The Woodville Republican. [volume] (Woodville, Miss.) 1847-1853, 1851-09-09
bnu from IHinsii
IcourT,rusuIScE 80 THE HErUHLfcAN
jacksonville. I%iBoia, }
August 2ist. 1851. I
Ff,ead LRA0maH,

From the Paine State" the regions Of
suckenosn, aud at present. Of rain, mud sud
swsmps I now have the honor Of address
iug YOU.
But notwithstanding the wet weather,
aud It is wet here this summer ia good ear
nest, for i, rains and has done SO for months
past day and night ! End everything much
~Pieasauter here than at least the appearance
Of much Of the country along the Upper
Mississippi, including reality, in the city OF
st LOUIS. The whole OF the low grounds
above Cairo bordering on the river, have
lately been submerged. and as we passed a
continued succession OF ruined farms, top
plug houses, scattered cord wood, and
many other marks of mans labor lost, every
where greeted the eye. II was as gloomy
and melanc cholIy a spectacle es one can
well behold. Occasionally TO add to the
funeral aspect OF the scenery a pale cadaye-
roSs visaged farmer, inight be seen slowly
wandering over the wreck of what a few
weeks before had been his home and his
prospect for the coming harvest. All the
iow-lands or marshy grounds were still COW
cred with Shiny and filthy looking water,
from whence it seemed fever and augue
might go forth like the warrior hero econ
quering and to conquer" The amount Of
loss and suffering along these western rivers
already endured and still iii prospect, is in
calculable and inconceiveable ; many of the
rivers at this time are higher than ever be-
fore known, Wheat shocks are. aoating
about at random and corh standingin water
mp to the ear. St. Louis, when we arrived
there, we found in the most disagreeable
condition imaginable; no sooner had we left
the boat and proceeded up the wharf, than
an insufferable stencil, saluted our olfactones
which continued and grew worse the farther
we advanced, the river having lately re.
coded, has left all the alleys and drains, cell
lars and narrow streets, saturated and filed
with a Shiny ooZe or mud, which constant
ly emits an odor one could easily regard as
fit creator and supporter OF the epidemic from
the citizens have suffered so much.
The cholera is prevailing to an alarming
extent in many small towns throughout this
State, many villages Which have with rea.
son heretofore boosted of their healthy con-
dltion and location, are this year victims to
dreaded scourge, and in some Instances
entire families have been carried off by it.
occasionally, when The weather would
l have travelled considerable over
country, There is something wildly
and beautifully grand i'll extensive prairie,
scenery, have never met with no where
else. Sometimes for miles the green and
smooth plains over which waves the richest
verdure of grass and flowers, stretched ont
IN every direction, and far as the eye can see,
nought meets the gaze, but this miniature
waving ocean,, and the deep blue of the sky
overhead. Startled prairie hens continually
rise from their verdant retreats frightening
the travellers horse with their wlirring
noise, then sailing away in the distance, and
perhaps immediately in advance, there to
nestle and repeat tho same performance.
When once fairly away from settlements,
in the midst of one ofthes immense meadows
rtsiJie solitude-the speaking loneliness
becomes perfectly awhl, and overpowering
ia its effects, no living thing meets the vi
sion, no animal wanders here man has not
subdued these solitudes of nature +; there
seems to be too much Of utter and dreary
monotony for the sports of any OF the wild
things which never need a fold,'' and often
thus situated, | have wondered what
Byron, who found company in the painless
woods society, by the lonely shore-and
amusing variety mid crags and foaming
tails, would have discovered to afford him
companionship, in the mighty expanse of
western prairie. Yet, when the traveller
approaches the woodlands and the scene is
varied by the distribution every where of
beautiful groves, and The waving outline OF
he dark green foliage Of extensive tracts of
imber. there are to my mind few instances
If the naturally besutiful which can surpass
he effect of such a prospect. aasau
This State is now improving and increas-
ng in wealth very rapidly. Extensive rail-
way schemes on a firm basis are being plan
ned out, in every available district for such
IN improvement, and real estate is every
year in many places doubling in value, and
generally is much more readily sought for
aud purchased than even a few months since.