The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1869-02-25
From ST. Louis.
PLANTERS 1Iousr,
ST. louIs, Mo, Feb. ID.

PLANTERS 1IoUsF,
ST. LOUIS, Mo, Feb. Id.
Leaving Ot,umwa, Friday evening,
18th inst, We took passagcfo for Bloom.
field over the stage line of Mr.. z. &,
Ballingall, Of our city, who is run
nlng two daily lines to and from the
present terminus Of the North Mo.
Railroad, carrying the mails, express,
and passengers. Although the roads
were bottoMiess, the night dark, ard
rain pouring down very hard con-
siderable portion Of the time, we sue
ceeded in reaching Bloomfield at half
past 2 o'clock, a. NJ. Notwithstand-
ing the mud and rain, we had q Jolly
night OF it, as there was a merry lot
of passengers aboard, among whom
was a "Rural New Yorker" on his
first trip to the West, and many were
the interesting stories he told us
abouts the "habits and customs F"
"down in New York" There was
no mud, rain, stages, or prairies, in
that State, and he heartily wished
himself back again. lie bad come
west for the purpose Of getting a
position rs teacher in some of our
high schools, to instruct our rising
generation in the carts and sciences
OF civilization, and, after partial
examination on our part, VIC referred
him to our mutual friend, Rev. s. l..
Durham, for further examination
but satisfied in our own mind that he
could never get ia certificate" After
he had given us all the information
be knew concerning New York, a
fellow passenger gave him a dcscrip-
ton of Iowa and its resources, wild
animals, &C., and while speaking Of
animals described the gopher as one
of the most savage and dangerous
that infested the "Wilds OF Iowa."
and babe him beware of them, all OF
which he swallowed withouta ''grim.
ace."
After good, substantial breakfast
a. the Eagle Hotel. kent by those
jolly good fellows, Eichclberger &
Sons, formerly of our city, we con-
tinued our journey to West Grove,
nine miles from Bloomfield, the first
station on the st. Louis & Cedar
Rapids RR, south of that place. 1t
will be good news, l am sure, for our
citizens, to know that the iron has
been laid down on this road to within
four miles Of Bloomfield, and that it
will be laid to that city by next Sat-
urday. This news we can vouch for
as being reliable" as we saw the
construction train on the track four
miles from Bloomfield, and tho men
at work laying the iron This knocks
the wind out of the sails of the Iowa
Central RR., and their hopes that NO
more iron would be laid down north
Of Moulton, before spring, have been
blasted, and we advise the enterpris.
ing, business portion Of the citizens
of Alba, Eddyville, and Oskaloosa,
to emigrate to Ottumwa, the future
railroad centre and commercial me-
tropolis of Iowa.
Getting aboard the North Missouri
cars at West Grove, we were whirled
along, a. rapid rate, over that road
which runs through most delightful
and magnificent farming country,
that is being rapidly settled up and
improved, with aourishing young
villages springing up every few miles
all of which forcibly impressed on
our mind the fact that, ut no distan,
day, it will be one Of the most veal.
thy sections Of country in the West
We found the conductors of the
North Mo. RR. courteous and accom-.
modsting, and our passage over this
line to st. Louis was comfortable
one, and we think it is the qcay To
come to this city from the Des Moines
Valley. With the cars running To
Bloomfield this week, the ride by
stage from Ottumwa will only be four
hours in length, and in twelve hours
after leaving Bloomfield you are land.
ed here, ready for business.
From the conversation have had
with st. Louis mon, l think they are
alive to the Importance of controlling
the trade of the Des Moincs Valley
and are, consequently, greatly inter.
csted in the early completion of the
st. L. l. g. r. RR., which will put
them in direct communication with
Ottumwa, the most important point
to them in Iowa, on account Of its
being the principal wEolesaline
place in the State, and l anticipate
considerable success here in getting
business for the COURIER.
| am stopping at the Planters
House, one o: the best hotels in st.
Louis, and situated right in the bust.
ness center of the city, which makes
it one of the most desirable places
for merchants and business men from
abroad to stop at, with a first class
bill of fare, attentive servants. and
we'll furnished rooms.
Will write again in few days.
w. C. III.
PLANTERS HOUSE,
st. Louis, NO., Feb. II, 1869.