Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-03-08
FROM STATE CENTER.
STATE CENTER, a.,
March lst, 1876.

DEAR COURIER Owing to the ia
tvorablc reception of former commu-
nications, l thought, peradvcnture, a
few lines from Marshall county, wo'd
be in the same degree Acceptable.
We have had, thus far, very open
winter, considering that we arc near
the AZ degree of North Latitude. We
have had frequent showers, which are
generally followed by slect, that is
generally followed by three or four
days of stormy, cold weather, after
which, we generally have from eight
to ten days of beautiful weather that
revives our almost vanished hopes of
near and early approaching spring.
We have had very rough roads thus
far. We hope for an early spring,
that we may get our seed sown in
good season so that it will have am
pie time to mature before the frosts
in September, which we generally
have, early. Last year the corn
crop was damaged considerably,
from various causes: LIST. On account
of backward spring. I'd. A re-
markably cool summer, which caused
a great many to have TO replant. 3D..
The carly frostln the fall nippcd it con-
siderably before ii arrived at maturi-
ty. The wheat crop was light, dam
aged by scab and rust, notwithstand-
ing our county has the honor of the
best grain growing county in the
State. Our county is composed most
ly Of prairie land. The Iowa river
which crosses the northeast part of
the county, together with its tributa-
ries, affords an abundance of water
in that section. Its banks are lined
with timber which affords plenty Of
fuel for those that burn wood, the
greater number use coal. There has
not been any coal discovered under
Marshall county soil up to the pres
ent time. We arc supplied with coal
from Boone and Ontario which is of
an excellent quality. State Center is
a small town on the Northwestern
Railroad, fifteen miles west Of Mar
shalltown, aud 10 ono or tho most
thriving little towns on that line in
the State, and the best grain market.
1t has three grain elevators, five dry
goods, two grocery stores, two hard
ware stores, two agricultural stores.
one furniture store, two hotels, six
blacksmith shops, three wagon shops,
three churches-Methodist, Presbyte-
rian and Catholic--and an excellent
school.
The greater part of the surround
ing country is inhabited by an indus
trious, hard laboring class of people,
who work for their own especial BEN
eft. and pro bono pubiico.
The most degrading part in the his
tory of State Center is the three sa-
looms which it supports. IL we work
pro bono pubRco, we must crush those
cursed shops that are leading our ris-
ing generation down to purgatory,
and to everlasting damnation. We
must work or we shall perish. We
fought for our republic and won, let
us sustain if at the point of the bayo-
net. Even in the pages Of the CoUE-
TER We read Of many murders, and
when the cause is traced back to its
very origin, what was the cause !?
Whiskey. That treachcrous william,
that has caused millions Of lives.
Clear Creek crosses the southwest
part of the county, is valuable for the
water ii affords and the timber along
its source. The COURIER is the most
welcome visitor with rs. Yours re-
spectfully, y. IL.