Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-03-19

|
A correspondent of the Chicago
Post and Mail, detained in our city
by the snow blockade, sends that
paper the following gossiping ketch
OF our main features, improvements,
&C.:
There is the sleepy town, the pre-
maturely old, the hateful, repellant
town, the sedate town, and the lively,
growing town.
In one Of this latter class it has
pleased fate-and the elements-that
your correspondent should linger for
a number OF days; and portrayal Of
it's principal features may not come
amiss, since 1t figures conspicuously
in the list of important and fast i'm
proving trade centres through whose
merits Iowa is making rapid strides
to a front rank among its group of
States.
Independence! Though regular
ink consumer when written, the word
has ring in its pronunciation that
savors of true American spirit. The
appropriateness of its title is appar-
ent, too, in the fact of its location in
the heart of a country rich in agricul-
tural and other natural resources, and
being without rival - the other
towns in Buchanan county having 10
bearing other than beneficial one
upon this, their favored county seat.
The Wapsipinicon, the fourth river
in size in the State, more familiarly
known as the "Wapsie," divides the
town; but while the east side lays
claim to the greater share of build
ings, public and private, in many
respects "honors are even" and the
dependence is perhaps just sufficient
to be mutually profitable. Hence l
shall not designate separate belong
ings, but merely jot down a slight
description of the whole.
The largest Touring mill in the
State is one of the possessions of
which the town is justly proud; it is
run by water power. A blind factory,
in successful operation, is run by
steam. A foundry and woegg-pack-
ing establishments Ton the refrigera-
tor plan) are also on the list of home
enterprises. And here, to enforce the
meaning OF the term, must state
that destructive fire, which occurred
in May, 1874, swept away tie blsi-
ness portion Of the town, and swal-
lowed up property to the extent Of
over half Il million. The buildings
mentioned have, with two exceptions,
sprung into existence since that time,
and to these may be added large
brick livery stable, and thirty-nine
other buildings of the same substan-
tial material, the lower stories of
which are occupied by the merchants
and grocery men, while the upper
rooms are chiefly used for Offices, law,
printing, etc. The new blocks are
not in every instance as costly as the
ones burned, still their uniformity of
front and style of fini ;h lends a de-
cidedly improved appearance to the
town. Hotel accommodations are, rs
yet, rather limited, but the prospect
is that large structure will be placed
OH vacant corner lot, well suited to
that purpose, the coming spring; and
l am credibly informed that the
month of Ma will doubtless see the
whole burnt district rebuilt. Thus it
will be observed that 4 baptism of
fire served to quicken the energies of
the people here as etfectualIy rs it
stirred the populace Of Chicago i'll
II.
The county buildings are old, but
ample, and one Of the greatest needs
experienced here seems to be the lack
of Il commodious public hall. Anoth-
er Inconvenience arises from the stu
alton Of the telegraph offices, there
being none save those ut the depots,
which are both some distance from
the business squares.
There are two banks--the build
ings of fair exterior-thc First Ma
tional having capital of 100000,
and the Peoples National carrying
but half that amount. OF fine resi-
dences there are great number, con-
sidering the population, which does
not exceed 1000 souls.
The Northern Iowa Hospital for
the Insane is situated about one mile
without the corporation; the building,
when completed according to the
original design, will cost the State
the snug little sum of 100000, and
will combine the most approved plans
in it's construction. There are $50
inmates at the hospital now. The
foundations Of the asylum and man.
moth mill are of native granite, the
huge boulders, which were once look
ed upon as such dead weight on the
prairie roundabout, having been util-
lied in this manner. The super
structures are of Anamosa stone.
The direct intersection of an east
and west and north and south rail
road at this point gives superior adj
vantages to the town and county in
the way of travel and transportation
The Iowa Division OF the Illinois
Central has long been q source of
benefit to the town, and for two years
past the Postville Branch OF the B.,
G. II. & M. r. II. has offered 4 choice
of route and formed a competing line
for transmission Of freights. This
latter is run in conjunction with the
Northwestern Railway thereby giving
actual rivalry, though there is osten-
sibly no warfare in regard to tariff
rates. Shipments of grain are con-
siderable over either road.
The town boasts of two ably con-
Quoted newspapers, the Conservative,
an auxiliary sheet, eight-paged; the
BULLETIN, the Official paper.o town
and county, in its eleventh volume.
Religious societies are well repre-,
senteo, numbering eight or nine diff
fercnt denominations. The houses of
worship are neat but unpretentious.
Two handsome brick school houses,
one costing $4,000, and the other
$4,000, open their inviting doors
and afford the necessary discipline to
teach these. young "Independents'
how to shoot. The turities tor