Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-09-25
OVER IOWA In A CART.
Two Well Known Rock Island COun
~ Residents Adopt n Novel and In.
teresting Way of Traversing the
Aawkeye istate--. of the
Journey thus Far.

hundred and fifty pound horse, headed |
west across the Mississippi river at Port
Byron, through Mt. Joy, and northwest
on the old California route. The roads
for few miles west of LIE Claire were
quite billy, but after travelling about five
or six miles we came to as fine road as
ever saw. For about thirty miles the
country is as nice as one could imagine.
The farmers seem to be very progressive,
their buildings are large and nicely kept,
fences in good repair and crops look
good. We stopped for dinner about
eighteen miles west of LIE Claire at
large farm house owned by Mr. Sermons.
1t is farm of one hundred and sixty
acres large barns and the best farm of
the age lin Scott county. it is said. We
petitioned several Bohemians for dinner,
but had no success until we came to the
American above named, and we were not
sorry for some of their places were not
very inviting. After rest of an hour we
left the place and bore northwest, direct
to Upton, and travelled over about thirty
five miles of road that WAS better than
any roads in Illinois There are no frame
bridges all are made of iron, even over
the small streams.
We passed through New Liberty on the
B., q. r. & n. railroad at 3 o'clock in
the afternoon, and at this place as in
every other town east of Upton, We saw
open saloons and beer is even sold in post
offices and stores. We passed through
several small inland towns, and in every
| one there were one or two saloons. You
may draw YOUR own conclusion as to the
working of the prohibition law here. We
did not hear politics discussed very much
There are some localities that are strongly
! republican and Others the same demos
cratically speaking, yet there are large
accessions 10 the democratic party by the
| Bohemians on account of prohibition.
We stopped at the Upton house for the
night.
| Upton is very nice town of two
| thousand inhabitants; the county seat of
| Cedar county. It's duilt on high ground,
| has fair grounds west of town and fair
will be held from the Goth to the 2Sth Of
| September We started west from Tip
ton the 10Th at $50 a. m. and Travelled
ten miles west 20 Cedar Bluffs, where we
| crossed the Cedar river, stream about
four hundred feet wide, very shallow
and spanned by large iron bridge
| From here we Travelled northwest about
! fourteen miles to Scion on the B., c. r .
Il n. r, R. A town of five hundred
| people. From Scion we travelled north
west on the Cedar Rapids road four miles
until we came to the old state road one
mile south OF the Lynn county line; we
stopped for dinner at Bohemian resi-
derce owned by Mr.. Sulek When we
left here we travelled straight west for
thirty miles The country here is quite
billy and mostly settled by Bohemians
called "Bohunks The people are the
most ignorant of any | ever saw. The
old men even who have lived here for
twenty-five or thirty years can not tell
anything about the country three or fouI
miles from their place and do not know
of any towns except their own postotfices
or perhaps Upton, Cedar Rapids or Iowa
City. After leaving the state road We
went about two miles north and began to
look for place to stop over night. Camp
went into an OLD Germans house and
asked for lodgings The woman OBJ.
jected but the old gentleman said we
might stay Supper was over and We
thought we would 90 supperless thai
night but about s o'clock the woman
came in and set Dutch supper before US
and the wav she slammed things around
one would come to the conclusion tina
she was mad, which was soon mad,
plain to US, but We laughed in on
sleeves and ate our suppers, then retired
We got out the next morning and started
at O'Clock and headed for Belle Plain
The country along here would remind on,
of the country along Hampton bluffs ant
Barstow--low on the south and YER
rough TO the north. About half mil
east of town we met wagon with tire
Indians aboard, who evidently came from
the Musquakee reservation, near Tam
City. We reached Belle Plain at Il
O'Clock p. m. The town is located on
side hill, has two thousand inhabitants
large round house, etc
The great artesian well that caused s
much trouble a year or so ago is com
pIetely under control. The people ar
using the water all oyer town, it bein
conveyed through pipes 1t is equal to
waterworks From here we headed ives
for Chelsea, which is six miles west
is small town near the Iowa river, whic
we crossed on large steel bridge. Th
, country through here is billy and not s
fertile as the eastern part of the ststt
' We reached our oldtime friend an
5 neighbor, E. W Wilson, at noon, an
? were glad to get rest after two an
D one-half days ride, travelling about II
s miles.
e The description of the counties throug
D which we travelled Is briefly given below
e Scott county possesses very nice countr,
General appearance of the buildings d,
4 note progressiveness; crops are good
small grain especially. Cedar county
!. about the same as Scott, until about ha
II way across; here it is billy and small
n buildings. Here we came to the land
o Bohemians and ignorance. JohnsC
It county is very billy and about the san
/, as the western part of Cedar count
e Between Benton and Iowa counties a
$ somewhat more level and better crop
though not so good as Scott COUNT
Through southern lama county is col
tinuation of southern Benton coun
lands. The frost has been heavier here th,
s anywhere on the road we travelled.
= expect to go from here to northern Be
y ton county, near Vmton. IRA MARTIN.