Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-08-14
vENPORT.


DAVENPORT.
An Inseressisg Letter.
Torres; ondencs of The Chicago Evening Jour.
nal.
DAvgNPosr, lows, July 81.
The newspaper correspondent Of dozen
years experiecee is seldom enthusiastic. -
lie believes that, SO far as the world goes at
least, men are more frequently saved by the
want Of faith than by its possession. Ac-
custemed to the way in which "enterprising
Americas citizens bepuf their own locai>
ties. he is chary Of taking hospitalities ith-
out q grain Of allowance, and skepticsl in
receiving facts without sitting them, and
subjecting them to analysis through the ole
embic Of newspaper experience.
Yet, preiscing these paragraphs with
recognition of al this, il would be Idle to
deny that Davenport has made more posi-
tive impression upon the writer hereof than
any Western city outside Of Chicago which
he has visited Mr.. John Stuart Mill. who
complains 80 bitterly Of the des ruction Of
individuality By the assimilating powers Of
society, might be delighted by short so>
journ in the county seat Of Scott County,
Iowa. 1t is to'ally unlike any American
city previously met in many years Of wan.
deriEg. There are distinctive features in
Davenport not easily confounded with other
Northwestern cities. While some facts and
figures will aid the reader in forming Q con-
ception Of the material developments Of the
town, they will utterly fail to explain its
social life; and as the limits of letter
nv tvna cis,fv yood no IN P.- Vvt III
not permit me to do more than summarize
Information more elaborately set forth in
various publications., I shall endeavor to
contine this letter chiefly to facts in connec-
ton with the social life OF this singular city
Davenport 10 on the West bank Of the
Mississippi river, one hundred and eighty>
two miles from Chicago, four hundred miles
from St. Louis, and about twelve hundred
miles from New Orleans. For some ten
miles on the river above and below this city
the bluffs are very vide, varying from one
to two miles, leaving a large amount OF bot
tom land for cultivation. The term bluff
does not mean in this connection steep
precipice Of rock but gentle slope from the
rivers edge rising from low water mark to
hight of one hundred to one hundred and
thirty feet. From these bluifs to be south
east the towns Of Hampton and Moline on
the Illinois shore are visible and hey ond,
the town of Rock Island, while far away
in the distance, Rock river winds rapidly
and sparkles in the summers sun.
The fret permanent settlement WAS made
in Scott county BY Antoine Le Claire in the
spring of 1888. In 1840 Davenport had
lsss than 900 people, and 80 discouraged
were the proprietors, the Davenport, lie
Claire and Mcintosh families, that serious
thoughts were entertained Of selling the
present city site for farms. But ere the
year closed emigration set in and the dis
couragsment gave place to hope, and pro-
gressive development which has never since
been arrested, except during the panic OF
1868. In 1855 Davenport had 5000 souls.
To>day 10000 is . very moderate estimate
Of its inhabitants-at last one half Of whom
are foreigners, and more than thisI Ger.
mans. A very considerable portion of these
are people OF high culture, and their social
imprint is distinctly marked on the city's
life
In proportion to it's population and years,
Davenport has made gigantic strides III
many features There are five agricultural
works here. one Of them that oil Mr. II.
Donahue. employing some ninety hands,
and having pay roll Of $4,000 per week.
Taking the grst mills. iron foundries, lum-
Ger mills, sash and blind works, railway
shops, tobacco factories, breweries aud the
diversified industry Of the city into account,
| am satisfied were to place the operatives
Of Davenport a. 1000 the figures would be
rather under than above the actual facts.
Buildings are going up in all portions Of
the city, and Mr.. j. J. Burtis is building .
new opera house on Perry, corner Of Fourth
street, which will cost, when completed,
over $4,000. Il will, in dimensions, be
Just eight feet narrower than Crosby's
Opera House, arranged in the interior after
the same fashion, but minus the upper gals
lery. twill seat comfortably 1000 people
Mr. Burtis is proprietor of the Burtis House
in this city, large and well>arrangcd hotel
fronting the railway. Private dwellings
and stores are rising in all quarters Of the
city.
Davenport is we'll lighted with gas, and
the coal consumed is obtained from Illinois
The increase is small, but steady, in con
sumption, and the stock is chiefly owned
BY Eastern capitalists. The price per tn feet
is five dollars. Ii was incorporated in
1854 with capital of $50, 900, the capital
is now 100000. The President is George
l.. Davenport, and the Secretary Thomas
Dermody, Esq The city pays three dollars
per month for each gas lamp burning 9l2
feet of gas. The contract for lighting the
city expires in 1874.
The present draw.bridge over the Miss
sissippi IS wooden structure, and the draw
is turned BY hand The heavily laden cars
Of the Rock Island and Pacific Railway pass
over it daily. A steam ferry connects the
city with Rock Island but il is hoped that
ere another year new bridge, Of iron, will
be built across the river, the Government
giving the extreme southern point of the is
land for one of the buttresses Of the bridge.
The old wooden structure will be removed
and the new bridge will be availsble for teams
as well as railroad purposes. The present
bridge is only for the cars and foot passen.
gers. There 10 some difference Of opinion
between the Government and railway % to
the amount each shall pay in its construc~
ton.
The State Of Iowa, in the Legislature of
$3.50, passed prohibitory liquor law. 1t
was IS stringent a. the most ultra advocate
Of the system Of prohibition could have de.
sired. but in the same year that il was
passed an enormous German Immigration
had poured into Iowa, with the social habits
Of their father LAND. Opposed to slavery.
advocates Of free labor, industrious and ftu.
gal, they no sooner obtained the ballot than
they sought redress from what they regard>
ed - oppression, and in 1868 the LIQUOR
Law was modified. permitting the sale Of
native wine, beer Oager) and cider. Ger
mans are not given TO spirit drinking. Can.
dor compels me TO Say I have seer lees
drunkenness in Davenport than in any or
dinary Illinois city Of half the size.
Another point on which the Germans Of
Davenport and throughout the State are in
tensely sensitive is Sunday obsersa ancc.-
1t would be idle to deny that these people
as class are free thinkers in religious mat>
ters. The Sabbath with them is holiday
and they are prone to consider any inter
ference with their social usages as synony.
nous with an attack on their political frees
dom. They Gee that slavery is overthrown
in fact, and trouble themselves little about
obstruetions. Their "infldelNy" (if 60 one
p!eases to call it) 10 rather . positive than
a negative element. They 40 net seek 10
make proselytes, but are to a man deter,
mined to change the liquor laws through
the ballot-box. This is the origin of what
u An1ls.l :.