The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1906-04-12

for the visitor In May, 1901, Presi-
dent Mckinley was received here, and
he spoke from the balcony to an i'm
mense throng. In the Cabildo also
were held the first Protestant SER
vices in Louisiana, Bishop Chase Off |
ciating. At present jail and crimi-
nal court occupy the ground floor, and
the upper part Of the building is used
by the supreme court Of the state and
by an historical society.
9RH
New Orleans is the largest cotton
port in the world and exports annual
ly about two million bales To re |
ceive, store, sell and export this enor.
nous amount, requires an army OIL
men, and furnishes occupation for
nearly two-thirds of the population of
the city. The value of the crop
handled each year is in round num-
bers one hundred million dollars. The
banks of New Orleans are nineteen
in number, with a combined capital
of $4,000, 900 and deposits of nearly
00,000,000. The market quotations
indicate that they are doing safe
and prosperous business, with annual
clearances amounting to 5000, 100000.
With two-thirds of the fresh water
of the country rolling by its very
| doors, New Orleans could take the
prize at any worlds fair for poor wat
er works service. The liquid real es-
tate is delivered just as nature sup
plies 1t and after standing half an
hour one-third of the vessel contain
ing it will be solid mud and sand. AT
this season of the year 1t is worse
than any alleged water ever delivered
by the Oskaloosa water works before
the wells were dug and when Skunk
river went on it's semi-annual benders.
Drinking water is secured from CTS
/ terms built on top Of ground. This
water is clear but its temperature
does not resemble ice. In fact, doc
tor upon due examination would de-
clare that it had several degrees OF
lfever. Yet the natives thrive and
grow fat ON it, and laugh at the way
the stranger SHES at bo5l productions.
| While the quality of the water
might be improved, the quantity is
here in full measure. The river is
over one mile wide and is from so to
200 feet deep, affording New orleans
one of the best ports in the world.
Next to New York 1t does more busi-
ness than any other port IN the west
ern hemisphere. Its business last
year amounted to $172,OO0,000 and L.
GAO sea-going vessels entered the port.
Being 100 miles from the coast, it is
not effected by the tide and its fresh
water is much less destructive to YES
sells than is the briny deep.
| Did you ever help to make soft
soap? You can talk about your husk-
ing bees and sugar camp soirees, but
they are not in the same class with
the production of the old-fashioned
dirt eradicator. or course, the fun
does not come all at one time, but the
climax is reached the day the big ket-
tie boils over and the proper test
Iproves that the product is ripe. You
will recall how the ashes from the
wood stove were carefully preserved
all winter, and how the pieces of fatty
meat and old butter and cracklings
were laid away for the big clean up in
the spring. Then you will remember
how you bored holes in the bottom
of the barrel, set it upon an incline,
filled it with ashes, poured the water
on and watched the I've tricllle down
the board into the big crock. When
enough of this fiery liquid was secur-
ed and the right proportion Of grease
was placed with it in the big kettle,
what Joy it was to start the fire and
set the wheels of the primitive fac
: tory in operation. AS cleanliness Is
said to be next to Goodness, the early
settlers were surely pretty good, as
that old-fashioned soap left nothing to
be desired in that line. If the first
application did not remove the soil
from the hands, a second would take
the hide off, and the cleaning process
was completed with protests and dis
patch. The Roustabout thought this
old process of making soap had gone
into history until he backed in with
the Rock Island train into Keosauqua
the other day. En- route he saw the
process in full operation, and the old
familiar smell made him feel like a
boy again, with all the sad memories
of the generous use Of soap against
his will. "
~
|, But fellow is likely to see any
thing at Keosauqua. 1t is one of the
, Oldest and quaintest towns in Iowa,
the capital of Van Buren, county,which
has given birth to more great men
than any other equal space in the
: country. 1t was laid out shortly af.
: ter the Oldest inhabltanr came to Iowa
and was once the head of navigation
- TOoe A1ipae riuar ,,nvu q q