Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1854-02-11
NOTES OF A RECENT TOUR


On Monday morning 3lss u!tr we
embarked on board the new steamer
"Monongahela Belle" for pi!isburg,
Wheeling, and such intermediate ports
"a, to visit, After the glorious
demonstration demonstrate of reception which greet
ed the Belle" earlier in the day the
exercises ex of tho trip seemed rather tame
it is true, but favored with a soc'aole
and agreeable company of passengers
the pleasure Of the jaunt was not sui
fered 10 depreclatc.
Our passage down the river was ra'h'
or tedious, being made at time when
the ferment in tho Flour market was at
the eliminating point, when holders OF
,ha, article were eager to get TO market
and to "pu, money in their pockets SO
tina, speed of travel must of necessity
Weld to the demands Of heavy freight
trade, and become secondary consid-
Grafton for the present trip, at least -
Wherever any considerable quantity Of
flour had been gathered. there were its
owners 10 plead for market with all
earnes,ncss, and tho river low and fall.
ing, tho price of -four high and rising,
The utmost capacity ofthe new boat "
mus. he tested to accommodate shippers.
A, Rice's Landing, Pa, having taken
on board nearly 500 barrels of Flour
n considerable quantity of Wheat, Pig
Iron, Lumber, &C., our boat freigh,cd
quite to her guards, We left at 9 o'clock
on Tuesday morning for Pi,'sburg.-
/ All went merry as murriage hell"
with but little doubt Of a speedy trip on
the minds Of passengers, until Captain
Bowers remarked, casually, that ave
would soon have an opportunity to ties,
tho capacity of,he '1IillsbOro' imprOre'
mcstr" which rather inclined us to
look out fol breakers ahead Arrived
at the Improvement" VIC found, to a
practical demonstration. that the Belle,
loaded to tho water, would not so thro
the Lock Here was a prcdicament,
truly, for heavily frcighied boat and a
| low river. After every device for get
ting through the Lock had failed, ant
dinner disposed Of j, was resolved 10
unship 200 to 800 bbls. flour, leave the
passengers ashore, and j9mp The dam
This recourse would only have beer
safe directed" at the vince" by piIc'
thoroughly acquainted with the live
and the dam, aud such Captain Bowcr
proved himself, for the boat glidcd owe
beautifully, without iujuring plank o.
timber. The Inconvenience ofre.ship
ping and going on were so great tina
even with commendiblc excrtion on The
par, of officers, we did not leave Browns
Vile until Wednesday morning.
The trip below Bro wnsvile was YER,
satisfactorily and speedily made-n'
further detention falling to our lot
Indeed, we cannot but say that the en-
tire passage was u pleasant one, for tn
accommodations on board were SO am
Pile that complaint was out Of the quos
;im. With gen,lemanly and obliginj
officcrs-comfortable quarters by da,,
and nigh,-rcgular meals at table pro
fusely stored with every deiicacy to b
obtained at the scason--who but a. VIC
begonc jyspeptic, or a practical fault
finder, could. in view of circumstances
bu, feel comparatively confronted, cspe
cially if business did not urge NOR
hasty progress toward our destination
Along the river and within the rang
of tho sackwator, within the past tw
years. great improvement has bee
wrought. Coal.mincs are opcncd, an
arc being worked, aanrding labor to
largo number Of persons, and a heaS
income 10 the holders Of The lands iro'
which the black diamonds" are olsen
bowclled. The advantages ola Certain
speedy and regular transportation to
paying market, are also apparent in tn
agricultural aud manufacturing interest
which seem to be prosperous.
a recent storm, crossing tho river
Lock No. 8, blew down the dwelling
house of tho Toll.collcctor, und left tn
former neat aud comfortable habita'io
heap of ruins. Lower down the ri
or aud below Pittsburg a number
Coal.boa, we're sunk, and several liv'
lost.
Arrived at Pittsburg. VIC found its
sual characteristics Of business an
smoke predominant. Here as clsewhel
the Flour mania prevailed, and the ma
ket was cfiervescing freely-large qua
titles of,he "stq6' @HJs" and the "r0
ofcra" changing hands with decide'
y speculative air. Pi,tsbuIg, with j
river and yilroad facilities, its mani
featuring advantages, &c., is a rapid
growing city, increasing yearly i'll cor
mercial importance, and exhibits ste
dy advancement in local enterprise.
We were glad to find here the vel
promising attitude which tho river in