The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-08-23
NOTES OF TRAVEL.

N "TRIP OF the senior editor, and we hasten to CorTeg
H. III point OF fact, 1t was no part of purpose to
=, capture grizzly bears, buttalocs, antclopes ga
Eellcs, snakes or owls, nor were we within
thousand miles of Captain Jacks famous lava
" beds. Yet having ridden on the rail" in the
IL vicinity of two thousand miles, and seen a great
= deal OF country, it is possible may have seen
o and heard of few things that our readers would
{ he interested n
/ Our travelling was mainly by the Burlington
Il road and its western connections. though We
made divergence to the north IN the Missouri
> valley and touched the borders of Dacotah.
We can say nothing to interest our readers
about IA ride from Ottawa TO Aurora and very
= little about trip from Aurora to Darlington:
e yet occasionally an item turns mn in thc most
unpromising locality. For instance, in passing
e the unpretehtious village of Plano a huge sign
stared us in the face: "Orice or he T;g. Latt,,.
t my H'"tN H""d," and "Zion's Hope" Also,
another sign: Latter Day Saints puh,ishin,.
House We had often cherished 3 longing to
see THE City Of the Saints" but the trim W..
contemplated did not embrace an extension tn
salt Lake. whence our qualification was not q
: NIUE 10 ma the true Iion's Rest" so near home
Plano, We had almost forgotten, is the "Holy
City of that wing of the Mormon church which
adhercs to Joseph Smith, son of the original
Joseph, whose mantle the junior Joseph claim,
To rest upon his shoulders. There are said To he
some 5000 persons Of this faith in the vicinity Of
Plano, mostly wcl.todo-farmcrs and exemplarv
citizens. Other adhcrens of st. Joseph ar,
scattered through Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, and
Kentucky, and there is said be even fourishia.s
congregation in Florida. The "PrOphetr claim.
! 1900 members on his church rolls and incrcas.
ing llIsfollowers reject poygamy and other sin
! Iul practices of the "apoStatC Brigham" and cN.
| ccpt that they believe in the Book of Mormon
their faith and mode OF worship differs apparent
| ~ Iittle from that of the primitive Mcthodists.
AS far as Princeton the country looked green
and fresh, As if favored with abundant rain
Wheat and oats, though generally harvested
looked heavy, and corn was simply enormous
Beyond Princeton, however, the land seemed
parched with drought. Corn looked shriveled
and stuntcd, and the grassy hillsidcs were brown
The natives" assured us they had had no rain
since the 4th of July--t raincd everywhere or
the 4th--and the heat and dust were intolerabe
We crossed the magnificent iron bridge over
the Mississippi at Burglington by daylight and
1t Is structure worth seeing, but not to be dcs-
crihcd As to hotel accommodations in Burling.
ton, "lou have lIobson's choice" the conductor
had assured Us; there is but one hotel in the
placc-the Barret House. So we proceeded to
the Barrett House. 1t is large building with
succeed front-but old, and old.rashioned, with
low ceilings, aud small, dn%y rooms. Yet the
fare was pasSably rood and the Siy.is. polite and
attentive. One meets many worse hotels than
the Barrett.
Burlington is, for the West, quite an ancient
city, its foundation dating back fifty wears or
more. It is partly built in a narrow valley mad,
by small sinuous stream that years AFRO tore
channel through the high blufi-but its three or
four main business streets run parallel with The
lcVee on the river front, the streets ascend
ing lay steep grade to the bluff Its aristocratin
residences crown the high bluffs overlooking the
busy mart below, The foundation Of the civ
IKE Jollct, IS upon limestone, and with this ma
eFlHL broken into small bits, the streets are ms
'adaihilcd. The arrangement is bad in dry wcatl
r.. The friction of horse feet and wagon wheels
5rnds the surface INTO an impalpablc dusi
which rises mist-kc into the atmosphere and
'cryadcs everywhere. Itcovcrs sidewalks gras.
'lats, carpets, tables-penctratcs your mos
ecrct chambers, and covers the clothes and
aces OF pedestrians 50 that all the people looked
Ike millcrs.
Four or five of the best business blocks, inclnd
ny splendid new opera house, court house, &c.
'crc, some six weeks ago, DESTROYED by fire,
nd very crcItabic energy is shown Ia rebuild
lS the burnt district. Our brief stay gave ~
inc to examine the extent of her manufacturers.
hlch are said to be considerable, nor the othn.
'urceS OF her evident prosperity. The town
eSpcratey needs water works, the main de-.
cndcncr for the fluid at present being upon
ellis and tanks along the river.
The population of Burlington is placed by the
'nsus at about $4,000, but very important part
omittcd-wc mean the pig and dogs, which
le encounters everywhere. Count them and
c population amounts to at least 10000. since
Re destruction of the opera house the princip.
nusement OF the people at night seems to y.
Y lighting. fayorite locality for the spor
in front OF the Barrct House Both Sidewalk.
ere covered with spectators and the street,
led with lighting dogs about all night, Will
vainly courted the god Of sleep couple OF
Drcs above
Leaving Burlington about 9 O'Clock in tie
)rnng, the ride westward is very mach like :.
e through any well settled portion Of Illino.,
country AL fenced ana in thorough cultivation,
tn fine farm houses, large barns, huge grain
cks, orchards, &c. Il is somewhat hot and
sty and We sigh for green fields and Iimpcd
cams, which are scarce; hut AZ R.me We cross
beautiful stream when, though uuadmonshea
any mephi-tic odor, We are dis@ustcd to FIND
named skunk River" Meantime however
have passed Mount Pleasant, the Athens OF
va beautiful city Of 1893 innab.,a nts, whcyo
-. -, ~