WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN WALNUT, IOWA IN 1875
[TAKEN FROM THE AVOCA DELTA, JUNE 3, 1875]
WALNUT. – This village is growing this year with remarkable rapidity, and has developed a business snap seldom found in towns of its age. There are some fifteen new houses now being erected and still others are under contract. The rapidity of its growth can be accounted for by the fact that it is situated in the center of as fine an agricultural country as there is anywhere in the world.
Among the more noticeable improvements is a very nice high school building and the Catholic Church, which is a handsome structure. The most important addition to the business interests of the town is the establishment of Exchange Bank, by E. R. Hinckley. It is an institution that our growing, enterprising, wide awake sister town has long stood in need of, and had become a pressing necessity. Our young friend C. R. Hinckley is cashier – than whom no more genial, gentlemanly and prompt young man in business transactions could be found. We are glad to know that the enterprise starts out with flattering prospects.
Our stay in Walnut was brief and mostly occupied with business matters but we met and chatted with a number of her live business men; and we found that the prevailing sentiment was that Avoca was a little too close to Walnut ever to amount to much.
The contract for the erection of an elevator there has been let – M. J. Moran doing the mason work on the foundation. The building will be 24 x 40 and is to be completed in July. Mr. Scott of Marengo is the gentleman who is building it. He is a thoroughly business man and will be an acquisition that Walnut may well be proud of.
We shall pay our friends another visit soon, when we propose to give the style cost and character of their improvements more in detail.
John Sankey, son of the landlord of the Walnut Hotel was kicked by a horse, last week, on the left cheek, crushing the bones in a frightful manner. Dr. Hanna was called to the case and fixed up his cheek so it would be as good as new. The young man is now doing nicely.
The picnic season is coming again, that happy, happy season, when we set down in the shady grove and eat strawberries and cream, fight mosquitoes, and get up with little itchy pimples on our face and hands, and the map of the Dismal Swamp on the seat of our trousers. Oh, it’s perfectly exhilarating and lovely.
These mornings what a pleasure it is to take in deep draughts of the fresh morning air, to listen to the rich and varied notes, of the feathered woodland songsters mingled with the melodious bugle of the gentle Jackass and the squeal of hogs as your neighbor calls them to their morning repast.
Several of our farmers have inquired about broom corn seed, and where to get it. Write to Chas. Beckwith, commission merchant Chicago, Ills, care of Frank Mercer, 107 and 109 Madison Street and you will be able to get it. If planted by the 20th of June a good crop can be raised.
Last Thursday we received a call from Leander Lodge, of the firm of Lodge Bros, Walnut. These gentlemen are dishing up matters in the line of dry goods groceries and notions in good style, and their uniform courtesy and fair dealing has gained for them a host of customers and friends which the reasonable price at which they sell goods has enabled them to retain. We had a very pleasant chat with the gentleman.
Benjamin Brown, son of David Brown, living about eight miles south of Walnut, last week met with an accident that came near proving fatal. While returning from watering a horse he was thrown over its head, striking a three-eights inch bolt sticking up above the beam of a plow, which penetrated his skull just above the left eye breaking both tables. Dr. Hanna was called to the case and with his usual skill fixed him up. Strange to say the young man is now fairly out of danger, with a good prospect of ultimate recovery. It was a very close call.