The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-03-28
Correspondence of the Dispatch.l

THE FAR WEST, March 18, 1854.
Editor Dispatch: am not in the habit of steam.
ing it much when at home, but l tell you have let
down the bars of late, and have been ripping it
ever since the date of my last, on board the
Winchester. Ihave devoured more towns and vii.
,aees, measured more mountains swept more
praries, seen more strange faces, ate less meat,
and slept fewer hours for the last five days, than
is good for man of weak nerves like your cor.
respondent.
am now 1400 miles from where the famous or.
acle of the Dispatch sits upon his tripod, and daily
sends forth his responses to this utilitaran age
The towns, cities and villages, through and bv
which | have whizzed in double quick time eli. en-
throned upon the sloping sides of the Allephanies
line the banks of the Ohio, and dot the prares Of
Illinois, all along the track of the iron horse Whilst
thus steamng 1t past all these places, and viewing
them the footprints of Young America passing
Westward far beyond Nebraska, l again com.
menced thinking of the great and mighty energy
afforded by water, and come deliberately to the
conclusion logical deduction, that it is impro.
per for persons to say, they 'fee pcak as water
but that they ought to say as strong as water.
The opinion your correspondent has of water is
that it is OF the greatest of all the blessings
showered from the bountiful hand of the great Gre
ator, for the benefit, comfort and sustenance and
happiness of his creatures. But will not under
take the task of expounding the subject. I want to
say however, that water Is good to drink. "a fact
which is oblivious to some people and perhaps TO
some of your readers.
There are but about 125 miles of steamboatinp
from Richmond to this point, the remainder of the
distance is by Railroads stretching through Virpi
mia, Ohio. Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, &c. down to
the rolling flood OF the great father of waters
The Railroads for the most part, are well laid
wthheavy iron, and are comfortable to the travel
Ter. There is one piece ct read, however, running
zfT E.
40 miles, which christened the antidyspeptic Rail.
road, and would suggest that you prescribe it for
any of your readers who may have that disease.
assure them they may have any kind of motion
they need, without exerting any of the voluntary
muscles, rolling, grating, rocking, sprinping, &c.
&c, and then If they have bronchitis, the pure
breeze, sweeps fresh from the great prairie sea
on either side will tune their throat that they can
talk or sing at their option. On this road ! cav
stretching far-far-away on both sides of our track
this of table land even and smooth almost
as q plank floor. Thousands upon thousands OF
acres of this is uncultivated because of its great
remove from woodland which is SO necessary for
all the comforts of civilized life.
In connection with this grand sight, and all the
other grand things had seen in my progress those
lines which bothered Mr.. Clay 30 much at one time
to quote, came up,
Lives there man with soul SO dead,
Who never to himself hath said
This is my own, my native land"
WHICH, oh account Vi great munger, and the varioue
revolutions through which the road put me oo.
changed into something like the following s''
Lives there man that's oyster fed.
And been so much railroaded
That never to himself hath said"
l wish had some now.
Upon this dish of broad views and prairie wind ,
oreakissted after long and atguing night travels
avery imaginative and sublimated diet for 5vsn.
tics; worse than Grahame bread Ihone sonn r
be able fire another popgun from the banks of tht
Mississippi. 'AAs Vi 'n'
Yours truly, SrAr IN Jr,,n