The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-08-18
Letter from Iowa.
Correspondence of the Democratic Advocate.
PANoRA, August 9Th, 1888.

would not be uninteresting to the many intel
ligent readers of the ADVOCATE, and also in
answer to letters received from residents OF
Carroll and Frederick counties, requesting
me to give them brief description of Guthrie
county, Iowa, | have concluded to write a
letter for the columns of the ADVOCATE.
Previous to the year 1850, what is now
Guthrie county was the home of the red man,
it being the hunting ground and resting place
of Johnny Green, the famous Musquaka chief,
and his tribe. The first permanent settle
ment made by the whites was in 1851, when
a single wagon, drawn by six yoke of cattle,
and containing the household goods and fam
lily of weary emigrant was stopped and a
claim made near by where now stands the
beautiful little city of Panora. 1t is quite
| amusing to hear the old settlers tell of their
trials and tribulations in the early history of
the country; of how they ground their corn IN
the coffee mill or pounded it to meal in a
wooden mortar
In 1851 the Legislature, then in session at
Iowa City, organized our county, and, as it
was a Democratic body, named it after the
great Kentucky statesman Guthrie. Guthrie
county is twenty four miles square. 1t lies in
the fourth tier of counties from the south, and
also the fourth tier from the west line OF the
state. As you enter the county on the east,
| the prairie sweeps away in gentle undulatlons
as far as the eye can reach, and should you
view it for the first time on balmy summer
morning, when the breezes gently sway the
tall prairie grass, just close your eyes and i'm
agine yourself on the deck of an ocean steam
er, and when you open them again you can
scarcely believe you are upon terra tfrmd.
But was thinking of several years ago. The
farmers are fast changing their billowy green
ocean into cultivated fields dotted with neat
cottages. Orchards and groves and high
rolling prairie is the general feature of this
county. The soil partakes of the general
character of the prairie soil of the west-sand
loam-which is very productive, as our nu-
merous and bountiful crops testify. Its well
watered by Middle and South Raccoon rivers,
and many other smaller streams; it is as well
timbered as most counties in the western part
of the state. A great many artificial groves
have been planted, which are protection
from storms to buildings and orchards, and
also in time will afford limited supply of
firewood. But as an equivalent for the lack
of trees, nature, by some wise process, in
some unknown age of the past, long before
the history of our race began, made bOuntitul
provision for the use of man in the wonderful
coal beds she quietly stored away beneath the
soil for the time when, in the order of things
civilized man should take possession of the
broad, rich prairies of Guthrie county.
Good building stone can be found along
South and Middle Raccoon rivers. Stock
raising is favorite pursuit with many of the
weather. farmers who can afford the neces-
sary outlay, such as building of sheds and
barns. The natural advantages of this county
for that pursuit are first class. Wild grasses
are very nutritious, and tame grass can be
raised in abundance, but the agricultural re-
sources of Guthrie county must always be
the chief reliance of our people. Corn and
wheat are the staples, but it would be hard to
name a crop proper for the state of Iowa that
would not come to perfection III Guthrie
county. The raising of winter wheat cannot
be called success, but spring wheat yields
an abundant crop. Oats, rye, barley and flax
can be produced i'll abundance.
Railroads are essential to the growth of any
community in the present day, and in this re-
spect Guthrie county has large share. The
! Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad ira
verses the southern tier of townships, while
the st. Paul & Milwaukee Railroad passes
through the northern tier of townships, and a
branch of the c., r. |. & P. road runs almost
through the centre of the county. The Wa
bash St. Louis & Pacific extends through the
eastern tier of townships; so it can be seen
that our railroad facilities are good. Our
public school system is good.
Guthrie Centre is the county seat. 1t is a
| thriving town of 200 population, situated on
South Raccoon river Stuart, the largest
town in Guthrie county, is on the c., r. |. 4
p. r. Il. 1t has population of 1000. Large
machine shops have been erected at this town
! by the railroad company. Casey and Menlo
are thriving towns on the c., Il. !. 4 p. r.
| r. Monteth and Glendon are new towns,
| but doing a good business. Herndon, Bag
| ley and Bayard are quite new towns, on the
St. Paul and Milwaukee Railroad.
We come now to speak Of Panora, our own
! home and the home of number Of former
! Frederick and Carroll countians, who rank
among its best citizens and business men.
Panora is very tlourishing little city of 200
! population, is situated upon high rolling
prairie, and was the first county seat of
| Guthrie. There is quite pretty story con-
nected with the naming of this town. 1t is
said two travellers were standing on the hill
! south least of this place, and as they took in
| the beautiful landscape-the wide spreading
prairie to the north and east, the river with
| its wood-crowned bluffs, winding around to
the west and south-One of them exclaimed 4:
''Oh, what beautiful panorama y The ex-
preston, with a slight Authorization, suggested
itself as an appropriate name for the newly
created country seat. Panora is on the Wa
bash st. Louis and Pacific Railroad. 1t has
a large grain trade, being situated in fine
agricultural district. The Guthrie county
High School, which is an ornament to the
town and an honor to the county, is located
here. At this school any pupil who is res
| ident of the county can obtain thorough
classical education free of cost. A very hand
some building is now in course of erection. at
a cost of $4,000, for the use of the public
schools, and the opera hall is quite a fine
building.
The wheat crop, which is now all in shock.
is very fine one-the largest for many wears
and will yield an average of from thirty to
forty bushels per acre. The crop of oats is
a large one, and the yield will be abundant.
Rye, barley and flax are all good. Corn,
which is the staple crop of the Iowa farmer,
promises to be large one.
The campaign is a very exciting one, and
politics is running high. The Democratic
party IN Iowa have placed Il plank in their
platform favoring high license for the sale
of wine, beer and whiskey, while the Repub-
| hcans have declared in favor of strict prohi-
bition, although they did not do this of their
own free will, it being forced upon them by
the prohibition wing of their party The Re
publican party is entirely disorganized, many
OF its best men being dissatisfied with the rad
ical views advocated by the prohibition wing
of the party upon the license question. The
Republican Senatorial Convention, which as
sembled at Stuart a short time ago, balloted
1,2O0 times without change, making no
nomination and adiourning sine die. 1t would
not surprise me in the least if Iowa, the ban
ner state of the Republican party, should 90
Democratic in October, and Judge Kline be
the first governor to rule in the new capital
building.
! | receive the ADVOCATE every Monday even
ing, and it is always welcome messenger to
me; it brings me glad tidings of great joy.
And now ! shall close by wishing the DEMO
CRATIC ADVOCATE all the honor and success
that such an ably-edited journal is deserving
of. w. NJ. S.
] R11cinocc 1.nnolc