken, didn't do anything
else but wait for the news. Gold and
market values Of the Produce character,
auctuated 10 to Is cents in a day opera
tors were lost in amazement: the figures
300 were at first put as the gold price be-
fore the close OF this week, but singularly
enough, the reported success of the rebs.
in cutting railways, burning bridges,
scooping grain, stealing horses, herding
cattle, soaring women, paralyzing Baltimore
and Philadelphia-aM these took the pre-
cious metal down, when every guesser in
the world reckoned that it ought to 60 up.
1t was reported and by many believed that
Washington was taken, but the dispatch
came ola Philadelphia, and this writer takes
no stock in dispatches from that city: l
have too vivid recollection of the sells her
Bulletins and EnQuirers have perpetrated
on the western public. 1t would be curious
for the reader of either of the Chicago
dailies to take up this weeks issue and
compare the grain prices from day to day
but these reports are but poor index to
the fluctuations which necessarily must
have taken place here when every half hour
gave birth to some new report of fortu-
nate or adverse character to our arms
Parties interested circulate good or bad re.
ports as their interests may be subserved.
The holders of grain desire an advance,
and it is no strain Of conscience for many
Of them to aid in the circulation of
''rumor" that Federal reverses have occur
red )" or if after selling at good figure
they desire to re.invest, they suddenly
wheel about and report success TO the
Union troops" or they have "heard of
private dispatches from New York lowering
Goldr' These rumors are played daily,
and | am suspicious there are men here
who have arrangements with men in N. Y.
to send them bona tide lying dispatches,
which are shown to the timid and advan-
tage taken Of them. This is pretty bad,
but nova days the worship Of the green
backed monster" is so great that many
outrageous things are practiced that lucre
may be the result. The taking of Peters
burg is dodge played already not less
than half dozen times on Change and
about it. Last night at the Sherman House
sub Board whisky Beard the papers here
call it) were the words following, to wit
"A Banking House in Wall street claims
to have a dispatch that Gen. Grant has