The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1849-01-19
WEEKLY ALMANAC.

- A".S' ~ SS,S STfst u IL fCrsa'
AVERY PRIVATE LETTER FROM MA
'EySTk DOWNING TO PRESIDENT FOLK.
HEAD OF SALT RIVER,
Dec. Is, ls4s.
DEAN Coil oil come out lest exact
lys told you 's~ould in my last despatch
few days before the lection. The snb
qaakcs and harrycane was awful. Some
Vi OUT friends ucre thrown up. sky high
pnd hsinl been seen or heard Of since =
rome was swallowed up 10 the ground and
buried alive; aud oil Of US was shipwrcck.
ed and splsshed over board, aud LEFT TO the
marcy Of wind and TO the tide. was lucky
enough TO get a-sifsddc OF a PACK, and
made out 10 keep my head above water. |
dfit.ed abcui AZ bile. kind OF confused like,
and couldn't hardly tell ~helher ! as on
the ocean or on the lake, OF who're | was.
Al last floatcd along into river, and
thea concluded. OF course, / was bound
doan Niagara, and should have TO plunge
head and cats over the big falls. seem.
Cd 10 BE- floating along down the middle of
The river, and away of before me aud away
behind mo could see good many others
going the sams way; and away in close to
lhe shore, On both sides OF the river, there
seemed 10 be good many going the other
sy--lhst is. asI thought, going up stream.
sss kept along 10 this way til come to
b narrow place in The river. which learnt
afterwards, was called the half way mar
rows. Here the current erew moro rapid,
and 0 ,sied along very fast; bu, I was 90
near tho shore could see iolkson both sides
and hear EN- speak.
Presently met . man on one side OF the
iivcs. footing il along the shore, end towing
} little boat AFTER him, as | thought, up
Ftfesm. Al hss,. by his STOPPING walk md
Ind bald head. thought he was too old
} man 10 be doing sush hard kind Of work !;
but ~henhe came nearer. see hc had llixy
hair aad young and almos. boyish looking
face. lie went stra'eh, ahead, with a hoe
pvef bic shoulder. drs~ing the boa. after
bin, and Staging merry kind Of song,
shrh | ecaldn's make out, only one verse
ti y. which seems 10 be this.
Life il real, lie il earnest;
Things arc Jest what they do seem,
Down Salt River thou rc,urnest,
y, my Tribune, lis no dream.
When seen ~ho i, was, was amazing.
ly puzzled. Id heard good many songs
Thu, bad more truth than poetry in en-, bu,
this one seemed TO have more poetry than
truth in en-. Any how. Il this was really
Salt River that VIC had heard so much tell
oF, couldn'l seem TO mske out how should
BE- sailing down stream so last. and tho Tn.
buue man be ,u.aiug up stream SO bard
This dido, agree with The election return.
,, all. S,mclhing has got twisted round
ihings is not Jest what they seen. While
was boihcr,ng my head abou, il, looked
over on 'soiher side OF tho river, and there
vas ano,hc. man with line over his shout
der. towing large aud heavier boat "
stream, ss | thought. ilc wasa tall Office
looking man, With large whskers and stool
up straight, and walked strong, as though
no did'n' care for nobody. lie too seeme'
to be singing q very merry song. All
could hear Of !, was jest this VERGE;
Old Uncle Sam was Jolly old soul
Ands jolly old soul was he;
lie called for his pipe, and he called for his bow
And he called for Taylor and me -.
Az he passed by ne see the namo O
The Garne OF the boa. was New York Cou
Tier and Enquirer. was in grca, puzzle
meni these Wing chaps was all so merry
and yet, IL this was really Salt River,
seemed TO mo they vas going the wron
way, according to the lection, and coul
mol tell wins. to make oft. Az was nca
enough 10 hail tho Courier man, [ though
J would coll 10 him and see il could q
auy l'gh, on the subject. So. says l.
llullo, Colonel T lie stopped aud turl
% round. and unas cred. hullo.'
Sys H. | ask your pardon, Colonel, b'
Ina stranger in these parts. and s'ra'
ee' to you, by your boat. Will you be I
KIND as TO tell mo where I'm bound to !
For I'm kind Of lost
Oh, certainty say he, with tho grea
9" pleasure, my dsar cir. You are bour
aalsh. up TO the head Of Salt River; ye
ean't m'ss your way, fos there isn't a sing
path that turns out between here and there
We'll, now saysI. Colonel, you OF
mus. be under some strange mistake.
o'a' you see I'm floating down on the Gu