The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1867-05-09

Correspondence, Kenosha Telegraph.
Dies MONIES, Iowa.
April 25th 1867.
This city-the Capital of Iowa, is located in
Polk county, a little south of the geographical
centre of the state, and contains something
over 10, 600 inhabitants. The situation is a very
fine one at the junction Of the Des Moline
and Raccoon Rivers, on a table-land Of dry
gravelly sol, the hills in the rear rising by gen
tie activities, forming a natural ampitheatre,
and affording picturesque scenery, and fine
sites for residences; while the level portion af-
fords ample space to accommodate the bust
ness of large commercial town
The city is scattered over considerable ter
itory, extending some two miles up and down
the river, and from the fact that many ofthe
residences are built back in the groves and on
the wooded hill-sides, the traveller arriving
here would be very apt to under-rate the ex-
tent of the population, and the Importance of
the place. The public buildings that first
strike the attention of the visitor to Des
Moines, are the State House on Capitol hill in
the eastern part of the town, the University
building in the west-and the Court House,
Slavery House, and Catholic Church in the
central part of the city. All these are built
of brick, and although not remarka-
BILE for architectural adornment, they are i'm
posing and substantial structures.
Viewed from the dome of the capitol, the
scene is grand and beautiful. AT your feet
like map, lies the ''fairest city of the plains, y
its streets teeming with life and bHstle; in
front of you the encircling hills, sprinkled over
with modest white cottages, and the stately
mansions of the Merchant, Banker or other IA
vorites of fortune; while on the right hand and
on the left stretches away to the limit division
the broad and fertile valley of the Des Moines
river.
In 1854 the Legislature of the State designa-
ted this as the State capital, ana 1t was lncor-
porated as a city in 1888. The city was laid
out on a comprehensive scale, and after Sc
curing the permanent location of the capital
by amendment to The constitution, real-estate
advanced very rapidly, and with large influx
of population, spectators ran wild; the prin-
cipal business for a time, being the buying and
selling of corner lots at highly inflated prices.
Indeed the excitement was so great that I'M
mense value was set upon lots lying far out,
where the city probably will never extend.
But as experience has shown, all such intla-
ton must collapse sooner or later, and the re-
action of 81 and '5S carried down prices enor-
mouslv, and with them went a large number
of operators of ne Exiting" order, and some
good citizens also.
For three or four years subsequent, Des
Moines remained nearly stationery, but in '62
it began to revive, and from that time has i'm
proved steadily and for the last two years
rapidly, in fact fully doubling its population
since the beginning of GA The trade of the
city is large and active, but it is confined too
much to retailing. There is very large scope
of country tributary to this point, and it
strikes me that with the requisite enterprise,
and an aggreSsjUe policy, her merchants could
! build up large and profitable wholesale trade
and it is only necessary to push for 1t, by send
ing out udicious statesmen TO call on the small
! dealers with samples of good goods, and wares
at fair prices and the trade can be secured
because the small dealer always prefer to buy
near home if he can.
! But the true interests of Des Moines and hel
permanent prosperity rests in fostering and
enlarging her manufactures, and other produc
| tive industries. She possesses excellent tacll
| tiles in the water power afforded by the DeE
Noines river and the ineXhaustabe supply
Of coal of excellent quality which underle ar
| immense region in the immediate vicinity o
the city, and extending up the river to Boone
| and beyond,
Of the manufactures already established
there are three toendrieS with machine shop
] attached which turn out large quantities o
mill gearing, agricultural implements, &c.
and one of them, the "Des Moines Iron works
has put up some steam engines of the fines
workmanship, and that would do credit to an,
eastern establishment. They employ abou
25 hands Another concern is manufacturer!
Allen 81 Grants patent Schoolhouse Furni
ture"-of iron; and are receiving orders from
all parts of the state. Another establishment
is manufacturing wool-cardlng and splnnln
machinery for wooden factories, of the fines
quality; this will be likely to grow into an i'm
portant business as wooden factories are mul
tiplying at a great rate in Iowa at least. Their
is also an establishment for making stear
boilers which is doing good business. Their
are two plow factories, and two other shop
making cultivators. There are two sash an
door factories, with planning mills and lumbe
, wards connected and having all the work the
can do. Also two furniture factories employ
6 ing dozen to fifteen hands each. All thes
, works employ steam power and improved Ia
bor-saving machinery, and so turn out larg
quantity of work in their respective lines.
, There are also two saw mills and four girls
and Touring mills; ofthe latter, three are steaI
and one water power mill, and all doing
! profitable business; and there is stone potter
r which last year turned out lOO,OOO gallons e1
; cellent stone ware. In addition to all thes
there were manufactured last year $50 OC
worth boots 81 shoes Also large bushes
done in harness making; brick making; ciga
factories soap and candle factories; confet
tl0nerleS &C, &C luefe VIII DC Fdludple III
| prOyements made the coming season, anon
which is the State ARSENAL, the foundation
which is already laid and the superstructur
under contract. 1t is to be of stone and iror
and perfectly fire-proof. 1t will contain a
office for the Adj1Ltdnt Ge1erdI of the state
Here the names of all the gallant sons ofIow
that entered the ranks of freedoms defend
ers,'' and of the heroic men who fell in tn
deadly strife and in the hospital shall be pre-
| served-a roll ofhomor, safe from fire and decay
. A sacred legacy to their descendants to tn
last generation. The Legislature at its las
session appropriated $50 900 to this object.
The General Government has also made a
appropriation of $780, 900, for Post office an
, United States Court House to be erected here
, and the site for the building has been selecte
and work will be commenced on 1t soon. Ihi
is to be d fine stately building, and will be {
stone from the Nauvoo quarries, in ornat
: STYLE of execution, and fire proof The bus
, ness of this Post Office is quite large, abou
5000 letters arriving per week for distribution
and the sales of stamps amounting to Sl5,OU
per year.
} There are two daily, and three week.
newspapers, and one semi-m0nthly and tW
monthly papers published here; the mos
prominent of which is the State LEICESTER, b
the "Regster Printing Company; having
very large circulation both daily and weekly
and is conducted with great ability and libel
ality. In its sanctum your correspondent ha
the pleasure to meet the Editor-in- Chief-Ml
Palmer,-one of natures noblenoea whom t
know is to admire a man of large and varie
attainment of fine literary tastes; of war;
and active sympathies for the afflicted and SUI
fering; true friend; hospitable gentlemen
and here let me make due acknowledgment
for statistics CLEANED from the columns of tn
Register kindly furnished me.
The Io1oa Statesmen is the organ of the Dem
, ocracy of central Iowa, and seems to be pref
ty well supported.
Next in the list stands the Iona Homestead
) q valuable agricultural and literary, week.
: family paper; for some time edited and pub
, ished by the late Henry Petit, son of j. j
Petit Esq, of Ken osha; and who greatly ex
tended the circulation and influence of the pa
per by the fine humor and ready wit of his ed
torial and cereal contributions to its columns
The paper is now published by Mark Miller
Esq, formerly of Racine.
The other papers are devoted, one to tn
cause of Temperance; one to schools and tn
subject of education; and another to Lam an
Jurisprudence, edited by Judge w. S. Ham
mond.
Prominent among the institutions of De