The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-02-21
From the West.

From the West.
ANUS, Iowa, Feb. IL, 1871.
Editor Register IL was thinking il
might be interesting to some of your
readers to lchrn of the resources. pro-
ductiops and prospects Of this, part of the
west. I see by the pcrusal of eastern
and Chicago papers, that Chicago does
not mention the untold productions of the
state of Iowa, that naturally fow- to
Chicago. And this State has thrown in
her productions of cattle, hogs, wheat,
Zee, until Chicago has the reputation of
being the greatest hog and grain market
in the world. And Iowa has done, and
is doing, more for Chicago in that re-
spect than Illinois; and all the best cat
tie and hogs are bought in Chicago and
shipped east as Illinois stock, and Iowa
is not heard from east of Chicago, in the
line Of products.
Here at this new station on, the Chca-
60 & Northwestern railroad, which five
years ago was raw piece of prairie,
there has been shipped to Chicago TWEEN
ty-fve thousand dollars worth of pork
the past fall and winter. And every
station on the four main lines of railroad,
from the Mississippi to- the Missouri
river, have contributed heavily to Chica-
90 market. These roads are all con-
troled by Chicago and New York, and
each railroad extends over 800 miles of
the territory of this State. St. Louis has
awaked to her interest, and has built and
are building two or three roads, north
and south through the State, and it is ex-
pected that one line of railroad will be
built from Des Moines through this place
north, to intersect with q railroad now
running to St. Paul, MINI. 1t is expect
ed this enterprise will commence early in
the spring, the south end is in the inter-
est Of Kansas City, Mo. 49,.
Ames is thirty miles directly north of
Des Moines, the capitol of the state, and
not five miles from the geological center
of the, state and the state has founded
the State Agricultural College here and
have located the lands donated by the
general government to the state, and
have adopted the plan of leasing them for
ten years, giving the tenant the privilege
of buying them at the expiration Of the
ten years. They have two hundred
thousand acres located, and portion
leased so their annual income now is
over twenty-five thousand dollars from
that source. The state crects all neces.
sary buildings. They appropriated seven.
ty thousand dollars at the last session oil
the legislature, for making additions tc
the college and other buildings which
are to be finished next Oct. -,
The instructions given are more or less
connected with practical farming The
students have to work two hours each
day on the farm, and that pays for theil
board. instruction is free. The farm
contains eight hundred acres of land il
is stocked with the best improved herds
of cattle, hogs and sheep. They have
some cattle from Mr.. Shcldcn's herd O.
Geneva, n. Y. ..
They have adopted the plan Of animal
auction sales of their surplus stock Al
the last sale, one Durham calf Gold fol
S145, and number of others sold foi
over 800 per head. Ell,
In conversation with Pres. WEIGH, q
few days since, he informed me that il
was the most successful Agricultural
College in the United States. He as.
sured me they could have had thousand
pupils the coming term, which commences
the Sth Of March, if they could take
care of them, he said they could instruct
that number, but their present capacity
for vitualing and lodging will hot admit
of over IT'S.
The great drawback in a new place
like this, is the want Of capital. Pres
WEIGH and others are anxious for some
one or more individuals to erect and keer
a boarding house that would accommodate
from one to two hundred students, they
will assure them that they will be full
eight months in the year. Any one, hay.
ing the means and ability to manage ar
enterprise of that character, this would
be sure investment. And if they hat
children to educate, they would have {
double purpose supplied. - -.
When people in the east think o.
changing climate, they are fearful they
may loose their good health they enjoy
in the east. They need have no fears il
that respect, there is no healthier section
in the western states.
The winter has been very pleasant with
slight falls of snow, not over two inche.
has fallen at any one time. - -
Yours, Respectfully