The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1874-05-28
NORTHWESTERN IOWA.
Sac CRY, Iowa, !,
May ODD. 1s.4. ,

Nav 22d, 1874.
EpITog ADyERTIsER:-We are still
on the moccasin track, holly pursuing
the braves" with one eve open for
speculation and broad acres, and the
o,her gazing upon the beauties Of the
wide spread, rich, undulating prai-
ries Of Iowa. The northern portion
of Carroll county is good country
and rapidly being settled BY the Ger
mans. Mt. Carmel is thriving set
Element and fast growing into a VII
lage. situate eight miles north Of Car
roll and eight miles south of Grant
City. The country from Mt. Carmel
IT, Grant City is rich land and thickly
settled. Grant City is about two
hundred strong: boasts OF grist and
saw mill, two hotels, two stores. and
situated on the east bank, or on this
side Of Raccoon river, Familiarity
known here as the .'koon." Surroun-
ded by grove about three miles in
length and two miles in width; the
timber which composes the grove
consists Of hickory, white oak, burr
oak. black walnut, elm, and bass
wood. Farms near the grove are
worth fifteen 10 twenty dollars per
scIe. From Grant City we pass TO
Wall Lake. six miles west. The lake
is three aud half miles in length and
one mile wide. 4 beautiful little
lake it is-water pure and bright, and
in i, abundance Of all kinds Of fish,
and upon its surface float many ducks.
It's name, presume. is givenit from
the fact that i, has the appearance Of
being walled in with boulders and
niger heads packed and laid up
a. If by the hands of some master me-.
chanic; the wall being from two to
ten feet high. 1t is surrounded by
beautiful prairie. Not tree or
scarcely bush, or wild willow
adorn its banks or border. There are
some six or eight cabins or houses
surrounding the lake. There is to
be erected this season a fine hotel for
the accommodation Of the traveller
and pleasure seeker, at the head Of
the lake; when completed it will be a
great accommodation TO visitors
There are in Upton a dozen of good
fellows who would enjoy trip to
this lake, and spend month here
with pleasure and satisfaction. From
Wall Lake we pass to Sac City, dis
lance Of eight miles, over handsome
prairie, passing only two cabins in
the eight miles travel. Sac City is
the county seat OF Sac county, a dash
ing, entcrprising, little town Of five
hundred inhabitants. Surrounded by
timber, except on the west. situate on
the right bank Of the "koon," and
fourteen miles south from Newell, in
Beuna Vista county, on the Illinois
Central Railroad. The laborers are
a, work grading the Iowa and Paci-
he Railroad, which passes on the
north side OF the town. Sac City is
about forty-tive miles west of Fort
Dodge-the road is expected to be
completed to this point i'll the sum
mer oflS..5. Sac City has fine court
house, in style of architecture and
beauty surprising the court house at
Upton, at cost of thirty thousand
dollars; also, a graded school house,
at cost Of thirteen thousand dollars,
which is a building of good style aud
taste. and situated on commanding
ground overlooking the city. Mr..
Platt has just erected brick resi-
dence costing thirteen thousand dol
lars. which is house of great beauty
and style. At this city there is
fine grist and saw mill, costing twelve
thousand dollars. The citizens are
en;erprising and united, and work
well together il everything which
tends to develop the growth and
welfare Of the town.
For agricultural purposes Sac coun
~ is one Of the very bestin the State,
the soil is splendid, well watered and
timbered wood worth by the cord
from three to four dollars. Talk about
farmers, and they have them here
Mr.. Wheeler has farm Of nine sec
tons. or five thousand seven hundred
and sixty acres, well improved;
cheese factory, and abundance OF cat
tie on the farm. Mr.. Coon has farm
Of thirteen sections, or eight thousand
of
land, and has thirty breaking teams
at work. How is that for business
and enterprise:
To one who has been accustomed
to see the cultivated land enclosed
with fences, this country presents a
strange, wild and careless appearance.
No fences, the crops are all growing
without protection. The herder looks
after the cattle and horses. Those
living in a small town have their
cows looked after by herdsman,
who at I o'clock each morning sounds
his bngle, and the cattle assemble at
the center of the village ready to
move out on the prairie, when they
are looked after during the day by
the herdsman, and in the evening re-
TUNED to their homes-a curiosity 10
see the cattle assemble at the call OF
the bugle, or sound of the tin horn.
Before closing this hastily written
letter, allow me to give you some OF
the classic names in Sac county bv
which places are known, to wit
Hell,s Slough, Purgatory, and Little