Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1870-02-17
Iowa Twenty-Five Years Ago.

writing from his lone in Elaora, Har-
din County, to the pitsiield IN. Ii J
Times, gi, es the following rcminiscenc-
es OF Iowa, twenty five years ago:
Twenty i've years ago this day |
left Pittstleld, in the daytime, on Holt
brakes stage, to artitice my own for
tune in the then tar-ott West. West
AMI still westward | rode-but not all
the way in that stage-for one tull
month, till the 18th OF November,
1911. | crossed the Father OF Waters
INTO the then Territory OF Iowa and
the same day | became an affiliated
Hawkeye.
What stupendous changes have
been wrought in these fleeing years!
Then Iowa had one distranchlsed del
egate in Congress. Now it has two
Senator's and six Representatives.
Then, by loose count, large estimates
aud liberal allowances tor unborn
babes, Iowa claimed to have a,152
souls, er rather bodies, for | will not
go blind on the souls Of all OF them.
Now Iowa rejoices in q population Of
l,o33,9 99l free people. Then Iowa i'm
ported breadstuifs; now it has mil
lion OF cattle, million and half of
sheep, and as many more hogs; grows
annually sixty million bushels OF wheat,
more than twothirds OF which will be
exported to feed the hungery world.
Then the people OF Iowa moved and
travelled in wagons, and in the saddle,
across the country and through
streams without roads or bridges.
Now the State Is grld-ironed over
with more than 1000 miles Of iron
rails, upon which more than two hun
dred locomotives are III perpetual mo-
tion, drawing heightened trains OF
commerce 10 the marts. Then two
thirds of Iowa was owned and peopled
by numerous tribes OF wild Indians.
Now Iowa has one hundred counties
in which municipal law is administer
ed, and liberty guaranteed TO every
one by an enlightened people. Then
Iowa had no system OF common
schools. Now it has cash fund OF
s., ,5O1 LOG, and land tund not sold,
OF at $500 per acre, $4,000 900, equal
ling over four and a halt million dollars.
1t has over five hundred school houses,
worth over four millions OF dollars, in
which, by law, school must be kept at
least six months i'll each year. 1t cx-
pends over $4,000 annually i'll build
ing and repairing school houses. 1t
has about 700 pupils, and employs
about 10000 teachers, and pays them
one million, three hundred thousand
dollars annually. Besides this, Iowa
has sixty-three Academies, Colleges
and Universities, and 2ll news papers;
with asylums for the deaf, the mute,
the blind and the insane, with many
other public editiees; and osres no ae5t,
Twenty five years ago Iowa was Qp
the extreme border OF civilization.
All west OF it for 1900 miles to the
Pacific Ocean was one vast mountain
wilderness. Now that is all in States
and Territories, teeming with millions
OF civilized people subject to the mu
nlcipnl law. Then there were bu: two
States and one Territory west OF the
Mississippi. Now there are eleven
States and nine organized Territories.
Surely Westward the star Of empire
takes it's way.
Then the railroad car ran from Bos-
ton to Erie, Pennsylvania. Now it
crosses the continent and waters its
steed in the Pacific Then the tele
graph wire extended all the way from
to Baltimore, and begun
by saying James X. PoM was nominal
cd. Now it stretches under the ocean
and around the world.
Then this nation was half slave and |
half tree Now Mason and Dixon's |
line is biottcd out, and every man
owns himself. Twenty five years ago |
this government was an experiment,
and reproach and by-word in the
mouths OF Kings and Monarchs.
Through great tribulation it has come
out refined and purified, and now be-
tore the world stands first in wisdom,
greatest in power, and noblest in gen
erosity. Its statesmen are teaching.
the Moaarchs Of the world, and the |