The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1871-06-08

OAAAsoiSsip sssASA AAsssNS Vus AsCs JObAuSy
TO Sigourney (accent on the first
syllable) last week. 8
If thcrei is thirty one miles Of bet
ter country than that between here
aud Sigourney, we have not seen it
In our pcregrinations, which hayo
included nearly all the States and
Territories. assa
/ In spite Of the dry weather, the
corn which is planted in uncommon-
" largo breadth, il looking exceed
ingly well, being fully two weeks in
advance Of tho average season, ard is
generally as clean and we'll titled as
q garden.
Wheat, cats, grass, &c, are suffer-
ing moro for rain than corn, but they
will make largo yields fit rains in
4 few days. Fruits ofall kinds are
unusually abundant. +.
Sigournoy has one Of the handsom-
est locations in the State. It was
named after the poetess, Lydia FL.
Sigourncy, who, in return for the
compliment, had u row Of Gins and
naples set out around the outer edge
Of their beautiful court house square,
which are now largo and handsome
shade trees. II contains population
Of about one thousand law abiding
and thrifty people, who do not even
tolerate, much less support single
saloon. The county contains pop
ulation Of . little rising Of 10000, il
We remember Alright, and is well
watered and timbercd by tho two
Skunks, and numerous other smaller
streams, mcandering through the
county. Take it, by and large Keo-
knk is one of the best agricultural
counties in the State.
Property is now comparatively
cheap in Sigourney, but they are abb
solutely certain to have two railroads
at an early day, TO wit: tho Cedar
Rapids and st. Louis, and the Musca-
tine and Washington Western road
II 4 b & - Il
being built now from it's terminus Ut
Washington to Sigourncy, by that
railroad king, Tracy. Then it is
quite probable that another road in
q northwesterly direction may DO
built.
Atany rate, situated in the centre
of u magnificent agricultural county,
with no other towns Of any conso.
quence near by to sap its vitality; SUR
with abundance OF coal,
stone, and timber, and with ample
railroad facilities in the immediate
prospective, the town is bound to
grow into 10 5000 during the next
decade, and is certainly promising
place to locate in, with the absolute
certainty of doing good business,
and real zing fiattering advances on
real estate.
We were fortunate in stopping at
the Rico House, which is we'll kept
by Rice, pater fam,lias, who sent four
sons to the front during the late un-
pleasantness.
Sigonrney has many good citizens
whom We had the pleasure Of being
acquainted with, and who are gener-
ally and favorably known through
out the State. There is Col. Mack
ey, gallant soldier who succeeded
the lamented Rice in command of
the 33d Iowa, and who ran against
Loughridge the last time, and redu-
ced his majority to about $780,
Then there is Major A. J. Pope, who
arose through all the grades from o
private to be Major of Crocker's 18th
Iowa, and who served with distinc-
tion tho last year of the war on Belk-
maps staff, and who, as collector 4th
district OF Iowa, is ono Of the best
revenue officers in the State. At the
Nems Office wo met it's talented edi-
tor, j. w. Ravens, who publishes a
paper highly creditable to himself
and town, and who is also q distin-
guishod member of the Iowa Senate.
As disciple of Isaac Walton, he
has won high rcnowD, there being
only one man between him and the
championship Of Sigourney, to,wit i:
Col. Mackey, who recently landed a
l2a ib salmon, and who now wears
the belt with grace and dignity
Geo, b. Woodin went to college with
Major Hamilton, of this paper, and
then went Is years ago to Sigourney
without cont, and is now the lead
ing lawyer there, vico-presidcnt OF
the lst National bank, and has farms
all around the county. We rather
suspect that the people of Sigournoy
are not exactly aware OF the obliga.
tions they owe to another one OF
their indefatigable citizens, to wit: J,
III. Sanders. He has stood BY their
north and south railroad through
thick and thin, and It's present fiat.
tering condition is owing greatly to
his intelligent efforts. He lives in
one of the most elegant houses in
central Iowa, and deserves, and has
beat the world out Of handsome
amount of shekels. Judge samp
son, one Of Sigourney's most worthy
and honored citizens, has au elegant
residence in the suburbs. He wa,
absent attending court.
In closing this desultory article
we must not omit to mention to tht
credit OF tho Sigoulneyites, tina,
they have ono Of the finest publ,
school buildings that you would SCI
in q weeks travel, with capacity
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