DAN BAKER - Editor of The Chariton Leader; travels..

BAKER

Posted By: David (email)
Date: 3/7/2004 at 20:42:09

The Chariton Leader, Chariton, Iowa
Saturday, June 2, l877

During our trip to Indiana, this week and next, we will visit the hills, forests and valley, of Johnson, Brown and Monroe Counties, and pay our greatest respects to the old State University at Bloomington, from which place we were discharged many years ago, for studying too hard. Our memory may be somewhat defective on that subject, but we remember that the faculty notified us that they could run the institution to a very good advantage without our existance, so we went away.

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From Indiana;
Williamsburg, Johnson Co., Ind.; June 4, l877.

Dear Ed. -- After a pleasant trip of nineteen hours from Chariton, I found myself comfortably located in the ancient village of Williamsburg, a place made illustrious by being the home of my ancestors several years before the flood. I am taking solid comfort by the day, and devoting my valuable time to the business, as well as pleasure, of seeing my old friends. I went out in the rough hills of Brown County, a couple of miles south of here, on yesterday, (Sunday) in each of the sacred spots made famous by being my birth place. I found it, and the only relics of its departed greatness was a pile of stones which marked the last resting place of the old chimney to the hut. The locality of the old site would be termed by some as wild, picturesque and romantic, and I sought to work myself up to the proper pitch of enthusiasm of the spot, but failed in the effort. High hills, resembling the Alleghany Mountains, surround the shrine of my pilgrimage, but I couldn't enthuse over!
the place. From the best information I could get, I learned that the natives of Williamsburgh generally supposed that it was in this vicinity where the Devil took the Savior up into the mountains and made that celebrated proposition to him concerning the transfer of all the real estate in the country if he would fall down and acknowledge allegiance to his Satanic Majesty. As you remember, the proposition was rejected with disgust, and therein I commend the Savior's good judgment, for I don't believe there was a real estate dealer in all the land of Judea who wouldn't have done the same thing without reflection, had he seen the property then offered for sale. The owner of the "old ranche" is Dr. Marshall, of this village. He tells me that he holds the place in the highest veneration, and would only sell it for a high price. The same old cabin where I was born has been the shelter of two of Brown County's Sheriffs, and when I astonished him by telling him that I, too, ha!
d filled two high positions, the office, of school director and Alderman -- he declared that the place wasn't for sale. He will go to building a monument on it soon.

This is a quiet, happy community, and nothing disturbs the people but politics and religion. In order to be as orthodox as possible and fully represent my State, I sent a hand to church yesterday, while I devoted myself to the study of the antiquities of the country.

Crops of all kind are looking remarkably well, and the prospect for a big yield of corn was never better. Plenty of fine fields with corn from eight to ten inches high. In fact, both Illinois and Indiana are far ahead of Iowa this year, and should they be blessed with a good season, will have enormous crops of all kinds of grain.

I want to go down to Brown, soon and take a little of my native diet -- sweet root and ginseng. Will probably go on a Sunday school excursion to Louisville, Ky., on Thursday. The fare is $2 for the round trip, and special inducements are offered to Sunday school Superintendents in good standing. Couldn't you manage to send me a certificate of good character, as I am a little afraid to try it on my cheek. But it took me through Girard College; why should it fail me in this trying emergency. The only difference is that I will have to put on another kind of look from what I did then. No matter; I am equal to the occasion, and am bound to go on the excursion, if it don't rain too much.

Times are dull in Indiana, but all look forward to an improvement in money matters if they are blessed with a fine harvest.

Well, time is too precious to devote it to work -- fishing is good, and duty tears me away from this letter. I must go fishing. Will be home next week, I guess.

-- Thine Tenderly,

DAN.

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Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert
March 4, 2004