. The past may thus be compared with the present. Jonathan Buffarn bought the land of John Vanatta, east of the village, and in 1841, erected a small log grist mill on Fancy creek. After a few years, the mill was torn down. With the advent of railroads in the near east and southeast, the elevator supplanted Andalusia's warehouses, and they have disappeared. The flouring mill was burned down.

The enormous lumber trade was disintegrated. A decade of the twentieth century credits Andalusia with a population of 300 souls. The tide of emigration west and north by way of the widely known ferry; the mighty river bordered by the lovely valley; the gently rising hills, giving place within view to bold bluffs and commanding promontories; the whole of picturesque scenery unsurpassed anywhere, is sufficient to explain why our forefathers thought to found here a great city.

At present Andalusia has good business houses. The people are self-supporting and contented. The important industry is the manufacture from the clam shell of blanks winch, at finishing plants elsewhere, .ire converted into the pearl button. The sawed, round blanks are of various sizes, according to the class of the shell. There are a number of small factories, in which the operators earn from $2 to $5 daily. Gathering clams gives profitable employment during the summer months. The clams are found in beds, and are gathered by specially constructed apparatus, cooked in large, iron bottom pans, the clams removed, and the shells sold by ton weight. The cooked clams are carefully inspected. "Slugs" are commonplace, but there is an occa­ sional finding of a pearl of value.

Andalusia is an important landing of the packet line between Rock Island and Burlington. The wharf landing is maintained by the Federal Government. A deep water gap between islands apposite Andalusia, connects the slough or south channel with the main channel. The slough is much used by light steamers. The nearest railroads are the southwest branch of the Rock Island lines, the Chicago, Milwaukee & St Paul, at Buffalo, on the opposite side of the river, and the Rock Island Southern at Black Hawk, five miles distant below and then, during the past forty years, a railroad has been built through this section, on paper.

The trend of events marks the certainty of close railroad connection in the near future.