Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-09-11
About QttunMa.

In the Brandon, Wis, Times, we
find the following letter. 1t shows
how one man fcom that region re-
CARDS our city. We are sorry that
Mr.. Ferguson is Of the opinion that
our city has mot the refinement, cul-
ture and sociability" which he thinks
requisite. We, however, lay it to the
lack. of acquaintance on the part of
Mr.. f. as we are confident there is not
. place in the west that has better or
more refined society than Ottumwa ;
and ON this point our citizens particu-
larly pride themselves. Mr.. F. we
think, speaks without proper knowl-
edge Of the subject upon which he
writes. But here is his letter:
OrTuMwA, Iowa
Ed. TIMEs.-According to promise
so l write. Leaving Brandon We'd
ncsday morning we found ourselves
in twenty-four hours at Ottumwa,
Iowa, two hundred and ninety miles
southwest Of Chicago. Travelling bv
night through the State Of Illinois,
cannot say much of the country, hui
from Burlington, on the Mississippi
river, the scenery was grand, and
fruit, such as peaches, pears and
grapes in abundance. Ottnmwa III
the Des Moines valley, is the south
ern central metropolis Of Iowa, con.
tanning about $4,000 inhabitants. Il
lie traversed by the Chicago. Buriing
ton Il Quincy and the Keokuk & De,
Moines Railways, it is also the termi
nus of the Iowa Central and the st
Louis, Kansas City q Northern rail
ways. Some of its manufactures arr
linseed oil, oat meal, and starch, blu
its greatest industry or one that ha
attracted my attention the most is til,
making Of the johnson Rufller which
is used by all sewing machines o
whatever make. Went through tn,
; factory with Mr.. johnson the paten
tee 1t employs about fifty hands
mostly ladies, the making Of the part
} and putting together being dona b.
machinery. Every rutiler is teste
by an operator, on the machine 70
which it is designed so that none ar
sold imperfect. Ithas one pork h0us
and another being built by an Englis
Stock Company, will employ !one hu1
dred men the year round, and put u
meats especially for the English mai
kets.
Among its Wholesale houses or
dry goods, groceries, hardware an
drugs which supply the retail dealer
10 the interior. Ithas the largest bu
ter and egg house in the Northwes
shipping on an average 7 or s ca
, loads q week. 1t has three hide an
, wool stores, the largest j. j. Hat
field, doing business of SOC, 600 q,
nually. The city has Water worl
' costing hundreds of thousands of do
lars.
The principal crop in this vicinit
is oats and corn, the latter being sin
. ply immense, many fields containir
q more than a good sized Wisconsi
e farm. Though generally prair
!. country there is plenty of hard woo
timber in this valley for all purp
= SEES.
Ottumwa with the advantages
(which have written, with the en-
Hess mines Of coal surrounding
= must continue to grow for years
j. come, OF one thing l wish to spea
e Notwithstanding the city has it's fl
q quota of schools, churches, ETC., as
whole its inhabitants have not the r
. finement. culture and sociability +,
d which Brandon and vicinity is so di
1t tinguished, but the almighty doll
I and self seem to predominate.
Yours, /. FERGUSON.