The Daily Gazette Davenport, Iowa Friday Morning August 15, 1862 Trip to DeWitt.-It is so seldom the editor of a daily paper gets the opportunity to shake the cobwebs from his brain, by throwing off the restraint of the tripod and mingling freely with the people away from home for the space of an entire day, that when such an event does occur he likes to chronicle it for the instruction, if not the admonition of his readers. That we made a trip to DeWitt in Clinton county, some twenty miles and returned home again all in one day, is very evident to ourselves, and we hope to make it equally plain to our readers before we get through. By dint of remarkable self-denial, aggravated by the fact that we had set up with a member of the State Auditing Board, assisting him to disentangle red tape, until 12 o'clock the preceding night, we managed to get out of bed a few minutes before 5 o'clock, a feat we do not often accomplish. In about thirty-three minutes and as many seconds we had bolted our victuals, and seated behind one of Thompson's fine b! uggy horses, were rattling along over the macadam at a 2:40 rate. Emerging on the prairie we saw the sun rising in the direction of up the river. Rather an unusual sight for us and on close observation could not perceive that he looked any the less refreshed for getting up so early in the morning, but if anything brighter than when with red, puffy face he hid behind some clouds the previous evening; attributed altogether to the fact however that he went to bed so early in the evening and didn't have to sit up with the Auditing Committee. The morning was delightful and so was the road and so were the surroundings, and pretty soon we began to feel so ourself. We looked over the many thousand of acres around us, dotted here and there with the residences of the sturdy farmers and fenced into fields, checkering the landscape with their productions, and thought as we traveled on, that with the indorsement of so much real wealth, Davenport like Richelieu would never know such word as "fail," but under every circumstance must progress. Nature never made a country so beautiful and productive, bearing in its bosom the elements of so much real wealth and planted a sight so lovely and in all respects so favorable for a city as that which Davenport occupies, in vain. Hard time may fall with heavy hand upon us, fires may sweep away some of our most useful establishments and war call off some of our best citizens, yet our city will survive and emerge from the ordeal the better prepared to enter upon the great contest for ! place and position among the prominent cities of the West. Reaching DeWitt within three hours from the time we left our own door, we stopped at the Nolton House, an excellent hotel kept by Mr. Clark, a gentleman who leaves no effort untried to render comfortable and perfectly since we had last seen it, and now presents all the evidences of prosperity. The completion of the railroad to that point has given it an impetus that will help it to compete for position among the interior cities of our State. At 2 o'clock the Republican Convention met at the Court House. The court room was crowded. A more intelligent body of men, we presume, never met there, certainly none more harmonious. Although the contest was between three candidates, from as many counties, and wire-pulling was the order of the day, yet mingling freely among all, not one unkind word did we hear uttered. And when at last the result was announced and the question was put whether the nomination should be unanimous, one general acclaim was the response. Mr. Price being called upon, took the stand and for the space of half an hour spoke in his usual felicitous style. He was followed by his friends, so recently his opponents, Messrs. Butler and Smyth, who congratulated him upon his success, and while each wished himself might have been the fortunate man, yet gracefully submitted to the decision of the majority and avowed his determination to work until the day of election to place the nominee in a position where ! he could and would do so much for the interests of this district of Iowa. Many of the delegates remained after the adjournment to attend the Judicial Convention, to be held the following day. Staying to tea we left for home and after a delightful ride of about two hours, entirely missed the refracted rays of the friend we saw get out of his bed in the East so early in the morning, and the balance of the way plodded on in darkness, just ahead of a big storm, which broke in wind and rain-soon after we had gotten safely sheltered under the roof that man is wont to call his own. ~~~~~~*~~~~~~ Elaine Rathmann ACC Scott Co, IAGenWeb Project List Adm: *IA-CIVIL-WAR *IA-DANES