The Worthington advance., 1882-08-10
LETTER FROM IOWA.

EDITOR ADVANCE The sixteenth
of July left Worthington for a trip
through Iowa, and what 1 have seen on
this trip this far, may interest your
readers. At LeMars the House Of
Lord attracts the attention of the pass
sr-by, and psobabaly the most notable
feature Of the place. But the most
notable thing, and the one that inter-
ested myself and its citizens the most,
was on the morning of the 18th. A
huge cloud, apparently covering ten
acres of the sky. came flying like all
destruction toward us. That was the
moment, if ever, in the lives of many
that thev open the door of their hearts
and ask the coed Lord to come in.
Men, women and children gathered in
the streets with your humble seryant)
to watch the coming cloud.
Death and destruction coming fast.
Hears our prayers, she breaks Ter bands,
Ascending high, ashamed Of man.
At LeMars took the Illinois Central
rail road and run down to Dubuque,
All aloCg this road I cannot believe
that ten acres of corn out of 100 will
ever mature, and the worst feature is,
their corn cribs are empty. Their oats
are good wheat is considered good
crop, but it loooks thin on the ground
There IS little building, and that can
say was OF the best material and archi-
tect the state affords. This surprised
ME, rs the merchants and business
men have apparently settled down as
II they had come to an end, and there
md
putting all things together, do not
see very mucl, to encourage them.
The state of Iowa has bought 1t this
place 13 acres Of land, on which to
build state prison. made a visit to
the place to-day. and find they are build
ing Il wall y feet high, 4 or feet
thick, with two entrances, for cars.
with gates weighing six tons apiece,
There are four sentinel houses built on
the walls, made of stone, octagon in
form, containing 8 windows, 10 or l2
feet high, with a stone cornice and
column work that is not excelled. The
prison convicts do the work, there are
about 200, and go and ask them how
they came there, (and as a gentleman.
4 resident of this town. said to me,
they will tell you strong drink. shall
not attempt, at this time, to write you
Il temperance lecture, but as l look in
upon the scene, and see so many intel
ligent looking young men serving out
life time in these prison walls. my
heart is enlarged and goes out over all
this fair land Of ours saying, 20 Lord
save all our sons" May the day hasten
when all lands shall combine to crush
the monster down.
On this line of road running from
Ackley to Cedar Rapids, can see what
will make the farmers rich, that is their
large fields stocked with two and three
year-old steers, thought discovered
the spots of Minnesota upon them.
Well. am not il prophet. but reckon
if these spots are allowed to wander so
far from home, cur farmers will con-
tinue to have the blues as long as they
live. Neighbors and friends, save
your calves. Let not the broad prairie
blush to take back to her bosom what
she proffers you. Once more for your
own sake, and if you have got by re-
demption, for your children's sake,
take a friends advice, utilize what nat
ure's God hath given you-grass.
Then money to your pockets will come,
Yours Very Truly.
J. NJ. BRADDOCK.