Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1873-09-25
THE WEST.

AoS VII AO"1s 40 a eS"h VI
about 5000 inhabitants, and situa-
ted twenty-eight miles north east
from Fairfield on the Southwestern
Branch of Chicago d Rock Island
road. 1t is the center of a rich and
thickly settled county of the same
name. 1t was at this point we left
our readers in our communication
of last week. We arrived there on
Thursday evening and found our
friends all in the enjoyment OF good
health. That night, or rather the
the next morning, we had our first
experience of Iowa mud. Our read
ers must know that in all the towns
throughout the west, board walks
and crossings take the place of brick
or stone pavements. The rain had
caused these boards and crossings
to be quite slippery,especiall where
the mud had been carried upon
them by the teams crossing them.
Now anyone who has seen this ives
tern mud, knows that it is like
walking on creased board,to pass
oyer one of these crossings. As we
walked along leasurely, all of a sud
den our feet, first one and then the 9th
er, now both, slipped from under
us, and any one who might have by
chance, been looking at us, may have
taken US for a lofty tumbler, SO ag-
lie and extraordinary were our mo
tions in our endeavors to maintain
our standing in the community. The
treacherous mud stuck to our boots
and refused to let go its hold. One
or two of these sly tricks were suffi-
cient to put us on our guard.
business in Washington is good
at present, had been quiet during the
summer months. The grangers had
grand celebration there a few days
before, at which there were several
thousand people. There are great
many of these organized lodges in
Iowa, as well as all other western
states. They have already run into
politics and many are leaving the
oranges on this account. There is
a regular Granger paper published
In washington. They have their
Grange stores but these are not
having the patronage they at first
had, as the people soon found out
that they were paying more for their
goods there than they could get
them for at other places.
Our readers will remember of read.
ing an account of the hurricane
that passed over a portion of Mis-
sourl,lowa aud Illinois in the spring.
Its track was about half a mile wide
and lay through the western part of
Washington county. We did
not visit its path, but were in
terested in hearing our friends re-
late some of the things that happen
ea at the time. Some of these
were very remarkable. The force
of the hurricane must have been ter
rifle, as it was heard at a distance
of six and eight miles, and sounded
like heavy freight trains passing op-
er a bridge. Houses were turned in
side out and scattered in all direc-
tions. A cooking stove was.carried
nearly quarter of mile, and brok-
en- into fragments. A school house
was lifted off foundation, leaving the
floor upon which the children were
gathered, and carried away and
scattered to the winds. Only one
OF the whole was injured, and that
was little girl who run out of doors.
She was torn in pieces by the wind.
A fence rail was blown through a
large hog, as boy would stick a
pin through a piece of paper.
Chickens were found, some living
and walking around, others dead i,
from which the feathers we're blown
off as though picked for the pot. But
our readers doubtless heard the
particular at the time uf occurrence.
Suffice it to say that eleven persons
were killed, and quite a number
wounded, some of whom will be
cripples for life.
On Sunday morning we went to
hear our old college chum, Rev. W.
c. Williamson preach in the First
Presbyterian church-United Pres
byterian. He gave us a very excel
lent sermon. This is the largest OF
the eleven Congregations in that
town. The United Presbyterian
element is much the strongest in
that section, there being two U. P.I
churches in Washington. In the
evening we went to the Presbyte. |
rian church to hear Rev. Wallace
another Jefferson College student.
The Great majority of people in
Washington and one or two adioin
ing counties are from Ohio. You
scarce meet with man who has
not at some time or other been in
Ohio: The land in this part of the
state is worth from twenty five to
fifty dollars per acre. on an average,
some more and some less. Wood
IS only tour dollars a cord. The
soil is rich and fertile. We leave
Washington Monday afternoon, and
arrive at Fairfield, where we have
o wait three hours for the train for
Omaha, While waiting for the train
We received call from Rev. Carson
Reed, Presbyterian minister ofthatj
'lace, and an old college friend.
We were very glad to meet him af