The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-06-04
LETTER FROM IOWA.
by u Former citizen Of wheeling

by n Former Citizen OF Wheeling'
TO the IT2teiln0 hteiligmotr.
In the carly days Of spring the writer
badc adiCu to the familiar places and faces
Of Wheeling and vicinity, lcN behind its
din, smoke and busy throng, exchanged
nil these for life in the "Great North.
Vest" and about this land Of promise,
praisc and prairics, he proposes writing II
lew words, prcsuming they may interest
at least portion Of your many readers,
for find already here representatives
from West Virginia, Wheeling and East
crn Ohio, and more they say are coming.
This Northwest of Iowa is great,
grand country, and hut just beginning to
bloom and blossom In civilization. The
country is prairie; these lrG vast and beau
tiHul, being sufficiently undulNting to make
them attractive for the purpose nature
seems to have designed them, agricul.
turc, although just now the designs OF ma
turc seem to be thwartcd by the prinCcly
operations Of those western curses, land
sharks, who live, move and have being
for but one purpose, speculation; how
ever, this splendid country is not to be re-
larIiCll much longer by such tfillcA for
actual bona .fde settlers arc coming in by
thousands, taking and fortilying their p0-
sition behind the all.sufEicient Homestead
Law
Railroads are reaching out in all dirGc-
liOns, the iron horse filling with bewilder-
ing anazCmcnt the few remaining Indians
who are seen here in all their pristine
glory, and evidently prClerring to roam
these broad lands and enjoy their hunting
grounds free from the prosecuting pres
CnCc OF the pale faces As We look upon
their savage forms and faccs we
can hut pity, whilst We have but little
faith in the practical workings Of civilizing
them. They are iOrbidding looking
people, and one readily concludes that Il
would not be pleasant to meet them on
the wide prairie without protection; or II
you do meet them in warpaint and fcath-
crs the hasty conclusion is that you hav'nt
lost any Indians. To the west Of the Mis-.
souri, they are already on the war path.
1t Is pleasant in this new land, which Is
for long time to be supplied from the
East, to find that Wheciing's manufac.
turing reputation is not unknown, for
here, where tho locomotive has but just
made its appearance, We find Wheeling
nails and glass, and when m occasional
ndvcnturcr from there comes in, tho in.
cvitable "stogy" Is scOn. To those inter,
cstcd ] would say, the trade Of this North.
West Is worth consideration at least.
! am aware OF % strong desire Of many
In some communities East for coming
West, and whilst l can assure them OI
room and land enough and to spare, and
would not discourage any from coming,
yet would suggest what prudence and
good sense dictate: "Look before you
leap" come and see, before you disturb a
well.to.dO establishment where you have
all cOnvcniences at hand. This Is the
country for, and Of young men land wO'
men too; they Ure the rule, and the older
ones the exception. And yet, for All the
advantages Of this fair land, VIC find many
coming who are disappointed in their cX.
pectations, which are too great Much ol
this disappointment can be traced and
trulhtulIy charged to the influence Of the
Western local press, which Is generally
progressive, and rather too much so Nt
times. The editors Of Western papers
generally are splendid painters in high
COlOrS, 80 0ilcn OvordrRwing and QYepa-
timating the advantages Of their respect.
i've localities. Parties already hero Dossess
the human falling for wanting their dis.
tAnt friends around them: tie paper Of
their section is the frequent messenger
thithcr; thus these OvcrGrawn statements
90 and grow. A safe rule tor considering
the general statements Of Western papers
when they have reference to the country
is to divide. the statement by two, the
quotient by,two again, believing nothing
until your eyes have seen and your feeI
pressed the virgin soil