The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1876-04-13
Iowa Correspondence.
LosT NATION, CLINTON, Co, low


ED. PREss.--Thinking perhaps ysu
would like to hear from this little |
town with the funny name, to which
your paper weekly finds its way, |
send you a few lines this mornisg.
One would infer from the name of the
place it was beyond the pale of civili-
zation and lost to mortal ken, but in
stead Of being nestled in vale, or
hidden behind a mountain, or shelter
ed by forest, it is pearched upon an
eminence, overlooking miles of prairie
land stretching away upon every side,
reminding one in summer Of the Glow
green level of the sea-" 1t is fine To-
cation for town, in the midst of q
rich country, whose products are
principally wheat and corn, which are
shipped from here to Chicago and
Milwaukee. There are also great qah-
titles of stock shipped from here to
the above named cities. A town as
yet in its infancy, it shows that there
is both energy and industry contained
within its limits. -Four years age it
was farm, but railroad was laid
through connecting the Northwestern
with the Davenport and st. Panl road
"a depot was built and then one after
another came and settled here until the
population now number about 200.
There is nice Union church used by
the Congregational, Methodist and
SwedenbOrgian societies. A select
school is in session here most Of the
year, atiOrfing good opportunity for
education and improvement OIL the
part of the young. There is hotel
where one can take emine ease at mine
inn, hardware store. drug store,
three dry goods stores, q wagon man.
ufactory and q livery stable. There
are two physicians in the place-they
seem TO be quite well employed at
present, as it is not SO distressingly
healthy this spring as it has been DUR
ing the winter-the uncertain, changa-
BILE weather makes lung diseases rath-
er plentiful; but with all the changes
of the atmosphere here, l never per.
ceive tina. dampness which penetrates
through and through and which is one
of the characteristics of our Buckeye
State. I like the climate of Iowa fer
its universal dryness. There is good
dentist lately settled here from the
Keystone state. think if l find it
necessary while am here that shall
employ him as think he must extract
teeth without pain, for met q lady
the other day whs had several taken
| out few days before and was then on
her way to have others out. l asked
her if she did not dread it, and she
said, "No, not at all'-therefere con-
cluded that the dentist must differ
from the ono ! usually employ as it al.
ways hurts me to haye tooth extract
cd and dread it for days and weeks
before l can summon courage to seat
myself in the dental chair of state. But
if my home were here l should be
thankful that help for toothache was
so near SO that should net be oblig-
ed to ride twelve miles to reach den
tist or else 60 to the physician here
which seems double portion, when
one has to apply to the same man for
medicine internally and then have him
cody take from us our ma maxillaries and
leave us lonely and sad. Many per-
haps will wonder about the origin OF
the name OF this place and l will give
you the benefit of my inquiries. There
are several versions but the most re-
tanned from one of the old settlers,
Professor Wood. Thirty years ago a
German came from the East and set.
tied here and he was for a long time
"MOnarch Of all he surveyed" in the
yicinity-the nearest house being about
ten miles away. After he had lived
here awhile his sOn came from the
! East Ia visit him and found him so
isolated from the world, that he said
| TO him "Father think you have set
iied-in lost tnation, his father thought
The idea good one and called his
home that, and the people as they
came TO settle in the vicinity followed
! his idea until the name becane q re-
aliiy and now no one seems disposed
To change it and perhaps it is just as
welf-alier all, "whai's in q nsme2"
The chief subject here is mud, and,
indeed, il is all one can do to look out
/ and preserve their usual sunny temper.
| think will go out for walk-I SAL
| ly forth-endeavor TO cross the street
of comes one rubber-while I make
! frantic efforts TO regain that, off comes
the other and there ana. Everybod,
looking at ME of course-but with re-.
markable presence of mind I extricate
my mudshoes and letrace my steps
! homeward with a crest.fallen air and
think do not care to walk. There
are sidewalks here, but the mud al
most buries them, it is so every place
go and cannot be otherwise.
Farmers have as yet been unable to
commence their spring work en ac-
count of the backward season, for
"now is the April OF our discoAtent,
made glorious Winter by the Artic
King" hope the Bard of Aven's
spirit will not haunt me for that
change of quotation. The coquettish
month of smiles and tears was usher
ell in by furious storm of snow, sleet
and wind. Everything out OF doors
for day or two wore a fringe of ice
until the genial rays OF; "Old Sol"
melted tie fairy like trimming and now
tho sky is overcast bctokcning storm.
| long for May flowers aud skies OF