St. Cloud Democrat., 1865-11-30

] ~~S0S>o~VAOAo
founders, it is a pleasant looking place. The
f'rst remarkable building noticed going up
the river, are the great hotel walls left just
as they were when the Mormon war culmi.
mated in the assassination of the prophe.
Joseph Smith, at the Jail window in Car
thoge. The expulsion of the Mormons
took place in 1876. Here were then nearly
twenty thousand saints. Here was the
Prophet, coarse, uneducated, but strong
wlllcd and talented man, engaged in found
ing what was intended to be q great CITY,
Never was finer site selected Fertile prai-
ries extend back from tho city, and lay
along the shores OF the great river; on the
opposite bank are the Montrose Mountains.
An island divides tho river opposite where
was built the great temple, the last of
whose walls have now disappeared on the
coming i'll of the Gentiles. The house once
the abode OF the dead prophet, remains
prec'sely y as saw it fifteen years ago. 1t
Is plain wood structure, surrounded with
trees and good fence. 1t fronts the
great hotel on the bank Of ihe river, and
rs look upon it, cannot help remem-
bering how often the man, the acknowl-
edged prophet Of numerous sect, had en-
tered its gates on coming from the Temple
in which he was the Hi gh Priest and the
Great Instructor: 1t is now owned and &C.
cupied by, \ Massachusetts man whose yul
gar face and brutal bearing Indicate no
improvement in either morals or religion
by the change ofoccupants. He denounces
Joe Smith and the Mormons, and l de-
nounce him and his associates as no better
than Joe Smith and the Mormvns Man.
vco is scattered over many acres. The old
Mormon arsenal has been finished and is
now used for a town hall. The foundation
OF the Temple remains. The walls were Of
stone, ant: eight feet thick. Some of the
blocks fallen from the walls Ivy near by,
and the grass has grown over the founda
ton stones, hiding many OF them from
sight. The population is now about two
thousand. Many Of them are engaged cx-
tensively in grape raising, and the finest
native catwaba wine is uow made on the
spot where was first taught the vagaries Of
the Mormon bible and the divine origin of
lyGamy. On the whole, Nauvoo is an in
teresting spot. If the history of its early
were written, their hopes, pro-
phecies, buffcttings, trials and final expul-
sion, 1t would make an interesting volume.
From twenty thousand in 1916 they have
grown to number more than two hundred
thousand, with great city Of their own at
Great Salt Lake. So persecution fructiie,
error and gives it growth and power. Op-
pOslte NauvooiS
u lite town of perhaps twelve hundred in
habitants, at the head of the lower ratids,
where all down boats stop and change
freight from the barges into lighters to 20
over the rapids. These rapids are twelve
miles long by mile wide, extending from
" ontrose and Nauvoo to kcokuk. We
started out Hast evening to go over them.
afscr lying at Nauvoo all day, but had not
proceeded more than mile when wind
sprung up, causing the boat t0 vccr round
to the shore. where we remained tied up all
night. Fairly this morning VIC came over
without difficulty.
FOR KANSAS AND MISSOURI.
There are on board several families leay-
ing Iowa for Kansas and Missouri. The
Kansas people think Kansas the garden of
the world, and jim Lane a second Wash
ington. They mourn that lie is not Presi-
dent instead Of andrew johnson, from
which view plainly tell them, most ear
nestly and vchemcntly dissent OF the
Missouri crowd, of which there arc, on an
average, fourteen children to every woman,
can only say, the State of Missouri is
welcome to them. Minnesota don't need
them, and hope never will.
KEoKUK.
Keokuk, with an ugly name, is never
theless pretty town. Being at the foot
Of the rapids, it has many railroads and a
good deal of boat business. Some things
happen in Keokuk as we'll rs in other cities.
One Of these things happened last night.
The watchman, in his rounds, was attract
ed by an animated bundle, lying on the
steps Of a certain clothing store. Carry
ing it home, his wife Informed her aston
ished husband that it was q girl baby
age estimated at two months. The watch
man is said to be kind-hearted man, but
he naturally enough don't want to be the !
father Of everybody elses girl babies. He
wants to know who the father Of that girl
baby Is; is naturally curious to know why
a sane mother should put her baby on the
steps of an old bachelor. What can a bach
elor do with a baby. or what can he know
about babies? The good watchman says
if mothers are wicked enough to dispose of
their babies, they should hand them over
to their proper fathers-if they know who
they are-and not put them on the steps Of
respectable bachelors. This will do for
keokuk, and l leave it just there.
W. H."W.