Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1867-05-24
Excursion to Eldor.a.
Coal Fields or the Iowa Valley.
WHAT WE saw.


an excursion party composed of several
of the prominent citizens of Dubuque
left that city on the d. & s. G. r.. r.,
for trip to Eldora, and through the
courtesy of Presidents Smith and Gill
man, were Joined by several citizens of
the towns along the route. Receiving
. kind invitation we gladly awaited
ourselves OF the opportunity to visit
and examine for ourselves the objects
of interest In the Iowa Valley. Join
ing the party at little before 2 p. M.
In company with Col. Sessions and E.
A. Haskell, of this place, we were soon
hurried along towards Ackley, specially
noticing the beautiful farming country
and the evidences of emigration to the
several counties In the Northwestern
part IF the State. IL was estimated
that not less than seventy families
with teams, stock, farming utensils,
chickens and dogs, were passed by the
train slowly moving westward. At
three o'clock, we arrived at Ackley,
finding thriving town of about 500
inhabitants, having sprung up in the
past eighteen months. "
Our party now numbered twenty-six
and was composed of the following
persona: G. G. Gilman, Plat Smith,
J. p. Farley, VIM. b. Allison, J. X.
Graves, Generally andever, II. 8. Heth-
erington, f.. w. n. Sheffield, w. H.
Peabody, Scion Langworthy, H. Poole,
Aid. Jaeger and q. e. BAllou, of Du-
buque, F. III. Bowan, of Sand Springs
N. Denton, Chas. Paxton, T. Toogood
and G. A. Farweli, of Manchester,
Judge Couch and III. N. Cornish, of
Waterloo, J. Slemmer. of Waverly, e.
p. Greeley, Of Nashua and VIM. Spaul-
ding, of New York, Col. Sessions, f.
A. Haskell aud @. w. Snyder, Of Cedar
Falls. - &8 ga- ~
The excursion was gottenup by G. G.
Gilman, Pres. of the Eldora Railroad
& Coal Co. and Pres. Smith, of the ID. 4
8. @. r. r., for the purpose of explor-
ing the rich coal fields of the Iowa Val
ley and of showing the importance of
the projected road from Ackley to FL
dora. At Ackley we found Judge Por-
ter with private conveyances waiting
for US and were soon on our way to Eli
dora. A pleasant ride on pleasant
afternoon, for short time over broad
prairies, then over ridges of fine timber
land and down through the beautiful
valley drained by the Iowa River. We
reached our destination at dusk where
we found sumptuous tables prepared
for US at the Eldora & Eastern Houses.
Eldora is a thriving town of 600 inhab-
itants, situated on an elevated plain
overlooking one of the finest agricul-
tural districts in Iowa, and Is destined
to be an important point for agricultural,
mining and manufacturing purposes.
Early Saturday morning the party
started for tho coal fields, visiting on
their way the extensive pottery at that
place, now in successful operation, con-
Stunning over q thousand tons Of clay
annually in the manufacture of stone
ware. The clay is obtained from the
farm of Judge Porter, three miles east
of town and is of very superior quail
Ity. The clay used by the potteries at
Cedar Falls, Manchester, and other
points is obtained from those banks.--
We were informed that in an excava-
ton Sxl2 and 20 feet deep, So, 900 had
been realized for the clay taken out OF
that spsce. Superior fine brick are be-
ing made there worth 500 per thous-
and in Chicago, and the land is said
to be worth in England, where IL has
an important Office to perform in the
manufacture of railroad iron, five thous-
and pounds, ISIS, oOo) per acre. ia.
Now for the coal fields. First visit
ing place where the men were sink
ing shaft a short distance from town,
the coal is said to be forty five feet un-
der the surface. Next we noticed the
principal mines called "Buckners,"
visiting several different shafta, and
finding an abundance OF coal and Of as
good, If not superior quality to that OF
La Sale. The vein is found to be four
and half feet thick, underlying sur
face Of two square miles. 1t has been
but an experiment SO far, and yet by
the census returns 1t is found that 3d.
600 tons Of coal were excavated from
these mines the past year. The country
around the mines resembles, in many
respects the coal regions of Penn, and
we were convinced from the many in
dications which we saw, that oil lands
will yet be discovered as extensive In
this State as those of Penn. 1t Is only
by viewing these evidences that we can
form an idea Of the immense resources
Of our State. 1t will be remembered,
too, that coal in unlimited quantities
has been found in Mahaska County, on
the line of the Iowa Central, the vein
being found twelve feet thick. The
lands around the mines OF Eldora are
raising in value very fast. 1900 acres
is owned by the Eldora Railroad Co..
Ten O'Clock and rain storm coming
on prevented farther explorations and
again in our wagons we were soon off
for home. A four mile ride brought us
to Steamboat Rock for dinner, . very
coy village on the banks Of the Iowa,
evidently intended to be'amuch better
place than the name would indicate. -
Again In our open wagons through the
driving storm, one: Of Iowa's famous
North Casters" with no overcoat or
umbrella. Kind reader, think "much-
ly,"' twas awful to say, the least. What
doleful longings we had to see Ackley
loom up in view, but at last 1t was
reached and We vera soon A,nn Gnrfa hlx,