enterprise, and are hastening it to an early completion.

The Northern Iowa Railroad, a continuation of the Illinois Central, is projected from Dubuque west, through the counties of Dubuque, Delaware, Buchanan, Blackhawk, Grundy, Hardin, Webster, Calhoun, Sac, Ida, and Woodbury, striking the Missouri at Floyd's Bluffs, at the mouth of the Big Sioux River. A branch of this road is also projected, to run from Delhi, in Delaware county, north, through Clayton, Fayette, and Winnesheik, to St. Paul, Minnesota.

A line connecting with. the Chicago and Mississippi Railroad (which reaches the Missouri in Carroll county, Illinois) is projected to pass through Jackson, Jones, Linn, Benton, Tama, Marshall, Story, Boone, Greene, Carroll, and Crawford, striking the Missouri in Mahona county.

A line running as a continuation of the North Missouri Railroad enters the state in Davis county, passing through Appanoose, Lucas, and Warren, to Fort Des Moines, crossing the Burlington and Missouri Railroad at Chariton, the Muscatine and Platte Valley Railroad at Indianolo, and connecting with the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad at Fort Des Moines. A portion of this road is under contract, and, we are informed, will be pushed through as rapidly as circumstances will admit. A branch of this line leaves Fort Madison, passing through Lee, Van Buren, and Davis, connecting with the Northern Missouri and Des Moines Railroad in Appanoose county.

The Des Moines Valley Railroad is to leave the Mississippi at Keokuk, passing through Lee, Van Buren, Jefferson, Wapello, Mahaska, Marion, and Jasper, to Fort Des Moines, there connecting with two east and west lines. This is considered by many as being one of the most important routes, as the Des Moines Valley, in mineral and agricultural productions, is the richest valley in the state.

Another line, as a continuation of the Philadelphia and Fort Wayne Air Line Railroad, to leave the Mississippi at the mouth of the Iowa River, passing through Louisa and Washington counties, connecting at Washington with the Muscatine and Oskaloosa Railroad, has been proposed.

A preliminary survey has been made of a railroad from Keokuk to Davenport, via Montrose, West Point, Mount Pleasant, Columbus City, and Muscatine; the entire distance being 703 miles. The estimated cost of this road, including furniture, depots, fencing, &c., is $1,911,934. This is one of the many roads which will seek the bridge at Davenport as the Mississippi crossing.

"We doubt not that those railroad lines penetrating into the state, which are continuations of roads from the east and south, will be pushed forward to an early completion.

The construction of the several roads reaching from Chicago towards the Mississippi River demonstrates that railroads may be constructed through a country of

prairie on the line of emigration, and yield a profit as soon and as far as opened. The receipts of the Chicago and Rock Island Road from the 10th of July to the 10th of January were $710,688 86; running expenses for the same time, $440,764 86; leaving a balance of $270,894. The whole number of passengers passing over the road for the five months ending December 1, amounted to 168,824; total amount of freight transported during the same time, 49,734 tons.

We give the statistics of this road, because it was the first which reached the Mississippi, and reliable facts could be more easily obtained. Nor is this railroad an exception each of the Chicago and Mississippi, and the Galena and Chicago lines, pay well as far as completed.

EDUCATION.

A superintendent of public instruction is chosen by the people for three years. A large school fund is secured by the appropriation of lands granted by Congress, escheated estates, and the percentage allowed by Congress on sales of public lands within the state. Common schools in all the school districts are also maintained by law from other sources of revenue. There is also a large fund assigned for the support of a university. The permanent school fund, at interest, in 1850, amounted to about $279,000.

RELIGIOUS STATISTICS.

There were in this state in 1855, 78 Congregational churches; ministers, 57; number of members, 2500; number of meeting houses built, 50. Of the Baptist denomination there were 105 churches and 60 pastors; number of members, 4100. Of the Presbyterian denomination there were 1850 members and 175 churches. Of the Methodist Episcopal denomination there were 85 churches, 45 parsonages, 225 preachers, and 16,000 members. Of Roman Catholics there were 35 churches; stations, 17; religious communities, 5; Catholic academies, 4; clergymen, 29; Catholic population, 29,000.

POPULATION.

The population of the territory in 1836 was 10,531; in 1840 it was 43,017; in 1850, 192,214. The census, as returned by the secretary of state, taken in the spring of 1854, is as follows: Males, 170,302; females, 154,900; total population, 325,202. Voters, 59,984; militia, 50,284; aliens, 10,373; colored males, 258; colored females, 222; blind, 27; deaf and dumb, 28; insane, 47; idiots, 7. There is one vote to every five and a half and a fraction of the population.

According to this last census, the number of males exceeds that of the females some 16,000. Let the Yankee girls take the hint when they see these figures. The number of inhabitants in the state in January,

1855, has been estimated at upwards of 500,000. Those who have seen and can realize that Iowa is the mouth of the great stream of humanity, whose tributaries extend far and wide, into every state and many nations that stream which is daily and hourly pouring into this great, and fertile, and beautiful state its hundreds and thousands, cannot but predict that in 1860 Iowa will be peopled by more than a million of hardy, energetic, and intelligent inhabitants. By some this may be deemed a wild speculation; but we think we have good and sufficient reasons for placing our estimate thus.

DAVENPORT.

Davenport, the county seat of Scott county, contains 12,000 inhabitants, a greater number than was in the whole State of Iowa in 1838, and is delightfully situated on the west bank of the Mississippi, with a bluff 100 feet high skirting its back, and extending for miles up and down the river. The city was laid out in 1836, under the supervision of Alexander W. M'Gregor, Esq., one of its oldest inhabitants, and others; and the streets, which are spacious, run at right angles, with an alley between each. Davenport contains many handsome churches, public buildings, commodious stores and warehouses.

During the past year there have been erccted 600 buildings, against 400 in 1854. The houses are neat, and the cottages on the bluff are as elegant as many