Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1906-02-06
AN IOWA LETTER.
Former C0rvaIIisite Writes from
the East, Jan. 20, 1906.

tue East, Jan. ~, lyUO.
Editor Gazette: As you asked
US to jot down any matters o
interest noted by US on this hur'
ried and unexpected trip and
send them to you, and having
for the first time since leaving
home, today few leisure
moments, I will comply with
your request.
Mrs. Holroyd and family ar
rived here feeling as well as could
be expected after the strenuous
experiences incident to such a
trip, and Mr.. Holroyd was laid
away on the 25th inst, surround
ed by all his surviving children,
except one, and large con course
of friends, including many of the
Oldest pioneer citizens of Oelwein
and Fayette County. He was
universally respected here, as in
Corvallis.
1 fnd Fayette county to be a
very rich, fertile and prosperous
one. Many of the 'Iowa Col
ony' contingent at Corvallis,
originally came from this section.
o. J. Black dge think went
from near Des Moines. The
Whites, Lewises, Jones, Potts and
others went from Oelwein, while
the Colberts, Franciscoes, Bar
dens. Fowells and Ashby's went
from Fayette.
Oelwein is strictly a railroad
town, and good one. Two
railroads, the Rock Island and
the Great Western, run through
this place, but only the latter has
its car shops and Offices here.
Really the Great Western has
made the town what it is, live,
progressive city of more than
5000 in population, where is To-
Gated the greatest car and ma
chine shops west of the Missis-
slppi river. AS l went through
one of the largest OF these, which
is a building 1000 feet long, I
found myself wishing that we
had such at home.
Yesterday, having expressed a
desire 10 go to Fayette, the form
er home of many Corvallis peo-
pie, I found at my disposal a
fine cutter and team, and after
taking township plat and wrap
ping myself in Frank Francisco's
big fur coat, which I brought
with me, and to which have
stuck to like a ''sick kitten to
hot JAM" l started out. Al
though Fayette is situated about
as far from Oelwein as Monroe
from Corvallis I found it more
difficult for a webfooter to drive
over an unfamiliar route here in
where many roads at this
season are unbroken and snow
drifts abundant, than the same
distance at home. Several times
at:er following up The we'll beaten
tracks, I would land in the farm
yard of some thrifty farmer, and
have TO ask for instructions be-
fore proceeding further. I 1e-
ceived very courteous treatment,
however, from these who could
not help but see that I was a ten
derfsot and a novice at sleigh
ing, and after I got in the vicin-
ity of Fayett all that was neces-
sary as a passport and a certih-
cate of good behavior, was to
state that 1 knew some of the
Corvallis people formerly from
this section as they are all we'll
known.
On arriving at Fayette I found
The comfortable and hospitable
home Of Mr.. and Mrs. Webster
"a sister of Mr.. Fowells) whom I |
had already learned to designate
as Uncle Will and Aunt Sarah. |
Here, after partaking of a deli
,ious dinner, the good people
placed a fresh team and sleigh at |
my disposal, and accompanied
me on a drive over the town. |
This is a quaint, picturesque, i
home town, whose inhabitants
are ali sswell-to-do citizens, and re-
tired farmers. Here is located |