St. Cloud Democrat., 1865-11-30
SOUTHERN BOVND.
Notes and Incidents OF the Trim.

E%
oTEAAsR MUscAT1NE, AT RosEMouNr, !
November 18th, 1866. I
DEAR DEMOCRAT AFTER wr;t;no for
newspapers, editorial and otherwise. for
upwards Of ten years, more or less, | some.
times think it should suffice. And to own
the TRUTH / come to it in late days with
mono of that cheerfulness and ayiditv
which the business once inspired. But
nole"s "olens, am going to write brief no.
tices to-day Of few interesting points
have observed in passing down the river to
this place from Dubuque, aud send YOU for
publication, when you have the room to
give.
Dunleith is non-descript. The terminus
OF great railway, running the length of a
great State-atter these ten years effort
1t yet remains as complete o "one-horse
town. as can be found in the United States.
1t cannot boast of one respectable hotel. or
one respectable store but night and morn
ing, long trains filled with freight and
passengers come rumbling in and out, to
the edi6cation and amazement of a few
sleepy denizens on the corners, who appar-
emily have nothing else to do but stare at
SAVANNAH
is a pleasantly situated town on the Iowa
side and famous as grain depot on the
river. We landed in the night, and forty
men were busy till morning bringing bags
and barrels to IN empty barge fastened to
the boat. The town is small, irrceularly
built, containing not more than fifteen
hundred people but with fertile and
we'll settled country back and i railroad
connecting it with Iowa City. Clinton, AL
bany and LIE Clair are successfully passed;
oil small towns much resembling the lesser
places in our State on the river-and YOU
come in sighi Of
ROCK ISLAND AND DAVENPORT.
These twin cities are delightful. at first
glance, IN approaching from above, one
can hardly say which presents the better
appearance. Both have. charming sites
and admirable landscapes. Both arc busy
with progress, and with rivalling each 9TH
cr in various manufactures. The Island of
Rock and the great bridge are objects of
interest Two boats glide back and for
ward between the towns every Eve minutes.
always, noticed. we'll loaded. Tigstreets
OF Rock Island are not as regularly laid
out, or so we'll built up as Davenport, bu,
the subuibIn residences are prctticr and
more numerous. A gentleman told me
Davenport did more shipping than his
town, because the land back of Rock Island
was marshy and untillable, while that for
many miles around Davenport was level.
rich and highly cultivated. While our slow
steamer was performing circles between, l.
spent II few hours in the latter place, look
ing at the prices Of produce. i found, as a
matter Of astonisbnlcnt, onions selling at
the wharf from farmers wagons. ut Is
cents per bushcl; potatoes at AZ cents; ap-
Piles SO per barrel, and -four at 81 the half
sack. business houses arc elegantly built,
streets we'll paved, and thronged like a
great city. To say l was pleased with my
hurried stay in Davenport would but ha II
express ny feelings. Take away the nu-
merous palatial residences that adorn the
surroundings Of the other town, and Rock
Island would become very ordinary look
ing place ; with them, its look is imposing.
The amount Of produce going down to St.
Louis from these points is IMMENSE Each
boat fills on On average, four long bargcs
(the easier to pass the rapids) and these
are detached from the boat at the head of
the rapids, and tloatcd over by o part Of
the crew.
MUscArrNE.
This is the present residence of our whilom
Indian Agent, Gen. Fletcher, about the
only honest man ever at the head Of the
Winnebago Agency while it had ''habita-
ton and a name" at Long Prairie. The
General ''still lives' near town in O hand
some house, on q fine farm, and in excel
lent health. Muscatine is one eff the very
many charming and fourishing cities of
Iowa. One noticeable feature in oil these
towns on the river, is the great proportion
ate number Of substantial brick buildings.
It canno fail of striking the eye of a Min
nesotian, where lumber is cheap, the mo.
ment he enters Davenport, lie Clair, Fort
Madison, and especially Muscatine. On
the principal street, it is solid brick from
end to end, the fronts of buildings being
built evidently with an eye to architectural
beauty and taste. Muscatine abounds in
costly church edi6ces, with extremely tall
spires, spacious hotels, handsome women,
fast horses and fat dogs. Its business is
considerable, but not comparable to Day.
export or Burlington.
BURLINGTON
has long been famous as the most aristo-
cratic, elegant and refined city of Iowa.
AS indisputable evidence of its literary en-
terprise, the Burlington Hawkeye newspa.
per, lying before me, is as large as the NY.
Tribune and contains nearly rs much read
ing matter. There are two other papers,
respectable though not as large as the
Hawkeye, and all are handsomely sustained
by the intelligent citizens of Iowa's finest
city. The public aud private schools keep
pace with the press. The Female Seminary
is already celebrated, and o classical High
School has no equal in the State and no
superior in the West. With these splendid
things in its favor, am sorry to add, that
it falls far short of Kcokuk and other less
noted towns, in trade and general business
Grain trade is brisk. Old wheat, winter,
$1.75; corn, 35 cents oats, 49,; potatoes,
IS.
If have time, will speak of Nauvoo,
Fort Madison and Montrose, whore we are
held for twenty-four hours, at the head of
the rapids by high winds, in another letter.
DR.. Anderson, of this town, who has been
on toard to see professionally . loved boy,
named Harry, from Minnesota, says it has
been agreed upon by many people on the
river, in case cholera comes west, to has
ten bag and baggage to Minnesota to es-
cape the pestilence. said to him, it would
do well enough, provided they left the
plague behind them. W. II. w.
NAuvoo, November 10, 1866.
Noted for its early history, Nauvoo will
always attract the attention of the passer-
by. Situated high up on splendid eleva-