Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1872-09-05
Beyond the Missouri.
Must not the poet who wrote

y
The first low wash of waves
Where soon shall roll n human sea,
have been prophet ? Surely hi
vision of the past is being gloriousl,
fulfilled in the present; here liv'
cities and towns, full of industry anC
business, have sprung up as If from
the magic touch Of the magician
wand. But to resume briefly tn,
sketch o. our journey from Ncbrask;
City shall be our duty.
The most striking feature ct Ne
braska ana Kansas, to an Iowa trav
eler, are the remarkably good roads
firm and hard as adamant; the ab
schcc OF sloughs or hazelbrush the
| driver need have no tear OF getting
his horses sWamrca or his wagon
stuck in the mud.
The rivers ana streams, too, pro.
sent 4 striking contrast to those OF
Iowa: III Tama county we are accus-
toned 70 see the timber growing II
the high banks or bluffs; here, we
have Travelled within a mile OF quite
heavy timber and not been aware of
the fact, uatil we came suddenly up
Oh II; for the bed of most streams
has the appearance OF having sunk
several feet below the adjacent land.
The banks are nearly perpendicular
and such chasms are easily bridged.
The timber is found growing III these
depressions; and the approaching
traveller will see only the tops OF the
trees, SO that the dark green foliage,
like a beautiful border, marks the
course of the winding streams. The
road often leads through these
chaasms, and an emigrant wagon, in
its passage, strongly reminds one of
a huge prairie dog taking his final
leap into the bottomless pit.
Our trip through southeastern
Nebraska occupied enc week. The
drive from Beatrice to Fairbury will
long be remembered by all who
make the trip during high and
scorching wind blowing directly
against them; the distance Is thirty
miles, and over the last twenty miles
there is no drinking water to be had;
occasi onally there is a small house in
sight in the dim distance We were
obliged to take in sail and put our
hats in a safe corner and carry on the
process OF respiration as best we
might; the hot air at times was al.
most suffocating. The grass On this
prairie W; 8 too short and thin to hide
even a prairie chicken, and be it
known tina. they can tla,tcn out like
a postage stamp and hide securely
under nothing. We here caution all
futnre travellers to take a jug well
filled with good water when making
this part OF their journey.
\ large brown stone marked IN
IN the North and * on the South
proc!aims the boundary line hetN cen
the two States, also, the division line
between Washington and Republic
counties.
Our first impressions OF Kansas
were very favorable, and these have
remained permanent, with one excep.
ton, and that is, the water is oener-
ally poor, at least that will be the
verdict pronounced by every one &C.
customed TO the pure cold water
which Iowa 50 bountiIully furnishes
to all
We enjoyed a pleasant visit with
Mr.. Joseph Northrop and his son,
Charles Northrop, men who are re-
membered by many in Tama county
as good and substantial citizens, and
who will now be glad TO hear Of Their
prosperity. Their farms are in the
Eastern part Of Republic county and
ale seven miles apart, and eleven
miles from Bellvllle, the county seat.
The former has ten stacks OF small
grain, and is now engaged in build
ing granary in which to store it
when threshcd. He is living in a
small frame house, one and a half
stories in height, and a well, sixty
five feet deep, furnishes the water for
culinary purposes and for watering
stock.
The latter is living IN substantial
log house, large enough and strong
enough to make good fort if neces'
slty required he expects to move in.
to new house this fall. A part OF
his farm is covered with $1,000
worth OF good, heavy timber; he, al
so, has grain, hay and stock enough,
to satisfy the desires of a moderate
ambition.
We were most bountifully feasted
at both places on water and musk
melons, of which "droughty Kansas
furnishes any amount, PR excellence.
In the grove mentioned above, we
attended q quarterly meeting; here
NC found men and women who had
brought their Christianity with them
and who dare to live and practice it,
(,h,rc,, sd school hnildinus arn