The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-06-16
LETTER FROM IOWA.
Grain and Political PFOspectS-De-
IightfulneSS OF III CIimate-Plea-
SuFe-SeekerS = Cheapness Of Land.

McGREGoR, Iowa, June 10, 1863.
Editors Journal:
Since the date of my last, we have
had weather all around the horizon.
A few hours of warm sunshine would
be succeeded BY heavy thunder, bright
lightning, and dashing rain, followed
by a half days d@rizzle, which would
yield in turn to a high wind and a
clearing up, a Spring shower, and
sunshine again. But through it all
vegetation progresses rapidly, crops
look more favorably every day, Col
fax stock is at the top Of the market,
trout bite beautifully, and my bodily
health continues to improve.
From present appearances, the
Northwest viii yield an ~unexampled
crop of wheat and a heavy majority
for Grant and Colfax. Thus, from
an observers standpoint, the political,
industrial and social interests of these
people seem TO move on harmonious
ly; thus, from the personalstandpoint
of a good digestion, all nature seems
to smile in vernal loveliness, the air
comes balmy and ~invigorating from
the Minnesota hills, the Mississippi
flashes its silvery waves in the June
sunshine, and everything Is lovely and
the aquatic fowl loftily pendent.
We are now in the midst Of that
season which poets celebrate as May,
which comes up here III June.
The prairie is embellished with my
riads of flowers, and the river bluffs
are covered with foliage of a rich
dark green. After travelling on both
rivers, it seems to me that the scenery
of the Upper Mississippi Is, in natural
beauty, at least equal to that of the
Hudson. The latter, however, has
some historic and classic interest,
which is lacking here. These bluffs
have so much the appearance of an
old settled countryside oak openings
bearing so exact a resemblance to an
old orchard-that | am half of the
opinion of the lrisbman who thought
the Government might afford to build
a few " ruins at prominent points,
and thus add the only romantic
feature which is lacking.
The Summer travel for health and
pleasure is setting strongly to the
North, and every steamer brings a
number of inyalids and pleasure
seekers to try the balmy air and steel
blue sky of Minnesota. IF one has
nothing to do but travel, existence in
that State would seem only a long
poem, a living romance. The Sum
mer sky, the balmy air, the many
pretty lakelets, and the dry soil, guilt
less Of mud, rouse all the pleasurable
nerve sensations, give a keen zest to
the mere act of breathing, and render
simple existence a positive pleasure.
Nine years ago | entered Mime
sofa the oath of May, and left it the
LIST of October. / had left Indiana a
confirmed invalid, unable to walk a
mile without resting. On the 10th of
June | walked twenty-five miles, and
carried a rather heavy Yalise, and
during the season l travelled eight
hundred miles on foot, and reached
home IN November, twenty-five pounds
heavier than when | left. Some day
l will tell you 11hy / travelled so far
on footl But / cannot agree with the
Mlnnesotians that their Winter eli
mate is equally good. Experience
does not show it, and the reason of
things is against it. Forty de-
grees below zero may be a trife to a
deep, strong chest, but it is too much
for weak lungs. There is a popular
idea that cold, dry air is the best for
pulmonary complaints. ! take issue