Litchfield enquirer., 1876-07-20
LYONS. IOWA JnlY 4th. 1876

w LYONS, IOWA, July 4th, 1876
 I Not being in a celebrating mood, and yet just patriotic enough to ''shut uE shop," have concluded in the interim tc jot down few items for your paper. Oul neighbor Clinton is having big celebra. tion and Lyons has gone down to help. consequently it is comparatively quiet here. The Young Mems Library Asso citation are having a three days Floral Fair. similar to one held here last year which netted $25O The Germans and Irish have their annual dances, and the boys their firecraokers, etc. Spirits and bunting are profuse, and no doubt by to. morrow many will conclude that the Foarth was duly celebrated
 Iowa doesn't "enthusias" worth cent over the Cincinnati nominations. She was solid for Blame, first, last and all the time, and felt so sure of their man, they have hardly recovered from their disap. pointment. But we can be depended on to roll up our usual majority, if not large. ly increase it. There are many Germans in our state that have not always voted with us that will go for our nominees, and only this morning I saw that Gen. J. M. Futile, Q veteran Democrat who ran fol Governor of our state a few years since in opposition to Stone, declares that the St. Louis Convention was a counterpart of the rebellion and he could not follow it. but comes out for Hayes and Wheeler, and he will have large following.
 Our state commissioner Shaw has been stocking our rivers with 3OO,0OO young silver eels. He stopped near Lyons and dropped five hundred of sthe little slip. pery cusses'' into one of our creeks. They may turn out we'll, but we have tried west ern cells and came to the conclusion that our"soil was too rich for thelr higher de. yelopment.
 W. D. Howells, in the Atlantic Monthly, says of our Iowa soil at the Centennial
 ''It was happy thought of her citizens to send those huge glass cylinders of soil (described in former letter., and was one of those inspirations which give a shock of agreeable astonishment and revives the beholder after day of sight seeing"
 The low fares East have wonderfully augmented the numbers of Centennial sight-seers, and every one who has the spare change and can get away is begin ming to "talk Cenntennial. One young man just returned says he got good lodg- ings and breakfast for five dollars week. and says things are not as high and costly as reported if you "know the ropes" On the other hand read of man who went to the Centennial and came home and cut his arm off because it had cost him so much-so there IS difference of opinion still. But many are waiting for cooler weather (inoiuding your correspondent) under the impression there will be more to see and pleasenter seeing it, as we be- come more familiar with objects of inter est through pen pictures and illustrations. 
 MT. J. K. P. Balch arrived home few days since from the 'Queen's Dominions, '' having effected full settlement with his creditors at thirty-fve cents. When a telegram was sent him to 'come home'' he was advised by some to "leave lock of h1s hair for the Queen -whereat the operator was much incensed and consid- cred it personal reflection upon her Majesty, which thing it was, but in view of their action in the Winslow case, they were allowed to pocket the insult. I was informed by one conversant with his affairs that it had not left him very "fat on the ribs"-on the other hand it is claimed he is considerably ahead. It is probably safe to strike mean difference. A. B.