The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1872-08-08

and lettering wrecks of those that wer
once men among us remains to testify o
its power. Messrs. S. 81 Co., have entirely
renovated this mill, last year spending
$1,000 in inside repairs, and to-day they
have mill as go ID as the best. With
superior buyer, and first-claes millers, they
are enabled to put upon the markets No
grade of -four. We wish them the sue
cess that has always attended them. ant
of which they are eminently worthy.
THE COUNTY IN WHICH WE LIVE.
. . PLEASANT GROVE TOWNSHIP.
| This is in the extreme north east corner
of the county. Why it is called Pleasant
Grove is beyond my ken. Crossing the
North Skunk at Roberts mill, one enters
the township about two and half miles
east of its southwest corner. Should the
traveller form judgment of the whole
from the portion he Is introduced to after
crossing the river, he would doubtless ex
claim, eff this is Pleasant Grove, I'll have
none of it, but HE me hence :" but hastily
formed opinions are often repented Of, as
would such one.
Once out of the river bottom, one comes
into a series of hills, or as they are called,
breaks and breaks they are literally. The
traveller oyer them is liable to break his
own or horses neck the man that tries
farming on them will have break that
will be brake to his ambition in that line.
An old settlement is seen in this locality,
yet the houses, and Improvements indicate
either poor land, or shiftless farmers, ev-
erything has adilapidated appearance. In
the southeast portion of the township is
seen some very good country, and tolera-
bly, we'll farmed, yet I must confess that
generally speaking. our Pleasant Grove
farmers are not up to the standard. This
they themselves admit. There are howev-
er, many things to be considered before
passing judgment. First, situated as they
are twenty miles from Oskaloosa, their
chief and only reliable market, they are
necessarily subject to great disadvantages.
This will be obviated to great extent by
the railroads that are now project ed and
it is hoped soon to be finished into the TIP.
The Southwestern at Indianapolis, and
the Muscatine Western at Agricola, will be
sources of outlet that when in operation will
infuse new life and energy into the trade,
and growth of the entire township. Sec
ondly, there is not in the whole township
a single main thoroughfaIe, the travel from
other counties going to the right and left,
consequently they have had to live
within themselves, and I only wonder
that they have been as successful as they
have. Thirdly, even at the distance of
twenty miles from market there are only
certain times when they can come to mar
ket at all. With two rivers to cross, one of
which, until within two or three years,
had to be forded at every crossing, it is no
small undertaking to market the produce
of single harvest
In the northeast corner of the township,
seen some splendid country, and it is be-
ing we'll farmed. l found here a Scotch
Irish settlement, who are great workers
and thorough farmers. Having chosen
superior portion of the township they are
destined to not only become well situated,
but they will add to the value and beauty
of the country in which they are, to an ex-
tent hardly attained by any other class.
In this section numerous springs furnish
pure and abundant water. Water, how
ever, is abundant over the entire town
ship. Along the north line is also
seen some very good farms, although
they present the old and worn ap-
pearance of those before described. On
the west lies ridge of timber land, Gov
cred with most excellent timber, hickory,
white oak and walnut, are here found. At
the saw mill of Messrs. Riggs & Mcmahon
I saw white oak logs quite four feet thick,
and clear and good. Messrs. r. s. NJ have
good mill, run by steam, and are doing a
thriving business. They have constant
employment and saw for one-half, or at
the rate of $3.50 per M. They claim to
have the best mill position in the county.
WILD LAND.
There are in this township thousands of
acres of wild land, much of it owned by
Spectators. My opinion is that they have
made permanent investment, unless per-
chance it should roll off, for the neighbors
say it is rolling now. If it is ONLY rolling,
l don't want to see any broken country.
There are hundreds of acres of this land so
rough that level twenty acres in one
body cannot be found. The hills are not
long and regular, as is rolling land, but on
the contrary are short and abrupt, gener-
ally pointing out at little valley, on the
other side of which is the same succession
of hills. The points of these hills are filled
with gravel and stones, over which the
soil is not over six inches in depth Farm
these points would not raise even white
beans. This open land, however, furnishes
pasturage for immense numbers of stock.
In every direction may be seen great
droves of horses, herds of cattle and f1ocks
of sheep, all growing fat on the rich wild
grass with which these tracts are covered.
IMPROVEMENTS.
A number of improvements are in pro-
gress. John Lipsey, Friend, is putting
up house, 24x26, preparatory to his
moving here in the fall. School district
No. 5, is building a new school house, to
cost $40. District No. s has one built
within two years-a very neat building,
and said to be the best in the township.
Over Moon creek, which flows along the
west line, is new bridge, put up last week
by our bridge commissioner Aaron Mid.
dleton, late Scott county farmer, has a
house l6x16, and is adding 16x24 to it.
Mr.. M. is opening farm here, this being
his first season, and little space devoted
to his way of doing it may not be amiss.
He came to his present home, only last
winter, and having had part of his land
broken the year before, he was enabled,
when the spring came, toput in crop,
and as good corn as Anywhere saw, was
on his farm, wheat the same, some of which
he was threshing. He fenced his farm
with posts and wire at cost of about fifty
five cents per rod-two posts, 20 cents,
four pounds of wire at 81 cents per ID, is
the detail of cost per rod, four strands of
wire, rod of wire weighing trife over a
pound. This fence is serYiceable and safe,
nothing can get through it but pigs, and