Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1849-01-17
A Very Private Letter From Ma.
jOr Jack Downing to President
Polk.
HEAD OF Salt RIVER, Dec IS, 1913.

a few days before the lection. IT
arthquakes and harrycanes was awfl
Some of our friends was thrown up Ok
high, and haint been seen nor heard
since; some was swallowed up in iii
ground and buried alive: and all of u
was shipwrecked and splaShed overheard
and left TO the marcy of the winds and III
tide. was lucky enough to &c, straddl
of plank, and made out to keep m
head above water. ! driited about a lon,
while. kind of confused like, and could n
hardly tell whether was on the ocean o
on lake, or where | was.
AZ last | iloatcd along into a river, ant
then | concluded Of course | was boun,
down Niagara, and seemed to be floa,in.
along down the middle of the river. an,
away Off before me and away behind mt
could see good MANY others going tn,
same way; and away in close to the shore
on both sides of the river. there seemed
to be good many others the same way
that Is, as thought going up stream.
] was kept long in this way till come
to narrow in the river. which learn,
afterwards was called the halfwav-narrows
Here the current grew more rapid. and
foated along very fast; but | was no near
the shore | could see folks on both sides
and hear 'em speak.
Presently met man on one side OF
the river footin. il along the shore, and
town little boat after him. as | thought,
up stream. AT first by his STOPPING walk
and bald head. thought he was too old a
man be TO doing such hard kind of work:
but when he come near, see he had naxy
hair and young and almost boyish look
ing face. lie went straight ahead, with "a
line over his shoulder, drawing the boat
after him, and singing merry kind of a
song which could mt make out. only one
varse of it which seemed to be this:
Life is real. life is earnest.
lh'ngs are Jest what they do seem;
Down Salt River thou returnest,
y, my Tribune, it's no dream.
When | seen who it was was amazinly
puzzled. Id heard a good many songs
that had more truth than poetry in 'en,
but this one seemed to have more poetry
than truth. Any how, if this was really
Salt River. that we had heard so much tell
Of, couldn't seem to make out how |
should be sailing down stream SO fast, and
the Tribune man tugging up stream so
hard This didn't agree with the lection
returns at all. Something has got twisted
round; things is not Jest what they seem.
While J was bothering my head -1o.s 49,
looked over on 'tother side Of The r'vor'
anu mere was another man with line
over his shoulder, towing larger and
heavier boat up stream, as thought. lie
was tall officer looking man with large
whiskcrs, and stood up straight, and
walked stong, as thouth he didn't care
FOR nobody. lie seemed to be singing a
very merry song. All could hear Of it
was just this varse:
CID Uncle Sam was a jolly old soul,
And jolly old soul was he:
He called for his pipe. and he called for
his bowl,
And he called for Taylor and me.
AS he passed by me see the name on
he starn of the boat was New York
Courier and Enquirer. was in a puz-
clement; these Wing chaps was all SO
merry. and yet, if this was really Salt
River. il seemed to me they were going
he wrong way, according to the lection,
and couldn't tell what to make OF it. AS
was near enough TO hail the Courier man,
thought would cal! to him and see if
could get any light on the subject. So,
says l.
'.Hullo, COLONEL" He stopped and
urned round, and answered. IIullo.''
Says |, IL ask your pardon, but I'm
stranger in these parts. and stranger to
fou, but ] know you by your boat. Will
7ou be so kind as TO tell me where I'm
pound to! For Pm kind of LOST
Oh. certainly" says he, with the great
st pleasure, my dear sir. You are bound
traigh. up to the head Of Salt River: YOU
amt miss your way, for there isn't sim
,le path that turns out between here and
here
"Well now" says I. "you or must be
lnder some strange mistake Don't you
zee I'm floating down the current. Amt
he river running down this way, and car
ying me along with i.!''
At that he laughed outright, and SAYS
re, ~ see you are nothing but fresh wa
er sailor, and don't know any thing abou,
he navigation Of Salt River
"Well, how should l." says I, "for
vas never in these waters before"
"WelI," says he, Salt Rirer runs up
trenm;' jest bear that in your mind, and
QUILL find it all plain sailing
'.But that can't be possible" says l;
you. nor |, nor nobody else, ever knew
i|er 10 run up stream"
You may depend upon it," says he.
'alt River runs up stream; and suppose
hat is the only river in America that does
un up stream"
By this time had foated 50 far by, that
couldn't hear any thing more he said.
But it wasn't long before | was satisfied
nat the Colonel was right; for as the cur
emf carried me along back into the coun-
", the land kept growing higher and
igher, and at last found myself quite up
mong the mountains; and when come
, the head Of the river. the curren, ran
ny plank right plump ashore.
found good many Of our friends
lready here before me, and understand
great many more on the way. Our
nnexin' friend. Gineral Cass. hasn't got
ere yet, but he's expected now every
ay. This il a pretty good sort Of
ountry up here, after all. and has good