Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-12-29
Letter from Elder TaSker.

and as it brings us intelligence from a
region where some of the happiest years
of life have been spent, we regard it a,
bringing news from home" hence we
impatiently wait for, and hail with pleas
ure its arrival. And believing that at
least some Of your readers would like to
hear from us occasionally, by way Of re-
ciprocating | would, through the same
medium return brief note OF eur where
abouts and welfare
Lodi-our present home-is about IS
miles from Madison, in the southwest
cerner of Columbia county. 1t is a pref.
ty village, in beautiful valley, On each
side are rounded gravel bluffs. The ia
eihties for manufacturing purposes are
! good. We have excellent water power,
supplied by Lodi Greek which runs
/ through the village, wherein is situated
two large Touring mills, which appear
to be doing an immense business, be-
ing obliged to run night and day most
| of the time.
The surrounding country is most beau-
| tiful, and there is no4icher or more fer
lie land in Wisconsin; in appearance
it is very similar to that which lies be-
tween "Old Belmont" and Galena 1t is
thickly settled by people principally
from New England States. They have
good farms, good houses, good barns; ln-
deed, thrift and enterprise are plainly
visible on every hand. Fer fifteen years
there has been village here Of respecta'
bic dimension, inhabited by an energetic,
ambitious, wide-awake people, but for
some years matters have been in state
quo, from lack of connection with larger
commercial circles by rairoad-the
farmers being compelled to carry their
produce to Madison, Portage City, or
| Mazomane to market But the pros
pect of having railroad has put every
thing on the 9ui rice, and now our course
like beehive for several weeks past
ANY room that would afford shelter has
been occupied. Such has been the de,
mand for board and lodgings by per.
sons working on the railroad, that com.
paratively snail houses have been crowd
ed with from ten to twenty boarders, be-
sides the families occupying them. Con-
seQuontly business has been lively, anC
our merchants are already reaping tn,
benefit of the prospective railway. Tn,
Chicago and Milwaukee runners say
Lodi is the only Ij0e torn they find any
. where.
There are three religious societies or
:, ganizel, viz: Methodist Episcopal, Pres
, byterian and Baptist Each society hat
: a neat church | think all may be re
ported hourishing. There are also oc
casional services held 10y the Roman
Catholics and UHiversaists.
We can boast of one of the best schoo
, buildings in the county, according to tn,
, number of inhabitants 1t is built o
brick, and surpasses either one OF thos
: in your city, both in accommodation anC
, appearance We have an able corps 0
. teachers, with Prof }. G. Jocum as prin
cipal, young man of good repute az a,
= educator, and destined to have a NOR
q extensive reputation,
| The grading on the railroad betwee,
Lodi and Madison, and for several mile
a north of us, is completed, except deep
: rocky cut near Madison The road j
, being built by the Northwestern Rail
., road Company, and is the direct rout
y, between Chicago and st Paul; the dis
f lance between the two places being 81
o., miles, and not deyiating more than tire
i miles from an air line the entire dis
- lance. Persons leaving st, Paul in til
morning will reach Chicago in the even
t ing Of the same day.
The work is being pushed in manne
}, unequaled in the history of railroa
c building As you will have seen by til
: State JoWaal, the amount Of work don
|. on this road is greater than that on an
!, other railroad in tho county during tn
same length of time The line of roa
4 between Maids on and the Wisconsi
. river, trayerses rolling prairie country
: requiring much cutting and filing TIA
K approximate estimate of quantity of cart
\ To Mn mNNnl heinN about Mine hanRl,k