Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1854-04-12
For the Grand River Times.

time have been floating about on the sea of
life, like disabled ship without sail or rudder,
at the mercy of the winds and waves but ]
have not yet been able to find that spring to
battle in whose waters renew the age and intro
duce new life and health and vigor throughout
the system; and can say with our old and es-
teemed friend, THRoor, "This poor body of
mine is badly out Of shape"
passed through Canada on the Great West
ern Railroad. 1t is very good road, but !
think badly managed 1t is conducted almost
exclusively by old country people, who appear
to be without experience or any practical knowl-
edge of the business. They assume more off,
cial authority and Importance than is entirely
agreeable to a free and independent Yankee.
At our dinner, in London there was quite
farce enacted Barney Williams should have
been there to see). 1t was announced that ten
minutes would be allowed us to take refresh
ments, and there then was grand stampede for
the dining saloon, which was not larger than fif-
teen by twenty feet, ard the consequence was
complete jam and treading on toes--grab was
the game-and the way the provender dsap-
peared seemed miraculous to small and hungry
individuals that were anxiously looking on, but
Z" couldn't come in,"-the fun was yet to come.
Johnny Bull demanded his half dollar just as
the bell rang and the wagons" as the Scotch
conductor calls them, was ready to start The
rush for the cars was as great as the stampede
e H. of
forgot to pay and we left London amid the NAL
edictions of Johnny Bull on the whole Yankee
nation which were echoed back from the car
windows by the passengers whose empty stom-
achs made them feel more like cursng than
blessing. Nothing further of interest trans
PRED till our arrival in Hamilton where stop
ped for two or three days
Hamilton is quite lively, business place. 1t
is located on the bank of Burlington Bay,
small lake lying along side of Lake Ontario
with which it is connected by canal (cut thro'
the beach that divides the two lakes) Of about
one hundred rods in length 1t makes safe
and commodious harbor for vessels and steam
boats of any draft of water. | should like to
live here if Uncle Sam owned it. 1t seems like
one of our towns; and after we have annexed
Cuba, the Sandwich Islands, and all of Mexico,
we may as well take Canada and introduce the
Nebraska bil-it will make fourishing slave
holding State from the start, as the negroes are
already here. Left Hamilton for the suspen-
sion bridge-this end of the Great Western
Road is in an unfinished condtion-and we
made slow time, arriving too late for the connec-
ton going East. We crossed the suspension
bridge in carriage, and when over breathed
freer, and felt like one who had been in some
DANGER but had got free from it. The bridge
building for the R. is directly above the one
now erected and in use, and it looks presump-
tuous and awful to think of crossing it with
r. train, though it will, doubtless, be we'll test
ed before used went from the bridge up to
the Falls and spent couple of days. had nev-
er seen them before in winter. | shall not at
tempt a description-could only see and feel
how insignificant suspension bridges and the
most daring and stupenduous works of man
were in comparison with those of the great
Architect
arrived here some two weeks since, have
been quite unwell, and confined to my room
most of the time. | have seen the elephant
(there is but one in the Senate, Gen. CAss), the
rest of the menagery look as if well fed, are
=" fat and sleek" Ihave seen them stirred up
the young Lion, from Illinois, have heard him
roar, and he is roarer. was in the Senate
chamber when Everett, from Massachusetts, pre-
scented the mammoth petition of the ministers,
from the New England States, demonstrating
against The Nebraska BILL They petitioned in
very unusual form, in the name Of Almighty
God, whose ministers they were, and there was
as much or mere of imprecation than invocation
about it. The scathing they received from
Douglas, Mason, of Va, and Petit, of Ind, was
severe indeed, but / think just. 1t has ever
been the policy of our Government to discount
tenahce all connection between Church and
State, and, if clergymen feel aggrieved let them
dsrobe themselves of their clerical habiliments
and put on the garb of citizenship and petition
as citizens, and they will be respectfully heard
Mr. Clark handed me petition he had receiv-
ed from Ottawa, demonstrating against the Me-
braska bill. He asked me if knew the sign
ers told him | knew most Of the men and
some Of the ladies'
He also received a note, signed officially by a