Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1871-09-28
A TRIP NEST.

Dy nasty skeUcn OF sonle tnuiSs lisil
We saw in our flying trip through some
of the States West. We left Millers-
tburg on Friday morning the 18th inst,
and arrived in Chicago at1six O'Clock
that evening. At O'Clock We took a
train on the Chicago, Burlington d
Quincy route for Burlington, Iowa.
Our readers are doubtless SO well ac-
lquainted with the nature of the country
from here to Chicago that it may not he
interesting to them for us to stop to de-
scribe. The country through the West
ern part of Ohio is generally low and
fat and has rather rough appearance
owing to great deal of fallen timber,
which has mostly decayed. There is al
so good deal of shrubberv and thick
underground in many places. Just be-
yond Ft. Wayne our train did some fast
running, going over 40 miles in 81 min
utes. There is great deal Of sanleness
along the route and nothing of gener-
al interest was seen or noticed until we
came to the Kankakee swamp in Indi-
ana. The day had been cloudy and very
smoky so that objects at distance could
not be well Defined Just as We were in
the midst of this swamp, which is per-
fectly level for distance of fifteen or
twenty miles, the sun broke out through
the clouds and smoke for the first time
during the day, which rendered the
sight a most beautiful one. The sun
shining through the smoke gave the
prairie an appearance of beautiful
lake interspersed here and there with
trees which resembled ships in the dis
tance. As we draw near to Chicago the
soil is composed of white sand which
frequently drifts like snow. Vegetation
does not seem to grow well on this Kind
of soil. The timber is mostly mere
shrubs. From ten to twenty miles on
this side of Chicago the land is very
wild and rough, not hilly. Not having
the time, we shall not attempt to de-
scribe the city of Chicago, the great
city of the Northwest.
| Passing over the Burlington road in
Illinois one sees great many beautiful
towns and some very fine country. Some
as fine as We have ever seen anywhere.
This state is more thickly populated,
and more fully settled up than we had
any idea of. Aurora Is beautiful and
thriving town some thirty or forty
miles from Chicago. One great charac-
teristic of all the towns of the West is
the tasty appearance which they pre-
sent. We arrived at Galesburg, Illinois,
about six O'Clock in the morning. 1t is
here that the three branches of the Chi
cago, Burlington & Quincy railroad
meet the Peoria, Quincy and the Main
line through to Burlington, Iowa. The
machine shops of the Company are 10 |
Gated at this place, so that there is a
great deal of stir and enterprise about
the town. The eating-house, which is |
kept there is said to be one of the finest
and best in all the West. At Burling- |
ton We cross the Mississippi River by |
railroad bridge, and land in Iowa at
Burlington. This city is pretty stir
ring place, and as regards location is |
both hilly and level. There seems to be |
good deal of business done. Butt
having only a few minutes to remain,
We did not have time to look around.
Taking the B. & NJ. road we were soon
whirling along into the State of Iowa.
This is fine portion of the State, per-
haps not as fertile as some other parts,
but very good farming and stock-rais-
ing land. The land lies well, being un-
dulating, and not entirely prairie. Mt.
Pleasant is one of the handsomest towns
we have ever SEEN. An Insane Asylum
is located here. The public buildings
are all good. The Methodists have a
fine College here, which gives charac-
ter to the place. Passing on We soon
reach Skunk river, which is, perhaps,
three times the size of Killbuck. There
is considerable quantity of timber
along this river.
We soon arrived at Fairfield, the
county seat of Jefferson county.
Wishing to go to Washington, twenty
five miles north of this town, on the
Southwest road, we stopped off at Fair
field, and waited for train going north.
This town has a population of nearly
three thousand, so they claim, but our
opinion is that when two thousand were
counted, there would be but few left.
The town is pleasantly situated in the
midst of a fertile country. Fruit in
this section of Iowa is plenty this sea-
son, and is quite cheap. We saw wag-
on load of nice, large apples sell for
thirty five cents a bnshel. Thissis the
home of Wilson, the candidate for Sem
ator, against Harlan and Allison. His
chances for election seem pretty favor
able. We called on the editors of the
Fairfield Ledger, and found them both
in. Mr.. Robinson used to be in Bucy-
rus, and has been in Fairfield only about
two years. They were the first to bring
out Wilson as a candidate. The Ledger
is neat Republican paper, worked on a
Cincinnati Press.
We might here say that We arrived at
this point, sixty miles beyond the Mis-
sissippi at eleven o'clock next day after
leaving Millersburg, having lain over
three hours Of this time in Chicago.
This is pretty fast travelling, taking into
consideration that We made change of
cars three times,-at Orrville, Chicago
and Burlington. At four. and a-half
O'Clock we took the train for Washing
ton, where we arrived before six, and
found our friends well. We had long
heard of. Washington through our rela-
tiyes who went there, about twenty
years ago, when the town was in its in
fancy. At present it contains some
three thousand inhabitants, and is the |
center of trade for a large scope of
country. There is a great deal of busi-
ness done here, but not as much as there
was a few years ago before the railroad
was finished through to Missouri. A
great portion of the shipping is now
done at smaller stations along the road,
which consequently cuts off from that
done at Washington. This place in the
earlier years of its existence, was re
markahle for the Infidelitv eyistinp