The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-02-26

stretching away Till horizon and sky seemed 10
meet, here and there the clear lakcs, gliscn
ing like mirrors, all formed q picture, the
Immersion OF which will not soon fade from our
memory Like everybody else that has seen
much OF this "Laud Of Promise" once thorough
Ily taken in" you cannot be too loud in IT,
praise. And when we look back over the hisior
! ical events Of over two hundred years, We find
that it has been The "lCdc star for adventures
from the Old World" Even when the first ink.
lings of this region began to dawn on the minds
OF the Jesuit Fathers aud their co.aborcrs in the
explorations Of the Lakes and the Mississippi,
| the beautiful land beyond the great river hred
their magInations and even Europe grew inter
cstcd in this portion OF the West, as the tales OF
its wonderful soil, climate and scenery were car.
ried back 10 the outposts Of civilization. The
state is an Empire in Itself, and none but those
who have travelled over its vast extent from east
to west, north 10 south can form any true con.
ception Of Its greatness.
10 was along towards the close of the next day,
that we lief. Heron Lake and were soon bounding
southwark, and just as night was about tospread
her sable wings over the pralres, our train
crossed the Iowa line and" Harper; twenty
who does the heavy work on the train. These
fellows yell the names Of stations as though they
they had hot potato in their mouths, and lit Ia
not once IN a hundred times you can understand
what they say. But breakfast, dinner and supper
are always welcome sounds to a Commercial
tourist" but this was one meal did not enjoy
owing TO being placed beside couple OF thin old
maids, who grabbed for everything within reach
on the table, and we're necessarily asking TO
"pash" things.
East Orang. glidcs by. II Mars contributed
to our list newly made palr.' They had evil
IDENTITY not been long enough "linked" to know
whether they were well mated or not. She rose
above his head aud shoulders like telegraph
polo, and he, a little mite OF q "cuss," would be
taken for her youngest son. As they strobe
down the platform arm in arm 80 as to bring her
nose on a level with his, she had to waltz along
camel fashion, or something resemb ng the style
when the Grecian bend was fashionable. From
the bottom OF my soul pitcd that woman for
having drawn so little in the lottery OF life. III
believe lottery is what they call it,
.Sou1 CMy was passed at early dawn and for
hours our train mcanders along the banks of
jcstc grandeur Of the Mississippi while itsI
brown, muddy waters look more deceptive. But
on we 90, now crossing great stretches fprairic,
again deep marshy bottoms and occasionally
along high hills and uninterestng bluffs, Till the
far famed and historic outlines Of Council Bluffs
open to our view. Council Bluffs Is a queer old
town, without STYLE beauty or any other at.
tractiyc feature; and yet the amount OF business
done here is surprising. In front it stretches
away for miles up and down the river-the great
bottom lands of the Missouri valley, while the
town for the most part is built almost under the
bluffs, which are neither picturesque rocky.
There is but one principal street-long, wide and
winding, and in that nearly all the business is
transacted. The buildings are for the most part
old style wooden structures, but the new cdiccs
lately erected are fine. The site is an historic one,
and was selected by the wcstbound hosts of Lat
ter Day Saints on leaving their cherished homes
at Nauvoo. Here they erected tabernacle, built
their city and called it Kanesvic, where they re.
NAMED from 1916 to 1858, and then set out on
their long pilgrimage over sage.bu.h plains
aud inhosptabc hills, and landed at last in what
their prophets supposed to be The promised
land j. d. II.