Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1821-08-11
STATE OF MISSOURI.

Extract Of a letter from gentleman
sometime resident In Missouri, to
his. friend In the toun Of Salem, dated
ST. Louis, April 4.
1.-THE emigration to this state has stop
ped and many have actually gone back,
after being disappointed in the quality of
the .ands, which has been falsely cried up
to be the richest in the world. The fact
! is this-the bottom lands on the margins
of the rivers, which are annually over
flowed, are very rich, but people cannot
live on them without being subject to the
bilious fever, dysentery, a,ue, and other
complaints, the greater part of the year.
| A part of the other lands abound with
minerals, lead and iron, and are unfit for
cultivation. The prairies, which consti-
tute no small part, are generally filled
| with shrub oaks, which costs So per
! acre to grub. There are few small spots
of ground which are excellent, but far the
greater proportion of what are called
good lands, are on y second and third rate,
| with thin soil of not more than s inches
deep. The OIL y real and substantial val
ne of the state is the Lead Hines. The
lands OF Illinois are much superior. The
praires Of that state are always fit for
the plough, and the soil in some places is
feet deep.
St. Louis is the chief town, situated on
the west bank of the Mississippi, in bar
rem spot, 90 miles below the junction of
the Missouri; lat SS, Sc, N. long. l2, Ia,
w. of the city of Washington, and about
1000 miles from it by stage route The
view Of the town, ascending the Mississip-
pi, and from the opposite uIlinois) shore,
is pleasant, being a gradual ascent from
the first to the second bank. The ancient
buildings are of logs, and of stone, as ug-
ly, involvement and rough as possible
constructed after the manner of the
French. with lots for gardens appurte-
nant, and mostly Oh the first bank; which
is bed of lime stone. The streets are
narrow and dirty, and like Church Cor
mud Street in salem. either half leg deep
in mire or enyeloped in dust. Main street
the only one of consequence, runs parral-
lei with the river, about Is fathoms from
it, and extends ] miles in length. The
second bank commences about cables
length from the river, and rises 80 feet,
on which several wider streets are laid
out, and some new houses built, which
are mostly of brick, including a Jail of
stone: but without any display of architec
tural taste or skill. in their construc-
ton.
Three cables length from the river, the
Mo
there is a large pond Of stagnant water,
2 miles in length, which in the latter
part of summer sends forth disagreed
BILE smell, and produces myriads of mus
quetoes. Back of the town is a prairie,
and 10 miles wide, which produces no
thing; and from the large Indian mound
near the north part Of the town, which
commands view of all the upper and
part of the lower bank, this prairie has a
most dreary and desolate appearance
The market is supplied from Illinois,
The place although it was settled as carly
as 1904, contains only 1000 inhabitants,
and now decreasing. They are of a mix
ed assemblage. The original French are
from Canads; some of them are white,
and all the different shades from that to
Indian and black-A few of the white fe
males are handsome, excessively fond of
dress. lin variety of gaudy colors) at
tending church, and dancing There are
also Tennesseians, Kentuckians, Virgini
ans, Pennsylvanians, and some few Yam
KEGS, which term is applied to all coming
from the Atlantic states eastward of the
mountains, and whom the people of the
West have strange opinion of. But the
greater proportion are Irish, who concen-
trata here On aecounk of ne CotboE,