The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1871-02-28
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENTS.
Dusiuess Rrospecss-Duli Zines
washington's Dirthday and how
&C was Characterization by Col.
Danforths


ton of learning that you were just ten min
utes lA1e2 We have, ON two we'll remem-
bered occasions. Once in company with
good looking wagon manufacturer of Mo
line. 1t was interesting to see how he en-
joyed it.. Quite so, to see him develoPe his
pedestrian powers between the junction and
Pond Creek. Our last experience was all
to ourselves. Saturday night between Gin
oinuat aud Pitssburg. Change cars for
Pittsburg," cried the conductor. We did
change, and it took us Just ttcent-three
hours and .ffty minutes to change. ""ha'
pleasant reflections may come when we are
left at = way station" beats Ihe dreams We
are told of two to one.
At last we reached Pittsbarg, that smoky
city, that complex of municipalities, com
posed of two cities and eleven bOroughs--a
CITY that is to the East what Rock Island
will be to the West-the great manuisctur
ing centre. This city is not to one visiting
itfr the irst time, q very attrActive-lo
place. The dense volumes of black smoke
pouring from the hundreds of furnaces, the
Copious showers of SCOT, the constant rum
ling Of ponderous machinery, the CHATTER Of
wagons laden with iron, are experiences
that are not calculated TO make a favorable
impression at first. In q very brief time,
however, the visitor learns that the black
canopy is the "pillAr of cloud" to PittSburg.
ere, assuring them that the vast industries
are still prospering. He learns, too, that
the rugged looking hills bounding the hori
zon are full of riches in the shape Of btu
minous coal. The mass of the inhabitants,
if they do labor and toll, are educated, even
refined, ever alive TO the beautiful as well
as to the useful. They are clever, sociable,
and generous. The public buildings,
churches, halls, ETC., compare fAyorAbly
with any in the land, in spite of the awful
the location and extent OF this city. The
MonongahelA river sweeps from the south
through the most densely populated dis
tricts, forming with the Allegheny river,
flowing from the northeast, the beautiful
Ohio. PittsbOrg proper lies between the
two rivers. On the south side are situated
the boroughS of Ormsby, East Birming ham,
West Pittsburgh, Allentown, Birmingha
MonongAhela, and Temperanceville. On
the north bank of the Allegheny are the
cities of Allegheny and the boroughs OF EtnA
and ShArpsburg. The total area covered
may De estimated at about twenty five
square miles. Nine bridges cross the rivers
and the aggregate population, according to
the census recently completed, amounts tc
very nearly two hundred thousand, while the
entire county of Allegheny, which should
properly be included IN an estimate of tn.
population OF Pisssburg, would give total
population of over 263,O0O We mention
these things to Show what manufacturing
has done for Pittsburg, and what they
will do for Rock Island and her sister
cities, and we do not know ,bu'
that ever grsnder results may be achieved 4
al unite to improve our natural ad vantAges
But enough for this subject. We left the
smoky city in the full enjoyment of excell-
ent SleighiDg, which was being duly i'm
proved, TO find Philsdelph and New York
with their fashion, beauty and wealth, enjoy
ing the same, and trying to forget hare
times, dull trade and the general siaguAtios
Of business behind their fast teams and ga,
equipsges filed with we'll dressed men anc
beAuti u women.
Western men who complain of dull times
should come to the larger eastern cities anC
then 60 home satisfied. Everywhere and il
all departments of trade it is the same
Business dull, collections hard and genera
financial ruin staring the country in tn
face" Yet, with this state of things tn
capital of the nation has just passe
through great carnival where the Roya
family Of Grant the |, occupied O privat
balcony Whose owner will probably be sat
ishsd with q foreign consulate and reviewe
the procession, reminding one OF the fable
Nero at the burning OF Rome.
Business men here in Philadelphia an
Pittsburg AnxiOusly ask, "Why don't you
mer goods How does it look for trade in tn
West this year ?" And dozen similar que
tions, all indicating that the relief from tb
present close times is expected from Ii
West and its unlimited productions, instea
of from the powers that rule at Washington
who ara piiing on the taxes to pay q nation
al deb' that is not due for ten years to COM
This policy of the government is beIn
severely criticized by the leading busiue,
men, and is having the effect to hasten h
change in public sentiment for more comp
tent men in congress and at the head of tn
departments.
But to leave this subject, for we kno
western men are Il mixing of these thing
with as much interest as eastern capitalist
Yesterday was Washington's birth day al
the beginning of Lent,-tWo causes thi
united to make it a holiday in this Cit
Business was suspended, and ell over Il
city, from thousand balconies and hous
tops foAted the national flag. Broadws
the great aorta of the city, was one va
stream of moving life, and presented seer
that reminded one of the past, when it use
to be considered an ImpOssibiliiy to croI
the street without danger to limb and lif
But we will not attempt description, q
most OF our readers have seen the cit,
We meet but few western men, and W
believe Only one Rock IslAnd man, Mr..
G. Coss, our popular Wholesale dealer
boots and shoes, spent day in the cit
and then left for Boston to purchase a heav
stock of goods for the western trade. b
was in excellent health and enioyin
~. ,-;n go. n. ~ ho.;.ou -