, 1844-01-20
From the Usage Yeomsn.1
ADDRESS

w CHt tOHCcHtIOH uSScIIOtcu Nt FUT-
Sau. on The 18Th December, l343, 10
the pscple Of the State Of NissOa-
ri, in relation 10 the improvement Of
the Usage rirer.
FellOuo Citizens of The Sfote of Missouri:
Having assembled together in gen.
eral convention, by the appointment
of our teilow-ci,izens Interested in
the improvement of the navigation
Of the Usage river. We address YOU.
and ia Their name beg leave 10 call
your attention 10 this important work.
In entering upon the duties devolv-
ed upon US, We consider i, Of impor.
lance, first of all. to obtain. accurate
4nioImaiioa inreIaiion TO the river
itself. We find that it has its source
far out in the Indian country, and
during the rainy seasons may be navi-
gated by steamboats, to the mouth Of
the Merle des Seigns, a distance Of
two hundred and se%venty-hve miles
from its mouth. Steamboats, of large
bur,hen have frequently assembled as
HIGH as Cs:eoIa, and during the spring
season, a c"nstant trade is kept up to
Warsaw. the former place being $50,
and the latter 10 miles from the
mouth of the river.
Under an act Of the Legislature, n
survey Of the river was made in the
wear 1910. from Oseola 10 its mouth.
BY the engineers report, 1t appears
that the average fall is abou, eight
inches to the mile-that the river. is
un-quaI'v divided into pools and
shoals, and that the greatest amount
of fall at any n place. in a distance
Of five hundred yards, is about two
feet. Neither sand bars or snags arc
to he found in the river; and the
banks are good and rarely give way
TO the action of the current.
The materials for the proposed
work are at hand-stone and timber
a~bnundIng the whole length Of the
survey. and Of a character to make
the most substantial Improvement.
Unlike most rivers. the Usage has
its source in gently undulating coun-
try, and as it approaches towards its
~notiS, t@r- country threush whish j:
passes gradually becomes more bro
ken. lis source being in a county
as above described, the character of
which varies but little for the first 900
miles. causes the stream, in the rainy
seasons. to afford abundance of Wa
Ter, and in seasons of long continued
drought to afford but little. It's tribu.
@taIies, rising in a more broken Coun-
try, the two principal of which, the
Sac and the Nlangua rivers, being fed
by large springs, causes the Usage at
all seasons to afford abundance OF wa
ter for slack.water navigation, and a
surplus for purposes of machinery, at
any and every point below the mouth
of Sac river.
The Usage andit tributaries water
n section of country Of about twenty
thousand square miles. embracing
everv variety of soil, much the great
er portion OF which, however, is su.
perio: Turning llnds.
Lead and iron ore is found in oil
most every neighhorhood for the frsr
two hundred miles from the mouth of
the river. aud stone-coai abounds in
the COUNTRY father up.
Such. tel,ow-ciiizens. is the section
of country 10 he benefited by i'm
proving the navigation OF the Usage
river, a region of country larger than
eight Of the States of this Union, OF
fertile soil and Astounding in minerals
but natures bouuties are strewn in
vain unless the hand of art will carry
out natures designs.
Farmers Of the State of Missouri,
to you we particularly address our
selves, for you are the persons who
have to decide this important matter
we address you as "hrethren OF the
same craft Tor the most of US, like
yourselves, are tlIlcrs OF Inc Sol.-
Shall the citizens of one-fourth of this
widespread State remain in their pre-
sent d,sadvantageous position? Shall
numbers Of them continue 10 wagon
their hemp, wheat and tobacco near
900 miles seeking a MARKET Shall
thew continue to wagon their articles
of consumption and Of prime neces-
sitv the satre distance? Shall near
100000 inhabitants continue to labor
under the disadvantages consequent
on being at a distance from regular
navigation? or shall the State do an
act Of simple j~uslice7 Place your
r selves in U situations, we beseech
you. and then .do unto Others ss We
would that they should do unto you."
$500 r A. C,ns Wy -