North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1869-10-27


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The tempest itself lags behind,
And the sw IN winged arrows Of light.
Whsn think Of my own native land,
In moment seem to be there;
But. alas! recolIection at hand,
x Soon hurrics me back to despair.
Dut the sea-fowl Is gone to her nest,
The bnst 10 laid down in his lair;
8vea here ID . seaIou Of rest,
Aud TO my cabin repair
There's mercy In every place:
Aud mercy-enc0urag ging thought!
Gives even affection a grace,
And reconciles man to hh lot.
Correspondence Of the Times.
Iowa CRY, Iowa,
Oct. Goth, 1869.
NY Dear Col.
Twenty-Five years ago-when check
aprons and backram pants graced the
portly proportions Of the writer-a young
man, restless. enterprising, and little
tough. firing of the monotonous life and
hide-bound society Of my native village,
left parents and home, without "due and
timely notice." for las the sanity gossip>
ers said) "that iniquitous city of Gotham y
Time rolled along. A few years later,
the young man returned, but unlike the
hero of Hawthorne's story, who travelled
the world over in search Of the three
cherished mott ms Of lis life, to find them
under the shadow of the tree which shell
tered him in youth, the young man re-
ported that he had located at CoUNcIL
BLurrs-at that time a distant, frontier,
outpost-and that he had returned for a
wife That be became the centre Of
attraction for all the country about, it is
unnecessary to state. But that not one in
hundred credited his story, may safely
assert; it was considered by our staid and
sober people simply an impossibility for
that young man to have reached place
80 many hundred miles beyond the rim
of civilization!
TO DAY there are three railroads topping
il from the east, and before the snow
fakes cover the ground, a fourth will be
added, while to the west, the great Unien
Pacific, amid barren waists, and through
golden gulohes, bears the majestic Arm
Of Progress, with terrible significance.
Built on beautiful plateau, with gem
tie bluffs on two sides, and a broad cx'
panse Of prairie reaching away for miles
tu the Missouri, it boasts population Of
nearly nine thousand, embracing twenty
seven square miles within its corporate
limits. 1t has municipal assessment of
$3,666, 800 which being taxed lO1 mills,
Yields handsome revenue for improving
the city. The city debt Of SlOS,0OO can
be paid next year, and yet leave balance
large enough to liquidate little city arrears
and run the corporate engine TO- ten years
to come. You, naturally enough, ask why
this enormous assessment and valuation :?
NV answer is, the bubble is nearly full.
Another blow, and it dies into little
pieces. Property is high here" | re-
marked to one of those imperturbable
land agents. "IIigh, no sil ! can sell
you one Of the most eligible residence
lots. not to exceed mile from the centre
of business, for six hundred dollars. Do
you call that high its dirt cheap p
Business is healthy here; not SO much
overdone 40 the realestate speculation
would lead you to expect
The country contiguous to the city. is
thinly settled, but fast filing up. Mr..
farnswor:h, who sojourned SO briefly
with US, is located here as cashier OF the
First National Bank. He owns half Oi
the institution is frst-class business
--pan. and viii succeed. Among other
familiar faces here are, d. E. Cook. j. G.
Fales. Charley Lacy, and Nicholas Kriebs,
all we'll known in McGregor. 1t gratifies
me to srats that they all appear to be
prospecting. Old citizens Of our place, all
Of them, hope they may become rich.
W. B. Strong, the master Of transfer
for the Chicago and N. W. II. r. is at
present conducting his company's share of
a little unplcasantness which exists be-
tween that company and the G. r. L. &
r. Il. r. Chicago being the initial point
forthe reception Of freiShts, the enterrrising
merchants Of Council Bluffs and Omaha,
arc enjoying the pleasing benefit of low
freights or no freights, Us the case may
he, at the bitter and improbable expense
of the giant pugilists. Let mo predict
that w. B. STRONG will become (God
sparing his life) ono of the leading rail.
road managers Of the west; Council
Bluffs will become fne way.station, not
outstepping the sanguine expectations Of
her .'oldest inhatitant." One fact must
not be ignored. The Union Pacific r. r.
have purchased twelve hundred acres Of
land on the Iowa side recently, and, wher,
tho bridge il completed (which will be,
not till another year, and then only
through tn. combined influence Of the U.
P.& Can w. and the G. 4 r. l. Rail-
roads) the entire business Of the company
now done at Omaha, will be transferred to
this point. Four Banking Houses, aggre-
eating capital Of $500, 900, arc located
here. Money pays we'll here. Two, three,
and Ave percentum per month being the
rule. Such 10 the want of confidence felt
in the ability Of the Union Pacific r. h.
to meet its maturing acceptances ldrawn
for four nonths,) am told, are not to be