Litchfield enquirer., 1833-07-11
WHERE IS THE |" WEST 1"

Extract of letter from Geo. Catlin, who has visited the vast regions of upper Missouri to the editor of the N. Y. Spec.
 Notwithstanding all that has been writ ten and said, there is scarcely any subject on which the knOsOing people ofthe East, are yet less informed and instructed than on the character and amusemenls of the
 West: by this mean the " Far Wess'' |-the country whose Vaccinations spread charm over the mind almost dangerous to civilized pursuits. Few people even know the true definition of the term |" West''- and where is its location !-phanton-like 1t flies before US as we travel, and our way is continually giIded, before US, as we ap- prOach the setting sun.
 ln the commencement of my tour, seve- ral of my travelling companions from the city of New fork found themselves at frigh.ful distance to the West, when we ar- rived at Niagara falls, and hastsned back 10 amuse their friends with scenes of the West at Buffalo steamboat was landing with 400 passengers, and twelve days out " Where iron, 2" '' from the Vest" In the rich state of Ohio hundreds were sell- ing their farms aud going the Vest" In the beautiful city of Cincinnati people said to me our town has seen it's best days, it is not far enough West"-In S,. Louis, my landlady assured me that I would be pleased with her boarders, for they were nearly all merchants from the West" asked" whence come those steamboats, laden with pork, honey, hides, &c. 2" from the Y" West. -" Whence those ponderous bars of silver which those men have been for hours shou!dering and putting on board that boat''-they come from the Vest Where goes this steamboat so richly laden with dry-goods, steam engines, &c.-she goes 10 JefcrsOn city" Jefferson city Where is that ?''-Far 10 the West.- " And where goes that boat laden down 10 her gunnels, the Yellow Stone 7''-She goes still farther to the West-then said !, "I'll go to the Vest" Two thousand miles on her and we were at the mouth of Yellow Sone-at the West. "Whatinvoi- ces, bills of lading, &c. wholesale estab- lshment so far to the West Aud, those strange looking, long haired gentlemen who have just arrived and are relating the ad- ventures of their long and tedious journey, who are they 2" Oh, they are some of our merchants just arrived from the Vest "And that keel-boat, that Mackinaw boat, and that formidable caravan, all of which .are richly laden with goods ?''-These. sir, are outfits for the Vest" Going 10 tue West, ha?" TheE said I, "Fll try it again..
 $ Yankees. ."-The subjoined extract from Washington correspondent of the Portland (Maine) Advertiser, is not of very recen, date, bu, still of much interest:
 (" was amused lhe other day, with MT. Calhoun, who after interrupting Mr. Ere linghuysen in debate, and attempting i'm vain to make him understand some of his constitutional abstractions, turned round ill his seat with apparent vexation, and said in low tone-" can never make North ern~man understand me-" MT. Calhoun was half right. We hate metaphysics and are great lovers of common sense. We seldom study any thing from which can re- suit no possible benefit. Our country claims some steady, strong minded practi- cal men; but our soil is hardy and rocky, our climate SO cold, and our people so bu- sy, that they have no time for distractions. We must leave these pnzziing notions 10 the children of the South, who have poli- iicians to think for them, and a soil fertile in every ,hirg that sells well. Our notions are as Yankee notions. We take the world fair and easy, grumble and scold Iit- tic, but seldom threaten. Hence, we have DO Don Quixottes mad, no nullifica,ion, or Sancho Panzas who think it pleasant to govern, though only flock of sheep.- Business is with us the order of the day. We eat, drink, and walk, and talk in hur- ry-The truth is, we are driven to our wits to get living. We till the earth, but no cotten, rice, tobacco, or sugar come ,herefrom. Our corn is pinched by the frost-our wheat bushes for it's meanness. The earth is but a crusty mother. and yields her tributes with reluctance. But yet we make money oui of every thing. We dam our rivers, and turn our waterfalls to ac- count. The genius of steam steps for- ward and gives us helping hand. We transform our forests into ships and water paiIs, edifices and buttons, and into wooden nulmegs and hans, perhaps, you malicious ly add. We turn our lodges into stores and churches our straws into hats and bonnets, and even our old rags into paper. From the banks of Newfoundland we catch fish 10 feed you; and in the Pacific Ocean, h.rnonD whales for the oil tO give you Iigha