Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1869-06-18
W. Ii. EST,
Attorney General
WESTERN TRATEL.
orrespondence DeIaNare Gazette.


Correspondence Delaware Gazette
DELAvyARE, o., june -42, '69.
EDs. GAZETTE: Having just return.
| ed from an eastern and western visit
I thought would give you few Oi
my observations by the way. We
! found our eastern frie1lds living amid
/ the luxuries of every cline, the mar
kets supplied with Waterlnelons, GU
/ cumbers. peas beans, etc, and present
/ ing the appearance of midsummer.
After visiting our friends in the
/ Great Metropolis, we set out for the
land of steady habits in the hills OF
/ New England. Exchanging saluta-
/ tions with them, and having partaken
1 of their bountiful hospitality, we set
our faces westward.
Stopping few days at Newark, New
Jersey, the place of our birth, we saw
| some faces we had not seen for more
! than thirty years. Then we were boys
! together-noW past the meridian of
1 life. With warm shake of the hand
/ and :" God keep you," we again parted
4 to meet no more, perhaps, on earth.
After spending couple of weeks
with our eastern friends, we then
struck out for the West to see a broth
/ er in Sparta, Wisconsin, whom we had
not seen for fifteen years. In the alb
sence of railroad, we had to reach
him by going west to the Mississippi,
Z "
steamboat a hundred and fifty miles to
La Crosse, then east through the in
terror some thirty miles, on foot, to
the little village of Sparta, the county
seat of Monroe county. After spend
ing few days with them there, we
journeyed by stage to Madison and
Milwaukee, and then by steam route
to Chicago
One of the passengers on the stage
route remark ed that religion would
not bear transportation to Wisconsin,
but on this trip, in one car at least, the
song of praise was borne on the eve
ming breeze, and jubilant voices Joined
in the joyful strains.
Many novel scenes were witnessed
on the route, such as hop vineyards,
from one to ten acres in extent, but I
am told there viii not be over one
half the amount raised this season that
there was last, on account of the BUSH
ness being oyerdone. They had been
formerly paying from fifty to sixty
cents, but last year the price declined
to ten, which broke up q great many
who had gone into the business large
", having built extensive dye houses
and purchased power presses.
Wherever the eve turned you could
see hop-po1es stacked like the muskets
on a military cneanpInent. The hop.
business IS abanEIoued aE1d-athe ael6Ess
pIoWed up for corn.
Inc small village OF sparta W4lEn
had fifteen years ago about one hum.
dred inhabitants, now has about five
thousand, and is the county seat of
Monroe county. A beautiful stream
passing near it furnishes an abundance
of water power. I noticed a wooden
factory, paper mill, and some other
small machinery in full blast. An ar
tesian Well has been sunk in the upper
part of the town, one hundred feet in
depth, and throwing, per minute, a
volume of one hundred gallons of
water, remarkable for its medicinal
properties.
The entire square has been purchased
for public park, shade trees set out at
proper distances, and, in the midst, a
handsome fountain has been erected,
covered with a beautiful canopy and
surrounded with seats, offering a
tempting invitation to the weary.
After three or four days OF rambling,
we again took the cars for home. In
passing out from Chicago, before the
cars were in full headWay, a passenger
was robbed Of ninety dollars. Being
informed that he was in the wrong
car, and hurrying into the adjoining
car he was grappled on the platform by
two persons, while third one took
his pocket book. This adventure gave
him an unfaVOrable opinion of Chicago
and its surroundings.
Home at last.
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