The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1867-11-28
Correspondents Ostumwa Coarier.l
BEAN CovK1EK:-

Correspondence Ostumwa Coarier.]
4 BEAR Coek1EK:-- - Z
Having q few leisure moments to
spend and there being no amusement
in which we can probably engage,
wehave concluded 10 amuse ourselves
by scribbling q fewlines forshe Cour:
IL, and BY the way we hare no.
seen copy oftbv Corner for 50 long
time, that lift werstbrown in abou,
this time wo wonld 'go for II" likc a
hungry cow after cabbage head
IL has been truly said 1--WE don, know
how TO appreciate real 6tsss;ags, an'il
We have been deprived Of them. -
We left Des Moines abent The 29tF
ult., for Ottumwa, viz X knoxville and
Abba, we have Travelled a great many
crooked reads, bat certainly none
hssif 90 crooked rs tho road from Dir
\ # ~
Mesnes to Knoxville, We start south
but travel in all directions imagiDn
bic. The country is rather broken
aud we'll supplied with timber. The
soil is rich and produces well, ard
vast amounts ofcorn and wheat are
raised in Marion and Polk counties
we also find plenty Of water in the
small streams and branches. Pleas.
antvillc ten, miles nor..h Of Knoxville
is very pleasant little village con.
tanning several stores, and surround.
ed by . magnificent farming country,
and well improved farms. Knoxville
contains . population Of perhaps
1900, but does not give. evidence of any
great amount of thrift or clergy
However our stay was SO short we
are not perhaps prepared to doJnstice
to the place. Abba has improved
rapidly since the completion Of the
B. 4 NJ. R. r., and business seems IL
be lively. From Afbia We rDs over
70 Centreville, = very Dcst place con-
tanning 1000 or 1900 inhabitants but
like many other similar towns, very
much in need of arailroad. We found
our old friend Capt. Fee in his merry
mood, and were glad to learn that he
lis doing fine business in the prac-
tice Of his profession. lie has lately
taken a new partner, Capt. Vermilion
Of tho Seth Iowa. From Ccntreville
we 20 to Corydon, if for no other
purpose, that we may recruit our
physical self at the cottage House.
Having been for several dnys threat.
encd with fever or some other nn.
welcome disease, and not being well
onrself it was treat indeed to find
Capt. Wrigbt's House. We found
friend Hartshorn Of the "Monitor" in
. smiling good hnmor, and nn,icipa
ting good time at Dee Moines this
winter. Appanoosc and Wayne coun
tics are infested with robbers and
out threats, and several persons have
recently been attacked by them, and
ore or two men killed. We wonl |
advise all who are travelling through
Southwestern Iowa and Nor.her.,
Mo-, to 60 we'll prepared for them
From Corydon we 90 TO Princeton.
Mo-, but as We have spoken Of this
place heretofore will say nothing
about it now, except little incident
which occurred while there, "while
in the har-room one evening at the
White House. very genteel looking
gentleman % came toward W. with
bottle in one hand and glass in
the other and asked ns 10 drink wit h
him, we declined whercnpon he be
came very angry and said 'Ycs yo,l
are o Id Radical" There had not
been word said in regard to politics,
but he seemed to knoaO my politics in
% momcnt when l refused
to drink. From Princeton we 90
south Is miles to Trenton, county
seat of Grundy Co., ourroad is nearly
the whole distance through heavy
timber. Trenton is very nice coun
~ town containing about 1000 inhab
itants, two or three chnrc;.es, ono
hotel, and goodiy number 81 s.asi
ness houses, some Of which are very
good and well filed with goods. Like
/, all tho other towns in northern No.
they are expecting . railroad soon
from Chilicothe { think that was in
tended for Chicago) or somewhere
, else to Dcs Moines, Iowa. II We
werc peddling railroads we could d.
. smashing business in this conn'
try. From Trenton We 60 northwest
/, 80 miles to Bethany, Harrison conn
~, in doing which we pass through
. very fine country indeed, gently
rolling prairie well interspersed with
timber, as fine looking country Of