The Minnesotian. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1851-1852, 1851-11-29
THE MINNESOTIAN.
st. N1ul, 5atnnesota.
Saturday, Nov. 90, 1851.
THE MISSION OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER

| "srEEcu OF CHARLES d. DRAKE, of st. Louis; deliv-
cred October 3d. 1851, before convention held a:
Burlington, Iowa, devils. ways and means to pro-
the aid OF Congress in removing Instructions to
the navigation the Mississippi river, at the Des
Noiues and Rock river Rapids"
The rapid settlement Of the great West
ern Valley, and its progress towards that
certain destiny in power, affluence, and
influence which awaits it, are themes
which, in the minds of some, have become
tritc within the last quarter of the pres
ent century. The Western man Of thir-
ty can recollect that these things were
talked of at his fathers fireside, at Pc
riod when his infant mind could scarcely
comprehend The simple terms, ''river,"
and "valley." And yet, the half has not
been told. The reality has so far out
sped the farthest ken of the most fruitful
imagination, that we turn back upon the
picture we have passed, with half be-
lief that our credulity has been taxed by
some fairy dream. Planted here at the
Northern verge yet reached by the prog
ress of civilization in its onward march
through this great valley, we turn our
eyes to the point it had attained at the
time our first recollection extends, with
wonder which absolutely bewilders
thought. Then the steamboat was an
awkward, unwicldy concern, and the To-
comotive was not Embossed, even east of
the Alleghanies. From here TO the Wa
bash river, and beyond to the Miami, was
almost trackless wilderness.
In the city of our homeland the birth
place and home, by the way, of the tai
ented author Of the eloquent address be-
fore us-on calm April day, the report
of small cannon was heard at intervals,
down the Ohio, each discharge indicating
nearer approach to the public landing.
What was the cause? Wait half-hour
and you can learn. The steamer Hercu-
les, Capt. Che is yet living) from
New Orleans, comes in sight. Every
two minutes the swivel on her forecastle
is charged to the muzzlc, and blazes away,
in honor of the great feat she has accom-
p!ished. One-third, nearly, Of the whole
population of the city, (fifteen or twenty
thousand then, one hundred and twenty
thousand now, rush 10 the river to hear
the news. The Hercules makes her
landing, and what is it? To the inqui-
ry, the CAPTAIN proclaims aloud from the
hurricane deck, 1--WE have made the run
from New Orleans in serenteen days and
a half including stoppages!" Wonder
full to tell and such a shout goes up from
the crowd as TO fairly start the surround
ing hills from their rock fastened founda-
tions. A public dinner is given the Cap
tain and owners of the Hercules, in COM
memoration of this great achievement
the schools are dismissed, and a general
holiday prevails throughout the town and
neighborhood.
twenty-five years passes away, and
the same expanse Of wateris overcome in
less than six days, without exciting
scarcely feeling of surprise.
So late as 1886, 81. and '3S, ST.. Louis
gave no market to even the small amount
Of agricultural and mineral produce sent
from the Mississippi and Missouri above
her. AT the wharf of Cincinnati, in those
days, Capt. Orrin Smith, of the Brazil,
Capt. Smith Harris, of the Smelte-, amp
Capt. Perrin, ofthe Inflated .Nozelle, hung
out their signs, ''For St. Louis, Galcna,
and Dubuque" They made trip eve
ry two weeks, taking out with them,
flour, bacon, pork, whiskey, &c, Gust as
the two former bring those articles from
St. Louis, Galena and Dubuque, at this
time, to us, )and returning with cargoes Of
lead, and occasionally small consignments
of wheat, hemp and tobacco, the latter ar
ticlcs mostly from Missouri and the south
ern part of Illinois. And in 1912, the
few farmers who had commenced raising
wheat in Iowa and Illinois, between Rock
river and Burlington, wagoned it across
the latter State, and found their best mar.
ket at Chicago-returning home with
supplies of salt, sugar, leather, and other
heavy articles necessary for subsistence
and comfort. To have beheld St. LOU
is, the valley of the Mississippi, and the
towns along its borders, between that
great commercial mart and Dubuque a,
that time, and to glide past the same five
hundred miles of 'river coast no,c, is al.