The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1864-01-16
Editorial CDrresp deIace,
lETrsRs FROM Tn oaPsTAL.
Drs MoTsEs Iowa.
Sunday. Jan. 10, 1864.

three days and q half-''layiiig over"
nights---left the. gay metropolis of the
Stops as per announcement, on Wednes-
day morning. and arrived at the Capital
about noon Saturday. The first day out
was very coid---wSe felt Il right sensfbfsg ]
though can say that we suffered any .E--s
First night we tied up at the Henderson
House, in Lewis, The best stopping plaoe
between the Missouri RiFes and Ues
Moines; here we were at home y Until
nine O'Clock Thursday morning. when ne
again pushed ahead, and We're soon out
of sight of land, on a frigid field of'smew,
bounded all round by sky. = This day we
rode very comfortably. and male Dalma-
neutha about dusk. Here is another
good place for O hungry man-Mr. Tay-
lor keeps tip-top house and always does
everything in his power to render his
guests comfortable. Tut before go too
tar must say word fsr the .difsner we
had, this second day out. Somebody
told us that we should take dinner at
Morrison 's,-accordingly, when VIC reach
cd g Morrison NE "reigned up" in
front of the family mansion-a miserable,
dilapidated. habitation, built ofsticks and
mud, and ventilated like out-,loors-a
50 right smart" colder than ou~ sleigh
The ceiling, or rather the place where
the ceiling ought to be, was so low that
the smallest man in. the company could
not walk across. the house ~ without
humping his head against the log joists.
We were uslered into the PERCEPTION
rsom," where a fire had just been kim
died, and around which VIC shiycrcd for
about half an hour, when dinner " was
announced And such q dinner. The
hardest and hungricst among US lnan
aged 10 worry down =" a little but some
preferred to wait till supper time. Our
bill of fare consisted Of something in
tended for biscuits, sour and half-baked
clear fat bacon without single redeem
ing streak Of lean :" dish of beans,
full of red-pepper, or a dish Of rcd-pep-
per with few beans in,-which lepenent
saith not a half dozen cucumber pick
les, coated with iee and frozen so hard
that an ak failed to make an impression
4 cup of some kind Of lquid--haye for
gotten whether it was intended to rep
resent tea or coffee three mall pieces
Of frozen something, and Twenty-Five
cents. We left pretty soon, and if we
ever happen to find ourselves in that
neighhorlood again, about dinner time,
Yell drive on.
Friday, was the worst day we had on
the road very cold, and tie wind blow
ing hugely" Reached AdeI about four
P. N, found comfortable quarters, spent
a pleasant night, and at next .Norning
started on our way rejoicing. You may
talk as YOU please about the bad roads in
: Mud Hollow" but the last five miles of
theroad coming to Des Moincs from the
west, takes the palm from anything on
the Slope, for solid badness.
Saturday, about noon, we reached the
Capital City, and went into winter quar-
tiers at'Mr. Rhodes away up on thehilI, |
just in front OF the Capitol, and the best
boarding place in town.
1t is amusing to see the electioneering.
and button boiling, that is I
rusInow being done by the multitude OF
a>pirants for he several offices at the
disposal of the General Assembly. j
think it perfectly safe to assert that three
Of every FIVE Of the male population of
Des MoineS. are candidates fol some po-
sition from Chief Clerk of the Senate to
ninety -irst papor-tolder i'll the House
Approaching the Capitol one is met at
e fery step with the questions. Member
of,the uouse?' or " Member of the Sem
ate?" To all of which the subscriber in
variabIy replies Yes" and receives
from the patriotic aspiFant for legislative
favor, a card, upon which is printed the
name of the applicant, the capacity in
which he desires to serve the people. and
a polite request to give him "a lift" /
already have a basket full Of these cards,
and expect to take in twice as many to-
morrow.
About thrce-foufths Of the members
have Arrived. and a commencement viii
probably be made tomorrow. amvery
favorably- impressed with the appearance
of the members, so far. The absence of |
the Democratic element is noticeable i'm. |
members are all solid, !
intelligent-looking men, and sober.-E
One very favorable circumstance that |
notice i'll connection with the new mem
berS is the fact that instead of eaucusing, |
and lounging about rum |
shops on tho Sabbath, nearly all the Hon I
Y Il 4