Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1843-08-30
VALLEY OF THE mississippi

thus refers to the extent and capacity Of
its navigoble rivers:
The Mississippi valley IS known by
such very crude and indefinite names as
the West, the Western country, the Lake
country, the Southwest, the Harvest ::
by some il is called the Land Of Pigs, and
since the elections Of 1910, it is some
times called the Coon SKIN regions. Its
boundaries on the west are the Rocky
Mountains, Mexico and Texas; on the
south by the Gulf Of Mexico, on the
east the Allegheny mountains: and on
the north the lakes and the BRUSH ros,
sessions. Ii contains nearly as many
square miles as continental Europe, and
If populated as densely as England.
would sustain population Of fee hun.
dTed millions of human beings-more
than half of the present population OF
the Earth. Stretching from the goth to
the 49th degree of latitude, il possesses
great variety Of climate. In richness of
soil and extent of tillable land, il is not
surpassed by any country Of the same
extent. Its surface is almost unbroken
by mountain or hill Of sufficient cult
walton. Geographically viewed, it is
pre- emlnently commercial country and
Is particularly eligible for foreign com.
mcrce. To see, reader, for yourself
what the Mississippi valley is, suppose
you 60 on board one Of those steamboats,
laying at the wharf at New Orleans
and about to start for the Upper Mis-
slsslppi river. Leaving the Orange
groves and sugar plantations of the
South, in about ten days the boat will
ntf hsa E.,Ilu L
twenty five hundred miles mp the MIss;s |
sippl river 1t you think You are not far
enough north, YOU can walk around the |
Falls, and, taking another boat, ascend
eig hundred or a thousand miles ru~.
ther. On your way up you will have
passed though many climates, and seen
the production of each under cultivation,
and over a vast mining region, abound
ing IN coal, lead. iron and copper ore,
ali found in veins Of wonderful richness
As you return, should you wish 10 take
a peep at the West, you will take a boar
at 81 Louis bound up the Missouri riv- |
er. After n couple Of weeks or so oil
good hard running, she will land YOU al
the great falls, in the country Of the
Blackioot Indians ;about thirty nine hun
dred miles above ST Louis, and five thou
sand from New Orleans. Returning.
you would of course wish to see some Of
The tributaries Of the Missouri, for this
purpose you would make a little excur.
sion Of eleven hundred miles I'D the Vel.
low Stone, or sixteen hundred up the
Platte, and of twelve hundred up The
honzas, and so back To St Louis on the
Mississippi river, twelve hundred miles
from New Orleans. There YOU take a !
beat for the beautiful Ohio, aud run up
that stream to Piusbu rgh, one thousand
miles from the mouth Of the OHIO, and
two thousand from New Orleans. You
would see the flourishing towns or Lou.
lsvIlle, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh: the
most iuxurIant crops Of ali the grains
and grasses; fine and numerous focks
and herds of every kind: YOU would
smile to see the primitive contriyances
waited on the Losom Of the Ohio, bear
ing the products of the Ohio vally TO its
distant market in New Orleans, and.
more than all, you would rejoice TO see
the healthy, happy, smiling faces Of the
PEG before you again embark ed on
the MisslSsippI, you would no doubt run
three or four hundred miles up the Cum.
berland, and six or seven hundred IN
were
the first cotton regions Iof the valley,
and now highly cultivated and impro.
we'd. Once more on the Mississippi, on
your way downward, you would be
prompted TO shoot fifteen hundred or
two thousand miles up the Arkansas
river, just to see where all those hides
and iurs came from. You would no
doubt run two or three hundred miles
up the 1azoo, and two hundred or so
up the Big Black, both in the State of
Mississippi, 70 see the countries thar
send out those stupendous steam.b boat
loads Of cotton that you met on YOUR way
up, and just before you reached New
Orleans you would be sorely temptek 10
pop thousand or fifteen hundred miles
up Red river, to see the splendid cotton
plantations Of Louisiana, and give a fin.
ish 10 your excursion.
When you get back to New Orleans
you would have a tOierably accurate
idea OF what the Mississippi valley IS.
and by putting the distances together YOU
VIII hnd you have travelled very com.
iortably by steamboat sixteen thousand
miles, add, 20 going add returning, dou.
bic that distance. Should curiosity lead
you 10 investigate, you will fad that in
the Mississippi river and its tributaries
the Mississippi valley possesses steam.
boat navigation Of from TWENTY Yfvs IN
THIRTY THOUSAND NILES. Such ia a byisf
but true geographical glance az the val
10y. To the mind Of an Atlantic or 70
TOPean reader 20 may appear more Of
q clancy akefchg The 4, 80. l.----....