The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1850-10-31
THE MINNESOTA PIONEER
st. PAUL, hllnncsota,
Thursday Morning, October 81. 1850.


The people living along the shores of
river IN the west called the Mississippi, are /
steamboat channel made through the upper
and lower rapids, SC that boats may carry
freight> up and down, without grating along
fnr miles, literally crawling over lodges Of
rocks, OF sticking fast upon the rocky bot
tom, for hours, days, and sometimes weeks.
As this river spans only part Of the CONT
nen', its sources being somewhat south OF
the Arctic zone, and its mouth being not
even as far south as the northern verge of
,he torriI zone, The river being in fact less
than 1000 miles long, although, to be sure,
there are spots along its shores where the
land is tolerably good, and although quite
number Of backwoodsinen inhabit its banks,
and although there are some rather promis-
ing little towns in the valley, say New Or
teams, Natchez, Memphis, ST. Louis, Alton,
Quincy, Burlington, Mascatine, Rock Is
land, GaleDa, and Saint Paul; and although
the river drains some fifteen or twenty of
the backwoods states and territories; we
say considering the nsigniticance and re-
moteness of the river, is it no, astonishing
that il has taken Congress over half CEN
fury to ascertain whether the Improvement
of ITS channel could he considered as na-
tionat work, or whether it would not be
better for steamboats, to be broken upon
the rapids, than that the Constitution be
broken, 10y appropriatlng money for their
Improvement How could our represent
tatiyes in Congress ever have the hardihood
10 claim any thing, either, for a young river
like the Mississippi, while more money was
still wanted for the improvement Of veneer
able old rivers Ike the Potomac and the
Hudson Are there not South Sea expe-
ditions and Dead Sea expeditions still TO be
provided for /? Is Texas satisfied with her
$4,000, 900 and 40 more Are there no
Amin Beys 10 vote money 10 Are the
Galphins all dead, that the constituency of
the Mississippi valley have mustered the
unheard OF arrogance to ask Congress for
water over the rapids TO swim Our steam
boats in $4,000 Monstrous! What
an exorbi,ant drain on the treasury, upon a
pretsxt So frivolous, Why that sum of
money would have paid the outfit and a
years salary Of a minister p!enipotentiary
TO Hayti or one of the Feejee islands, or it
would have enabled Congress to lengthen
out their late session, for day or two
longer, or it would have purchased the nu-
steal services of Jenny Lind for nearly a
week :
But why should the west ask money for
such purpose: Are we wiling 10 lnjure
the growth Of keokuk or of Rock Island
aud Davenport, At the foot of The rapids:
Are we determined to ruin MOntrose and
I.eclare at the head of the respective rapids
Would We leave those lighters and barges
as dead property, upon the hands ofthe peo
pie of those ,owns--inve stments which they
have made, confidently relying upon the
settled policy of mastery inactivity by Con
gress, and the implied pledge of the Gov.
eminent, to let boats crawl over the rapid:
by the aid of lighters aud the towing o.
horses. from henceforth to the day of judge
ment?
1t is true, that $4,000 would construc
dam and locks at keokuk, which woult
pass boats of heavy draughf, to Montrose
and the same amount at Rock Island, ex
pended in the same way, would open com
plete navigation, at all stages for water, 70
large boats. to ST. Paul; but would it no
ruin steamboat building, if boats were thu
increased in tonnage and diminished in mum
Der, and il there were no longer any ledge
in the river, TO rake the keels of boats ait
knock their bottoms out.
schools ut st, AnthOny.