Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-01-18
lFRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT.


Dear lSpy:-rhis place is reached from Chica-
90 over Gle of the best managed railways in the
county, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy,
on which are found the best Pullman drawing
room coaches by day, and the most luxurious
palace sleeping cars at night, with all the latest
improvements, including recent wonderful in.
vention, the safety air brake, which operates
with almost instantaneous effect.
AT Burlington the Mississippi is crossed on a
substantial iron draw-bridge, where a change is
made to the branch road going south, which
runs meandering down the great river valley.
occasionally leaving the rugged river bank for a
while, to whiz through prosaic corn fields cov-
cred with a miniature forest of stubble. but
only to approach it soon again at an unexpected
point and in a novel manner, as cuii, us as un-
foreseen.
The Mississippi in winter is far less in
teresting than in summers life of traffic and
pleasure, and now it is partially filed with float
ing ice at different points, and in some places
above almost completely frozen over, catching
adventuresome steamboats, in its icy embrace,
and so that boys were gliding on steel where
the inland leviathans of commerce were wont
to sail.
This city, which is said to contain about
$4,000 inhabitants, is very prettily situated
at the meeting of the Des Moines with
the Mississippi river and the joining of the states
Missouri, Illinois and Iowa, upon the right bank
of the father Of waters and at an elevation from
it of one hundred and fifty feet, on an undulat.
ing plateau fianked by evenly dctiled bluffs and
rolling hills.
The business of KeOkuk is very extensively of
Wholesale and iobbing character, it being far
enough removed from ST. Louis to command a
large section Of contiguous territory; and it also
receives much of the valuable trade of the fertile
Des Moines valley. This is quite a point for
grain, especially corn, and depot for lumber
and pork-packing. One mill cuts over fifty
thousand feet day, and one firm markets over
three thousand of the unclean animal. Trans.
portation is by liver and five railroads.
The government is building ship canal in
front OF the city, to be eight miles in length and
three hundred feet wide, which will afford six
feet OF water at minimum mark, thus enabling
the largest steamboats, to make the rapids at all
times. This embankment of such an immense
head Of water will give a grand opportunity for
fine water privilege, with twenty-one feet fall.
The estimated expense of this great euterprise is
from five to seven millions of dollars; but com.
petent judges of the work affirm that the cost
would undoubtedly be much less if our govern
ment should make a fixed appropriation, and
abandonth the faulty system Of installments, which
is evidenced in other places as well as here
The weather here for the past week has been
very delightful and favorable for pleasant drives
about this place, of which there are many
One charming morning we started for visit
to the state capital, distant only one hundred
ond sixty-two miles, and reached through the
lovely valley Of the Des Moines, on a railroad
OIL the same name. Our ride carried us along
me unmalarious campagna or lowlands between
missouri and Iowa, for about seventy miles,
Wuen we began to ascend TO the table lands of
agricultural beauty; but not until we had pass.
cd many points Of interest, including some
places OF note during the war, on the Mis-.
SCUM SIDE; and nice stock farms. well located
grazing lands for cattle, and extensive horse
and sheep raising districts; also one funny III.
tie town owned by ex-Goy. Seymour.
Much of the wool grown in this section IL
used by the mills here, and made into some of
the best shawls, blankets and cassmeres for
the Philadelphia market.
When nearly half way to the capital the rail
way makes detour from the river aud passes
through perfectly grand tract of country.
about twenty miles in width and forty miles in
length, called the divide" by the iuhabt.
ants, many Of whom are Holanders, who ap
preciate what Is said IN no os ,,oo1 a., 49,, II -.