Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1871-07-14
D0wn:the Cedar Valley.

IouIS Respectfully,
g. L. KELLER.
-
Down:the Cedar Valley.
DEAR GAZETTE ..a.
Stepping aboard the Monday four
o'clock train at the. B., G. r.. & M.
depot, after an almost sleepless night,
lest we should "miss the train,n we
soon found ourselves being waited
swiftly by the village of Waterloo
and onward down the beautiful valley
of the clear watered and fertile Dor
dered Red Cedar. The first CLEANS
of the sun fell upon us as we were
passing the neat looking little city oil
La Porte. The far spreading fields
of ripening grain as they reflected
back the rays of the morning sun from
their dew-moistened heads, led us to
mediate on the countless riches
spread upon, and hidden in, these
fertile prairies of the State, correctly
entitled "Iowa''-"The Beautiful
Land"
Soon we had a glimpse of the city Of
Vinton, but her citizens seemed to be
still wrapped In their morning slum-
bers, excepting few who aroused by
the "toot" of the engineer, hasti-
ly peered from their half opened
doors, as IL to see "what was up"
but few clouds of smoke from the
morning fires were yet visible above
her stately mansions, neat cottages,
or mingling amid the green boughs
of her beautiful shade trees. After q
moment we are again Fastening on>
ward through far extended forests of
maize, and large expanses of "small
grain," aud by "a. m. came to a
pause as the brakeman shouts ice.
dar Rapids, twenty minutes for
breakfast" AS we had more appe-
lite for rest than breakfast we re-
NAMED In our seat, but the rumbling
Of trains and ringing of bells would
allow us no opportunity to doze.
While worrying out the twenty
minutes amid the confusion, an ex-
press car passed us whose floor SEEM
ed well ballastered with good sup
ply of huge silver bricks, which, I
presumed, were on their way from
Nevada to the u. 8. Mint. At the
expiration of little more than
"twenty minutes" our train was
hitched to "coal-burner" and again
we moved southwark through dark
cloud, gloomy to our sense of vision,
and not very agreeable to our sense
of smell. From the crossing of G.
& N. w. to the c., r. I. e. P. we
would not dare to say we were ,odfted.
Our engineer seemed to think we
must keep moving" but dare not
reach the point of Junction--W West
Liberty-before the arrival of the
train from the east which seemed to
US to be an hour considerably in the
future. AS we had some down grade
we did accidentally, but without any
serious accident to life or limb, crawl
into that beautiful village-W. L.
about five minutes too soon and had
thus to await the arrival of the train
from Davenport. From this point to
Junction, where we
crossed the q. Il 8. W., we made
haste. Here the mail trains from the
north and south on the B., Z. r. &
NJ. meet, also the mail from the east
and the freight from the west on the
G. &c s. w. meet. At this point we
had the pleasure Of greeting quite q
of old friends who were
aborad the different trains. After an.
other hours ride we find ourselves at
the place of our first home in IoVa,"
the pretty little town of Morning
Sun, situated on the southern border
Of the first lady-named county of our
State-Louisa. Here we were met
with the hearty greetings and whole
souled welcomes of old neighbors and
friends.
AS this Is patriotic village, we
found the inhabitants thereof astir
with preparations for glorious
Fourth of July. We had the pleas
ure of spending the evening in con.
and sleeping under the
same roof, with two veterans of
1872" who fought "Red Coats and
along the borders of Lake
Erie and In the thickets of the Maui
NEE and st. Joseph, during our Sec
ond war with Great Britain. Their
names are Brown and Blake. The
latter was in Iowa's Gray Beard reg.
iment during the late war.
The morning of the Fourth was
ushered In with the "burning Of
and soon the streets were
thronged by delegations and flying
banners from "all the country
round" About IL q. m. q procession
was formed and after traversing the
principal Streets" led by fine mar
tial music, they proceeded to grove
some distance from the noisy town,
and partook OF a picnic dinner
This having been safely deposited i'm
the natural laboratories of the indi.
composing the multitude, at
sound of the drum we gathered
around the Stand to hear the Decla-
ration read, and listened to an excel.
lent grafton by Rev. Wallace, late of
Rock Island, but now resident of
this place and pastor of a congrega-
ton here. Then followed the read
ing Of toasts and responses thereto !;
than a general dispersion all feeling
that we had spent one more day
In our country's service.
From observation, I think many of
the young men and boys, especially
from the rural districts, felt that they
had really sacrificed considerable Of
their postal currency and bright
nickels In buying Jackson crackers
and cigars and burning them for
their country's glory. Especially
did we sympathize with those who
were compelled with distorted facials
= :, a oxvaottsxo a. fanao L.. Il - -, Al ~ atan