The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1870-08-04


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THE EXCURSION.
>specia, Correspondence of the Courier.
ST.. LOUIS, July 20, 1870.
W q O'Clock P. NJ.
"A train Of elegant Pullman cars
whirled out Of The North Missouri
depot At two o'clock, bearing the
sayest party Of pleasure seekers that
have awakened the hills and valleys
Of Missouri with cchoing shout, for
long, long years. Some few Of the
excursion party whose business de-
mandcd an early separation, aud a
q few others who are satiated with
the feast, predicting some discomfort
during the remainder Of the trip, are
left behind; and will leave tomorrow,
some for Iowa and the balance for
some points at tho East, as. fancy
may dictate. Those Of us who are
left behind went solmenly to the
depot; to SEQ the party off. It was
like following in the funeral train Of
your most lamented fricnd--to think
of all that wine and all those delicious
fruits, with which the train was
stocked by the railroad officials
nectars that were ordained for yours,
but which were predestined to pass
down other outlets, less appreciatlve,
and less capaoious. My dental apar-
atus and digestive organs wore just
getting themselves on a war footing,
but must now be restored to o peace
basis, or to sort Of armed neutrali.
ty between common living and slow
starvation. ersa
On Thursday afternoon at two
o'clock long lines of carriages were
in waiting at the hotelsat which the
guests were quartered ; and, as the
conveyances filed, drove to Eth
street where they formed in one
grand procession. At half past two
the train moved. There were about
ono hundred carriages, containing
four hundred guests and citizens
We were driven frst to Lafayette
park, winding through its tortuout
ways, and thence to that earthly
paradise known far and wide a.
Shaws garden. Ifthero is a spot on
earth more beautiful / know 1t no.
Shaw, a retired merchant Of ptincely
fortune, q gentleman by birth and
cultivation, has established a private
flower and fruit garden, covering
eighty or one hundred acres o.
ground in the suburbs of St. Louis
like unto which, travellers of large
experience say, there is nothing 10
the world. There may to public
garders-as the Jardin dos Plants O
Paris-which surpasscs IL in some re
spects, but as a creation of single
individual. ola single private purse
it stands now, and probably will
stand for a century, unmatched
This garden was thrown open to tn,
excursionists,-nay, more, tho PR
vate mansion Of the proprietor wa.
opened to them and winos and ice.
werc served by a we'll trained corp,
of English servants, to tho entir,
company ofover four hundred people
This garden contains every variety
Of tropical plants, and fruits, as wei
as tho rarcst of those which grow
naturally in temperate climates
Twenty different specimens of cacti
including the Mexican aloe, stand il
the conservatory and about the en-
frances. some Of them reaching
height of ten feet, and throwing thei
arms grotcsqucly out as wide-sprea,
and exuberant as in the sands of Sin
aloa or Lower California. A pine
apple stalk bearing on its tip lucioas
dead ripe fruit stood at the main en-
trance,-broad-lcaved bananas, tai
and gracefully grown, fig and orang
trees, and lemon, vines and plants an,
shrubs, with impossible botanica
names, are as plentiful there as
sprouting in their native soil, and a
though the rearing ofeach OF then
did not involve the outlay Of com
ortable fortune. The guests sea ne,
everything with the greatest inter
fest, strolled through the extensiv
buildings, through the arbors, abou
the shaded walks and around the out
door flower beds, coveting but no
molesting tho rare extoics, until a
five o'clock the signal was given t.
repair to the fair grounds and tn
banquet hall. Said lady to me
twas Eden more beautiful than thi
fairy spot ?"
| A half hours drive along suburban
avenues brought US to the Playground
at which place, in Mechanics hal
the grand banquet was spread. Be
fore entering the hall the member
| Of the Iowa press, with their ladies
we're assembled together and photo
graphed in group by an enterprisin
artist Of st. Louis. l did not lear
how successful the photographer was
but trust he was completely SO.
saw Caldwell in tho foreground, an
pray his golden opportunity may no
have been entirely lost. After tn