Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1850-09-27
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OF BIG rHUSpER."

General Corre2P7nden. Of tie Order 1901,
and Specta! DeLegzfe from the State of
y tsconsin 10 the P1st Imperial Grand
Loase ef the Laccs N LPpcr California.
IS entering upon the duties assigned me
tor the better promotion Of Science, Civili-
zaton.' &e., beg !ease to state that l left
the county seat Of Iowa county on the 25th
OF AprIi, and after pleasant Journey Of 30
miles arrived at the good.y town of Scrabble,
'ulsariy called Hazle Green, and the follow
| ing morning, by forccd march, reached
Gaiena. We had been reading description
OF a place near tbe centre of the earth, and
when we looked over the frightful bluffs and
saw the FeYre river with numerous furnaces.
grog and blacksm.ths' shops. we had nistal
en- our route and arrived at the river Styx.
near the Internal caFerns Of Pluto; but meet
ing one Of our Mineral Point teamsters. he
assured US that it was no other than the good
y town Of Gaena; so we ventured down nm.
I'll we arrived At the City Hotel, of course
much exhausted. Ga the 26th we left this
pace IN the steamer Excelsior, for St. Louis.
where we arrived on the both. To those
who wish to travel in a floating palace, with
officers to match, We would recommend them
to take passage in lie Excelsior. Those
who can be conteuted to travel in mud.
scow, with a steam saw mill to match. would
do well TO take passage on board the Sacra-
mento.
attempted - carry out my instructions
with respect to the number Of steamers ot
the leTee, quantity of merchandise, nieeers.
loaters, and other long cared animals em6Iov-
ed, and should have done 50 had not ,be III
lowing catastropby occurred: For want of
a better place = take notes, we took posses
SION Of an empty susar hogshead. aud haG
nearly completed our report, wher we heard
a noise resembling juvenile earthquake; on
looking up, we discovered perfect avalanche
OF trays, loaded wIth boxes. bales. loafers a,,.
niggefs, IN struace Confusion. COMING down
upon rs. The ueNt moment we were float
ing gracefully down tile Mississippi: but we
soon collected ourse.v aud reached the le-
Eee' and soon rIads scattering before us
sufficient to clear The track to our hotel
Ihe following morning thc coroner returned
averdIct upon tl.a remnants Of sacks Of corn.
mules niSgers, and drays, thar they were ai-
uihlIatcd by SIT of hoofs ard Jaws begone-
ING to a certain Big Thunder; but as We ale
ready to prove That it Is an d perfect Loax. i
think we shah cst clear.
On the 2d of 1gas We took passage for S..
Joseph, on board Of sLe steamer Sacramento.
There were nearly 600 passengers on board.
2ll OF them Were AIosmous, from The Ne,
England States, under Capt. WooDRrr.
bound for SILT Lake. The morning we Ie.i
s. Louis, one Of that rurnber (lIrs. BIspl
died Of choiera. and was buried IN St. I,ot,ie.
We arrived in s.. Joseph oa the IIth-na4-
ns the trip in nine days, "a distance of only
from $50 to 500 miles. St Jo., IS situat.
ON the north baak Of the river. and contalas
about 1000 Inhabitants. The emigrar,s
were cncamped Tor miles in every Jirectioa.
on both banks uf the river. Corn and o..ts
are selling at 9I per busLcl.
May I4th.--We crossed the Missouri tlis
morning and drove Cor miles throusb heavy
tIn5ered bottuHls-the road resembling liz,
one through Milwaukee woods in dry time,
and passed over lime stone bluffs Tor Is n1ila,.
resembling very much the country ADJACENT
to GaIena and Mineral Point Arrived at
Mosquito Greek and cncampeI. The grass
has just started sufficient for cattle TO Craze.
5ui not sufficient for them to subsist on.
Nay l5th.--B named ia camp until noon
and then moved on y miles aud encanp.,.
May l6th.-I'he bluffs have disappeared.
and we are travelling over beautiful prairie
country with o rich soil and plenty of water.
We passed some Elrms Sd miles from St
Jo-, ut the Ind an Agency, and better lool sue
wheat We never saw growing. We have
passed over two toH bridges, and have seen
dead horses and mules in coming 50 mi les
Encamped near a small creek travelled bis
day, By estimate, . miles.
I7th, 18th, sud I3th-Our road continued
ovrT Doundicss prairie, supplied with W .od
and water every few miles. We arrived II a
good sized stree of water on the I7th. win
lDA urieut growth i maple, elm. black va a.
nut, and Gotten wood, and on the I9lh arrived
ut Bis Iue Iiser. about the size OF Rock
river. The bluffs Of limestone present
beautiful arp. aIunce. We saw numerous
huge boulders of primary rock. suppose! TO
be GeniesS; one near the camps Of Is Il ani
'9ih would weigh several hundred tone
The bottoms 3f Big Blue are covered with
the cattle OF jhe tuigrauts we left B:r
Blue on the -1tb, G..,d our vessels with wa
ter, and Travelled over rich, level prairie
from 10 ~ iai.es. when we arrived at the
Junction oi tEe IaLeuendeuce. Kansas. Fort