The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1849-01-25

From the National In,ell,gencerl
A PRIVATE LETTER FROM MAJOR
JACK DOWNING TO PRESIDENT
POLK
HEAD OF SALT RIvER,(
Dec. I6, lS4S.
Dear Coi.--It all come cut jes, exactly
ns told you ',wonld in my las. despatch .
lev days before the lection. The ar,h-
qnskcs and harrycancs was awful. Some
Of our friends was thrown up shy high, aud
haint been heard Of since; some was avail
lowed up in the ground aud buried alive;
and oil of us was shipwrcckcd and splash
ed overheard, and LETT to the mercy of the
wind aud the tide. was lucky enough to
get a-straddlc Of plank, und made out to
keep my head above water. I driitcd
about awhile, kind Of confused like, and
couldn't hardly tell whether was On the
ocean or on n lake, or where I vas.
At last fioaied along into river, and
then concluded Of course ] WAS bound
down Niagara, and should have 10 plunge
head md ears over the big falls. seemed
to- be il"nting along down The middle Of
the river, away oil before me and away be.
hind me ! could see good many others
gong The same why; aud away in close to
the shore, on both sides Of tho river, there
seemed TO be good many others going the
same way; that is, rs thought. going up
stream. was kept along in this way ill
come TO narrows. Here tho current
grew more rapid and | foated along very
fast; but was 30 near tho shore could
sec folks on both sides aud hear 'ern
speak.
Presently met man on ore side Of tho
river footing it along the shore, and towing
little boat after him 10 ! thought up
stream. At frs, by his stopping walk end
bald hend, though, he was too old man
To lie doing such hard kind If work, bu,
when he come nearer ! sec he had flaxy
hair and n young and almost boyish looking
face. lie went s,raish, ahead, with line
over his shoulder, drawing the boat after
him, and singing merry kind Of song,
which couldn't make out, only ono varse
IL it, which seemed to be this:
Life is real, life 10 earnest
Things are Jest what they do seem;
Down Salt River thou rc,urncst,
Oh, my Tribune tits no dream.
j When seen who il was WINS amazing
~ puzzled. I'd heard good many song,
tina. had more truth than poetry in 'cm
but this ono seemed 10 have more poetry
,hnn truth. Any how, if this was really
Salt River, that We had heard SO much tell
of, ! couldn't seem 10 make out how shoult
he smiling down stream so iast aud the Tri
hume man tugging up stream 30 hard
This dident agree with the lection return,
nt all. Something has got twisted round
things is not jest what they seem. Will
was boihcring nv head about it, | locke
over on i'o.hcr side Of the river, and Their
. was another man with limo over hi
shoulder, towing larger and heavier boa
up stream, as | thought. llo wns a taI
officer looking man, with large whiskcrs
aud stood up straight, and walked strong
as though he didn't care for nobody. X
D too seemed TO DO singing very mcrr,
, cong. All ! could hear ot j, was Jest thi
varsc:
Uncle Sam was jolly cid soul,
= And he, a jolly old soul was he;
|, lie called tor his pipe, and he called for hi
howl,
And he called for Taylor and me-.
As he pnsscd BY INC sec the name oi
the starn d the boat was New York Cour
> cr and Enquirer. Twas in n great puzzle
meni; these wing chaps WINS all 50 merry
aud yet, il this was really Salt River,
seemed to ine they were going the wron
way, according 10 the lection, aud
/, couldn't tell what TO make of il. As ! wa
near enough IN hail the Courier mnn.
tl,mah, would call IN him, and SEQ if
could &c. any light on the subject. s
i snysl:
'liullo. Colonclr lie stopped and Turn
, ed round and answered, .Huilo.'
!, SaysI Il ask your pardon, but l'm
; stranger in these parts, md u stranger I
yon, but know y"u by your boat. wi
4 YOU be 80 kind No TO tell me where J.,
bound TO. For I'm lost
oh, certainly says he, with the grca,
, est pleasure, my dear sir. You arc bonn
. straight up TO the head Of Salt River. Yo
! can't miss your way, for there isn't sir
, gle path that turns out between here an
there
We'll now says |, you or | must be IN
: der some strange mistake. Don't you 60
I'm floating down the current? Ain
, the river running down this way, and cal
rying me along with isr
Al that he laughed outright, and says b.
! IL sse your but fresh water sailor, nm
don't know any thing about the navis alto,
Of Salt River