The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1848-02-10
DREAMING AHEAD FIFTY YEARS.

DREAMING AHEAD FIFTY YEARS.
An Ingenious old boy, who sometimes
writes verses. tells the following rs ono Of
his dreams. lie thought no would take q
Isip Van Winke snoo2c on the bank or the
Mississippi River, one night in Octobcr.-
Sc he crawlcd into the mouth of cnyo
opening into the eastern bluff, few miles
below Prairie du Chen, near new distil.
lcry, aud there, watching the llcct Of siIye-
~ duck ~ they sailed up and down tho
glistonlng river, Cnjasing tho hazy sun.
shine Of autumn, and watching tho yellow
leaves dropping into The current from tho
limbs Of giaat trees, towering above Jun
giles oi purple grnpcvinos, slumbcr sproad
the misty veil before his cyclids, aud he
slept md dreamcd-drcamcd that lie Ind
nst awakened in the samc spot, inter tho
lnr-c II fifty ,cnrs. Stretching his palsied
limbs, from which the decaycd garments
tell into tatiers. he arose. rubbed open his
cyos aud looked around him. Tho old dis.
'illery was in ruins, and every thing but
the grey bluffs seemed changed. Swift
vessels, beautiful and of models entirely
new 10 him, dashed up and down the river
propelled BY some unseen agency. Ito
locked around, Il !ind same person 10 an-
swer his inquiries. Presently he saw a
man emerging from cavern before him.
opening from under tho bed al the river.
s's;,rnngcr," said he, team you tell ma
what propcis yondcr vessel? cnn sec no
appearance Of steam"
''Why. oil man. electricity, Of course
steam went ont Of date long aga. Where
have YOU been?n
"Oh! never mind"
81 shall mind you, my old cock Judge
that you have broken loose from tho Lnn-
caster Insane Asylum. It's my business 10
mind you. The first shall know you will
be lying across the rails; aud il is my bu-
siness TO keep the track clear"
"What track? ~
ssWhy, yoa old fool. the track olthis see.
tion of tho Grand Atlantic aud Pacific
failway--or n, least, nf the tunnel here,
through which j, passes under the river"
| Here the Old mans cars wero snlutcd
with heavy rumbling noise in tho west,
which rnnred like all the clariots ol heav-
en- let loose in thunder storm-which,
rapidly approaching, now seemed 10 con
valsc The earth itscii--and now dashinR
out from beneath the river, n long trim of
magnificent railroad cars filed with thou
sends "a passengers of every description,
from tho shrewd Yankee TO tho Hong MGR
chan, with his Chinese qucnc--and away
dashed the mighty avalanche of vchiclcs--
n milo long, md another minute, a mile
nearer tho wide A,lantic--thnndcring nlonr
with its terrific rumbIing of wheels, dav
aud night, over rivers mud through noun.
tains.
"I'hcn this is tho Whitney railroad? "--
inquired The old man.
This is the Western railroad, and inter.
scots tho Northern rai'rond, from New Or
leans 10 st. Peters, Just on tho other hank
Of the river. Bot, come, YOU must kccp ooe
Of tho tunnel, old fellow tho opposition lioo
o. cars, called tho shell fro" train will hc
along Directly. Tint train is propelled Nv
chain lightning, and left tho CITY u Oregon
about wcnty minutes ego. and will be hero
and gone ngin in twinkling. You had
better hpld your hat on" Before he had
done speaking -whiz--somcthing flashed
by--bright Ms a meteor rush
ING through tho vnu;is OF heaven, it slot
away and away, and now is lost in the haze
VI distance.
"lIallo! old fellow; 20 il blew you over;
told you to hold your-wcll, well; hero
is your old mou'dy hat and wig, lodged to-
gcthcr in trce-top! Here, old chap, d
two-pence to buy new ones, for which you
can send by tcegraph to The city Of Cass-
L l..