Connecticut western news., 1874-05-15
Through the West.


 EDITOR NEWS. Business requiring ou
 attention in Iowa and Minnesota caused u
 to leave the busy city of Chicago for few days. We stepped on board Pullman palace drawing room car at 1O.45 P. M
 Wednesday, April 29th. The bell of tn,
 engine rang for all to get aboard, and on,
 toot from the engine and we were off. Fo
 us to say that the Pullman palace cars art luxurious would be superduous at the pres
 ent time, as every one knows they are who have rode in them. The car was vel filled with passengers, most of whom had retired, and as no acquaintance of ours was on board, we also concluded to retire at once. Showing our ticket to the con ductor, he conducted us to lower double berth No. 6, center of car. We soon pre- pared to enjoy ourselves as best we could for the night. as we had journey before us of two hundred and twenty-five miles.
 We found the berth or bed to be equal to any we had ever rested on in any first class hotel, city or country. The night was bright moonlight one, and we drew the curtain to our window one side that we might view the various towns and villages as we passed through them, provided we were awake; we soon lost ourselves in sleep, only waking two or three times dur ing the night, and so our view of the towns by moonlight didn't amount to much. At daylight we awoke just in time to find our selves crossing the Mississippi at Clinton. We rested still in our berth until seven o'clock, when we arose and passed to the rear end of the car where we found every convenience for making our toilet that could be found in the Palmer House, Chi cago.
 We were now in Iowa, one of the finest states in the Union. As we passed over the prairies, dotted here and there with farm houses, across streams and through the timber, we almost wished we were resident of this beautiful state. At Lon don, one hundred and seventy-eight miles from Chicago, we sat down to breakfast consisting of ham and eggs, beef steak, sausage, fried and baked potatoes, wheat cakes, corn bread and coffee. We can speak well of all except the coffee, which was rather weak and little muddy. Again we take our seats, and soon are speeding on our way for Cedar Rapids now we cross large farms and on either side of us may be seen blowing their corn ground. Cthe small grains beng all in, ) and as we understand from the papers, while you are luxuriating in snow banks in New England. in Iowa they are enjoying nearly summer neat, as the mercury to-day is 70 Q ,and the preparation IS coursing down our cheeks. Iowa IS one of the finest farming states in the Union; if your New England farmer could only look at some of the farms here they would be heartily sick of New Eng land. The rich black soil, no underbrush, | no stones, no stumps to throw the blow skyward. and then the rolling prairie on which furrow mile or more in length can be turned, all combine to make the state attractive. Some may ask, How about water and timber? In reply we will say that there are on most farms springs or streams passing through them but in case farm has no water upon it, that IS no ob- jection nowadays. The mechanic and aoorer come to your relief at once: The aborer says, will put you down we'll for forty dollars and guarantee living wa er- (Usually water is found thirty feet be oW the surface.) The mechanic says to 'ou, will erect windmill over your wei, md guarantee it to pump water enough to upply hundred head of stock, for sixty IoAars. Thus living water can be had on ny farm and at a nominal cost. Asre ards timber, all the streams are skirted with timber from quarter to a half mile n either side, and good cord wood can be delivered in cities and villages at four to K dollars per cord, and venture Ito say his IS as cheap as wood is today in Con. lecticut. Lumber is obtained at the pineries in Michigan and Minnesota, and is as cheap Iowa as in Connecticut. We are now 't Cedar Rapids, which is very fine city # six thousand inhabitants, situated on , ieoar river, which is a beautiful stream, t has two printing offices, several large losels, churches and schools in abundance. The river forms neyer-failing water pow for dozen or more manufactories. The ountry about is superb; farmers are in asY circumstances, and all things consid- red, Cedar Rapids is 8 good place to live.
 Yours truly,
 ........- R. B. MITCHELL. Cedar Rapids, Iowa, May 1st, 1874.