Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-10-27
BLOOMFIELD. Oct. 81. 1879

Wednesday we were transferred
from Mr.. Newton's TO the hospitable
care of Gen. !. b. Weaver, nearer the
center of the city. The General has a
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 COR
dial welcome. They have an interest
ing family of six children.
Wednesday was devoted by the As
ISOLATION to various exercises. Crit.
cisms of DIR. Merrill's sermon were
rather eulogistic than critical. There
were several essays, reports from the
churches. sc.
Wednesday night the communion
was administered. Sermon by Rev.
Clayton Wells, of Kcoknk, Revs. n.
Wilkinson AMI r. Hassell, presiding
at the table. The sermon, founded
on the words, "Thus Saith the Lord"
WAS AN intsvaesiNe 1iaeenrse. The do
livery was easy and graceful Mr..
Wells is quite Young man, but man.
ifests qualities ~ thinker and speak
er, which will Insure him a 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. +. 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 mcntioned 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-laborcr in journalism, A. NJ
Harms, at tho Republican Office, which
he owns and publishes in partnership
with Mr.. j. A. 7. Hull. The papcl
has circulation of 1900, and is 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 oul
old friend so pleasantly Situated and
doing 80 well. May ne 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 5000. 1t is under the
charge of Professors Axline & Guilt
son. and has LOG pupils. The Union
School building is three stories high
has mansard roof, and cost $4,000
1t is situated in the midst of q beauti-
full grove. The church organizations
are Methodist, Presbyterian, Congre-
gational, Christian, Universslist and
Baptist. The first five have houses of
worship. The latter use the Congre-
gational Church. The county voted
this year to build in the Park Court
House to cost $4,000. The county
and town are out ofdebt. 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,
they at the same time repel another,
and a much more desirable class, the
moral, the intellectual, the industrious,
The temperate, and the refined, who
Alone can be depended upon to assist
in laying the foundation upon dura-
bic basis Of those institutions upon
which alone society can depend for
lealthy growth. and durable pros
'crity. Tho result of this wise policy
8 already realized in the large atten-
lance in their schools of pupils from
broad, parents prefMring to send
heir children where they will breathe
pure mora! atmosphere, and. where
hey will he secnrc from the contami- |
'ating influence Of agencies Of
degradation, sensuality and vica Tho
own has another excellent provision. |
hey have prohibited, by ordinance,
oys under seventeen years of ago
rom playing on the streets after o
clock at night in ~. INNER, and s
clock in winter. This. If II can1d he