The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1854-01-26
GAZETTE CORRESPONDENTS.
A.a,rKs, opposite New Orleans, Jan. 7th,


have been waiting for an "incident,' upon
the strength Of which to commence letter,
but nothing worthy OF note has transpired.
have pursued the even tenor Of my way
without marvellous adventures of any kind,
therefore have nothing of Importance to
communicate; will however try and gather
4 few items which will be at your disposal
Yesterday, the 9th ofJanuary, called the
Twelfth Tide, was the last OF the Christ
mas holidays. There is pretty custom OF
great antiquity, still observed in England,
and in some other European countries, and
to some extent in our own, called cutting
the Twelfth Cske. A number Of valuable
articles, as rings and other jewels, are put
into the cake, and the fun is to see whose
slice contains one OF the prizes. Twelfth
night is with some high and ever we'll OBJ
served festival.
We occasionally hear accounts of block
ed-up highways and impeded railways; fro
zen rivers and boreal storms; mails detain-
ed, passengers weather bound, and all the
other disagreeabilities of the north, at this
season of the year, while here in the sunny
south, are orange trees blossoming and bear
inp fruit at the same time; flowers of every
hue, and every odor, identifying and pertu-
minr the air. But with all this, we have
had some chilly and frosty weather.
Business here is very lively. Vessels OF
all kinds are arriving daily, some OF them
filled with passengers from FadsrIand. One
ship arrived yesterday with 645 Germans
all bound for the upper country. One ship
from South America has just discharged on
this side Of the river a cargo Of guano. II
has the appearance of Scotch snuff, and the
scent is similar to that article, only little
more 30.
Yesterday our great Uncle sent up the
river on steamboat, the Urge quantity Of
thi-.y-four tons OF specie. all in silyer-lust
one million of dollars. 1t was shipped from
the mint in this city, ana is to be taken &c
that Of Philadelphia.
-Four steamships arrived here last evening
and notice in the list OF this morning, thu
thirty-seren steamers leave to-day for differ
ent ports; among the number three steam
ships So you will perceive that the old
Father of rivers has no rest here, but il
kept in constant commotion.
The health of the city is good. notwith
standing the different reports. There arr
large numbers OF patients constantly pour
ling into this city from every quarter, whc
come here expecting to BE benefited by thu
climate. Many of these patients are aff'ict
ed with chronic diseases, which have baiiiet
the skill of country practitioners, o. have
resided in places where they had no iriend'
and where no hospitals with open doors in
yited them TO their comforts. During the
winter thousands come here to renew thell
health Many of them recover, but thi:
climate, or tile physicians here, can not al
ways prevent some from dying.
Fuel is commanding big price here a
presentin the city. Ash wood brings $500
per cord, and coal is 81 30 per barrel. Ma
nv of the sugar making establishments have
ceased operations on account of the scarcit,
Of fuel Il requires between four and five
cords of wood to make one hogshead o
sugar.
Amusements of all kinds are in full blast
here, among them is huge fat woman ex-
hibting at the museum. She is said t.
weigh 7S6 pounds, and to measure Ola feet
around the waist, u. feet round the hips.
and . feet round the arm. Also the great
menagarie, which contains everything rare
and marvellous in natural history.
Sunday 18th Of January.-The weather TO-
day is the most disagrecable Of the season.
It is cloudy and cold, but not freezing. Such
weather feels colder than tight freezing
weather at the north. The cannon are
laundering away to-day, and there was to
have been great celebration, but the mud
and cold will prevent much of it. Thirty
nine years ago, this day, and on Sunday
morning too, was fought the closing battle,
and was achieved the crowning victory OF
the last war with Great Britain. New Or
leans was the seat of this glorious affair, and
her citizens the chief actors in it.
| Iii now maintained that Cuba was part
| of Louisiana, whose dominion wa ceded by
Spain to France, and that therefore, we
bought Cuba without knowing it.
A contract has been effected for the con-
struction of plank road across the Isthmus
of Teheuantepec. The work will be COM
menced on the LIST of February. When
finished the time Of the passage from New
Orleans to San Francisco, will be reduced
10 within two weeks.
We have had an excursion here on the
Opelousas and Great Western Railroad
This road is intended to extend through
Texas and terminate at San Diego on the
Pacific There were abaut $50 invited, and
among the number all the Editors of the city
papers. About 90 miles of the road is fin
ished. A fine collation. was prepared for the
guests, after which we returned in "a min
utes, about IL miles.
/ presume you will have a grand time
when the Iron Horse shall make his first ap-
pearance on the Upper Mississippi! In