Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1850-10-04
SELECTED STORY.
From Tie Nsp Yaes Ifa4,s ]
THE STEAMBOAT RACE:
LOVE ar FIRST SIGHT.


There is certain bold bluff in the State
OF Illinois, which commands one Of the most
beautiful prospects on the globe 1t shoots
up IN the form, Of perpendicular wall from
the waters edgeof> the greatrivera When
the stranger, for the first time. takes his
stand on the summit especiallNif his heart
possesses one spark of poetic fre-eIectric
sympathy with the diriue in nature-some
minutes must clap of concrete emotion,
sublime instructive dreamness. during which
he will BE mpoteut to auafyse or grasp sep
arate details in the overpowering scene be
fore him then, awakening from tile effulgent
reyery with start he can critictse at leisure
what he has enjoyed with SO much rapture
and still enjoys Broad and booming on.
ward to the sea, the monarch Of American
river marches beneath his feet On the Or
posltc side of the mighty Missouri may be
seen sweeping its dark and furious mass Of
water at right angles to the Mississiur4i,--
Th~ eys traces long dfseastee+st t 20 manu- py
d blue and misty line Of hills Beyond it is
the vast prairie Of the Mamelle, gemmed
with fairy isles of emerald and skirted, at
the remotest reach Of vision, with mountains
and forests of a tint SO serenely soft and
brilliant that they seem actually parcel of
the sky's azure which half wells but still
hides not their wayy outlines. Above you,
on the same shore, is the valley Of the Hi
nois itself, defined BY hoary magnificent
cliffs That river comes creeping slowly,
like some enormous serpent, to the bosom Of
its father stream, bya bed arrow like, straight
as the channel Of canal You are in val
ley which drains half continent. You have
in view the valley and bluffs of two other
State streams You see the mammoth river
calm as lake and clear as crystal shove
the mouth of the Missouri, while below they
are changed and turbid, and roll along be-
tween deep. indented, and broken banks with
whirlpools which boil and eddy like SO many
chaldrons sOn the opposite praries are even
meadows. fields Of wheat and ruFtliug corr,
smoke wreaths ascending, and great herds
of cattle peacefully grazing, or gamboll4g
with pure excess Of life and joy-signs Of
civilization blended with the grandeur o.
primitive nature. There are columns o.
green trees, lskesswhich CLEAN in the sun
/ like mirrors of silver, and immense focks Of
sea fowl wheeling their Hight above item
! singing their songs of love or altering their
| cries Of rage
I The patriotic poet who gazes on such .
/ landscape will not need to brave the peril:
of the deep to draw the fires Of Inspiration
from the light of italian skies, or the en-
I chantments of any Of the loveliest scenery
/ of, Europe. 1t is spot fitting the consecra
tion of some grey legend, that should be. ;
4 bright bit Of romance not of des6lating war
/ or wild wicked passion, but holy first love
sweet as odors Of the prairie around it. ant
strong as the current of the mighty STREAM
1 which rolls along its borders. There IS nj
such legend but fortunately for the poo
1 story teller, there is stray leaf from tn
/ book Of reality that perhaps will serve hi
purpose as we'll The reader, however, shal
Be the judge in the matter, as we now pro
coed to narrate the facts!
On the 18th of May, ISL, two boats star
ted from Rock Island. both destined for th
port Of St Louis. The peals Of their las
belfs-warning to late passengers-mingle'
their clear voices together, and both at tn
same time moved out in the deep channel
If Both were noblevessels, literally floatin
palaces fitted to accommodate, and the
actually accommodating at least 100 pa;
i sengers The Fairy Queen was new, an
this was her first voyage up the river frot
New Orleans The 7 Henry Clay va
good as new, as the captain sawproper to e.
press it, and had previously been reckone
the fastest boat on the Western walters
II They were both commanded BY exeefier
officers, having. as men and captains, but
single prominent fadlt but unfortunatel
that was an inyincibls propensity to gambl
From the moment the vessels got into q
middle of the current, and began TO dash II
foam from their prows in the straightest Pc
sible course down. stream, many persons 9
board thought the rate ofvelocity unusual
rapid, and congratulated one another on Il
prospect Of a speedy trip but presently
was noticed that extraordinary excitemel
reigned among the cficersandcrew. Liqu,
was dealt out freely to the iirenten, and Y
furnaces were stuffed with wood 70 absold
extravagance Then the true state o. 4
case became evident to some shreWd passe
gers on the Fairy Queen thereafter we sha
Eonfne our attention mostly to this Tesse
that the boats were engaged IN race "
fact Was repeated and few from Up 70 !