Maumee express. [volume] (Maumee City, Ohio) 1837-1838, 1838-06-23
4 MAuMEn RIVER ON A SUMNER MonNlNe.-

We recollect, very well, the time when half the
population of our town, would pour down to
the river of morning to witness the departure
of the steamboat Brady. And an interesting
sight it was to us who had seldom an opportu-
nifty ofseeing water craft Of any description
in our waters. But the aspect of things has
changed. Improvement has made giant stride
among us. The hand of man guided by enter
prize has wrought wonders. Commerce, more
potent than the wand ofthe enchanter has built
here her dwelling and is opening vista splen-
did in all the features Of approaching prosperi-
ty.
We were standing upon the bank in front
of our office on yesterday morning, admirng
the deep green of the growing corn upon the
large island in the middle of the river, and
occasionally turning to survey the long strings
of laborers passing to their work upon the ca
nal, W 'en our attention was arrested by the
noise of steamboats,. We turned and saw,
what is by no means uncommon with us at pre-
sent, but which merits well description. The
Rochester, one of the largest and most splen-
did steam vessels upon tho Great lakes, was
just disappearing in the distance, and throwing
her long bright jets of steam, high into the at
mosphere. By her side, the little Wabash was
doing her duty manfully with her two white
columns issuing straight and clear from her up
per deck. Rounding the point above, and
just visible among the trees came the saucy
Jackson, noisy as the hero whose name she
bears, and putting up to the wharves in front
came the Cincinnati, black with passengers,
and low with u full freight of all sorts of
goods and chattels. The Oliver Ncwberry
lay at the wharves on the other side, and we
could see upon the side walks, the denizens o f
our sister town, hurrying down to take u pas
sage. few moments more brought the
staunch and noble Perry in sight from below,
laden, as she always is with men and things
and giving forth sound as of distant can
onadmg reminding us of former times and of
him whose name she so gallantly bears. Close
at her heels came the Commerce, our connec- :
ting link with our neighbors at Sandusky, and
to complete the assortment of all sizes and di-
mensions arose the Sun, a steamboat in minia-
ture, but whose regularity and convenience
proves her not unaptly named.
Nor is this all. Upon the other side lies the
Chesapeake, of princey size and dimensions,
yet unfinished, but whose state Of forwardness
proves, that but few days will elapse before
she will take her place among the floating pal
aces Of the Western waters. And no mean
place will she hold among them, if beauty of
model, strength of construction and power of
engine, are to be taken into account in Judging
of her future performances. On the wharf.-the
low lies little vessel yet unnamed, whose
form is soon to meet the waters of the river,
and snugly packed away behind wharf on the
other side, lies the Wild Cat, the last of the
boats on the river, now receiving her engine
and hasting to be on her way.
Such is the result of The observation of ore
hour, upon the bank of river, where five
short years ago, the sound of steam was sell
dom heard, ard where MT often was seen the
shadows of the white sail upon the waters, and
where twenty years since, the bark canoe of
the Indian, or the clumsy pirogue of the voy-
ageur and fur trader was the only craft that
stirred its sleeping surface,