Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-10-27

BLOOMFIELD. Oct. 81. 1875.
Wednesday we were transferred
from Mr.. Newton's to the hospitable
caro- of Gen. i. Il. Weaver, nearer the
center of the city. The General has q
beautiful place. A large two-story
brick mansion. handsomely finished
and furnished, is surrounded by three
acres of ground, tastefully adorned
with evergreens. ornamental and shade
trees, with water courses crossed by
rustic bridges, SC, The General and
his accomplished lady gave us a COR
dial welcome. They have an interest
ing family of elk children.
Wednesday was devoted by the As
ISOLATION to various exercises. Criti-
cisms of DR.. Merrill's sermon were
rather enlogistic than critical. There
were several essays, reports from the
churches. sc.
Wednesday night the communion
was administered. Sermon by Rev.
Clayton Wells. of Keokuk, Revs. r.
Wilkinson AMI r. Hassell, presiding
at the table. The sermon, founded
on the words, ''Thus Saith the Lord"
WAS AM inteyaeSi.ae 1iscourse. Tho do
livery was easy and graceful Mr..
Wells is quite = Young man, but man.
ifcsts qualities r. thinker and speak
er, which will Insure him high rank
among the preachers of his dcnomina-
ton.
We left on Thursday morning and
cannot report the proceedings on that
day. The closing sermon was to be
preached by Rev. j. r. Snowden, Of
Oskaloosa. There were several min
listers present not previously mention
ed. Rev. Thomas Merrill. Pastor Of
the church at Bloomfield. Rev. A. S.
Elliot, of Cincinnati, and perhaps 9TH
crs. Keokuk was mentioned as the
place Of holding the next Spring meet
ing of the Association.
We had little leisure to look around
Bloomfield, but called upon our old
time co-laborer in journalism, A. NJ.
Harms, at tho Republican Office, which
he owns and publishes in partnership
with Mr.. j. A. t. Hull. The paper
has circulation of 1900, and ia an
ably edited and handsomely printed
sheet, of which Bloomfield and Davis
county should be proud. The Office il
well supplied with presses and mate
rial Of all kinds, and everybody knows
Andy has no superior as a practical
printer. We were glad to find our
old friend so pleasantly Situated and
doing 80 well May he continue to
prosper.
Bloomfield is built on high rolling
prairie. and is furnished with nice
building spots on all sides. Shade
trees are growing pretty generally.
The population is $500. There are
two railroads, and another four miles
North. They have very fine Normal
School, the building two stories high,
and costing $4,000. 1t is under the
charge of Professors Axline & Guilt
son, and has LOG pupils. The Union
School building is three stories high,
has a mansard roof, and cost $4,000.
1t is situated in the midst of beauti.
full grove. The church organizations
are Methodist, Presbyterian, Congre-
gational, Christian, Universalist and
Baptist. The first five have houses of
worship. The latter use the Congre-
gational Church. Tho county voted
this year to build in the Park Court
House to cost $4,000. The county
and town are out of debt. They boast
with commendable pride of the fact
that there is not in town or in the
county single saloon. They say, and
it would seem with truth, that while
such institutions, especially in railroad
towns, bring certain class of people,
hey at the same time repel another,
md much more desirable class, the
moral, the intellectual, tho industrious,
he temperate, and tho refined, who
lone can be depended upon to assist
n laying the foundation uDon dura-
lie basis Of those institutions npon
Which alone society can depend for a |
calthy growth, and \ durable PROS
Gritty. Tho result of this wisc policy |!
already realized in the large atton-
ance in their schools OF pupils from
broad, parents prefnring to send
ieir children where they will breathe
pure moral atmosphere, and. where
hey will DO secure from the ce,ntsmi-
ating influence of agencies of
egradation, sensuality and vica Tho
'wn has another excellent provision.
hey have prohibited, by ordinance,
'ys under seventeen years Of age
ON playing on the streets after 8
clock at night in summer, and SIi