South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1878-06-14
Letter from Iowa.



tinue the details i n this. -but.sAAve deei.
ded to defer it for another time. to give
some account Of my recent vtsfsr6 Du-
bpqne. We had flying visit frou your
son, VIM. G.. who spent one night with
US. and on the following day, being 50.
tnrday. accompanied him 70 his Nome
in the City. After getting dinner We
proceeded to the Blue, Store, his place
OF business. was introduced to his part.
ner, DIR. Read, and found him and Eve
employees busy. This frm, Harper &
Read. are doing quite an extensive re-
+, tail business. and are also doing lively
| jobbing business. w, g. Harper. the
senior partner. spends most Of his time
in travelling for the house. In the az
! ternoon visited the wholesale business
honse Of your relative. MIR. j. T. Ham
cock d Co. This house is doing hea.
w business they carry a large stock
of Groceries, and keep thFee men con,
stantly employed on their books, 13''o'
Sabbath, morning attended the End
| Presbyterian Church, heard Rev. Mr..
Burrin preaohi-rexto Prov. Is, He
is comparatively . young man. is said
to be talented. and lie quite an orasor.
but the sermon lacked that old, fashion;
ed gospel ring have been used to hear
ing the Church and the Organ, were
finer than was used TO. but the music
not so good to my untutoyed ear. 5' q.
| There are many Churches In Dubuque,
and generally fine ones. The Episco.
palians are erecting n grand structure,
will cost from GO to $4,000, IL is SO
far completed as TO admit the holding
in it the grandcst floral exhibition ever
held in Dubuque; il lasted three days
| and nights / attended it Two days.
This is a great City for flowers the col-
| lection was immensely large on this oc!
casion; the ladies of the City generally
contributed, by looming the rarest and
most choice flowers, the florists of the
| City also contributed to a large extent,
| as did many other towns and cities
| Chicago and st. Louis were Represented,
two car loads were received one day /;
| besides the innumerable varieties OF
plants ana flowers, you couiduse tho
tall palm of the South. the orange and
the lemon trees in full bearing, hanging
with ripe fruit md blossoms !; q great
many were labeled & priced for sale. and
many sold there were premiums offer
ed for the rarcst and the best varieties.
the result of which was TO bring out
those that otherwise would not have been
subjected to the danger of the crowd
One side ot,tiIis large room was occupi.
ed with fancy work tables, on which
were exhibited rare. delicate and beau.
tiful bandiwork for the ladies & ohii-
dren; the opposi;eis side oftlie room was
| occupied. with long refreshment tables.
| where you could get almost any deliea-
cy the taste might crave. in the cban-
Gel end of the church there WAS u repre!I
sentation Of Niagara, so called, but TO
| my eye it was faithful and life.liile
picture Of one of our mountain riyulets,
with a beautiful sparkling stream of wa,
ter issuing from the ground among the
rocks, and falling down a steep noun
tain side through tho green moss cover
ed rocks and ferns, while the whole sur
faca OF tho bank and grounds around
was thielly set with the choicest ever
green's, some of the varieties of the pine
extending almost to the high arched
ceiling above here and there perched
among the branches you could see the
red bird and other mountain birds, while
the blue king fisher stood upon rock
IN the midst Of the stream looking for
his share of the spoils, should any OF
the finny tribe chance to pass that way.
At the base of the mountain n large
rocky pool received the falling water,
tho bottom Of which was covered with
white pebbles and sand, SO that you
oouid the more readily see the working
of every fin on the several large fish that
played beneath there were FIVE of the
pike and salmon varieties some two To
three feet long. besides other smaller
varieties; while on the surface swan
two artificial ducks, so light ADD so life
like, that it was difficult 10 realize that
they were not living. This stream of
water was taken from the pipes that
supply the town, and so secretly eoB.
veyod to the apparent fountain rs to
make it seem TO rise naturally out OF the
rocky ground aboyc. while in the hasin
below there was receiver that carried
the surplus water through pipes outside
the church so secured 10y cement was
the whole device that there was no le9k.
age or wasting. .ttf
Bnt there was still more 10 be seen.
| Not the least attractive aud interesting
exhibition OF this grand fair, was the
Art Gallery, located in two private
rooms Of the church, peculiar TO this
denomination were gathered q large
collection Of paintings, aud other rare
I specimens of art, some fne Carrying, the
work Of q lady. and some exquisite
needle work, &c. which have no abili,
ty TO describe; but there were two oil
paintings on exhibition, the great at
traction Of the evening, said 10 be by
the old masters, and two Of The oldest
and finest works OF art in eyistenCe, one
OF them some 10 by r.. in size, is "a
Boar Hunt in Padro." The other is the
| celebrated work, Diana aad her Hunt
/ ing Dog" in come xion with which there
| is some interesting history, as they were
captured, or as we SoutherBers would
more correctly say stolen. from the dc.
/ serted mansion OF some wealthy South
/ cruor on Sharidan'g rnnrah 1vor tho