The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1855-09-20

hooking VaIIey Rallr0ad-POrtS-
mouth, Ohio RiVer-Kentucky
Hills Steamboat Ride to Gin
einnati, sc,
The following spicy gossip we Gull
from LOUIS GAYLORD CLARK's editors
Table" in the September number of the
Knckerbocker, which came by this morn
ing's mail. Mr.. Clark visited the miner
al regions along our railroad last July,
and passed through this place en- route
for Cincinnati. We regret that we were
not aware of his presence while here un-
Ill he was about leaving Ed. TRIBUNE.
Much should we like to speak of the
quaint little village of Macarthur, and
certain fun that our party of good fel-
lows'--subsLanLial business men of sound,
common sense, and great energy of char
acter, but good fellows, beStdes-had
there and at jackson, the then northern
termnous of the Scioto and Hooking Val
ley Railroad; a lively and pleasant place,
where we passed rememberable night,
in company of not a few choice spirits, of
eminent local standing and general dis
tinctiOn. The bedroom OF the hotel
wn,re we put up opened out doors upon
a piazza, overlooking the best vegetab bke
garden we ever beheld 'Sech Sa-a-seT
No wonder the attentive landlord gave
US so good dinner and breakfast; he
couldn't help it, with such matchless veg
etables. Stop, reader, if you should be
journeyng in that direction, and teSt our
good report. You'll find it true.
Our journey of some fifty miles by
rail, from Jackson to Portsmouth, on the
Ohio river, was speedily and pleasantly
accomplished, Iron mines and good
farms aternated along the way, and now
and then occurred a distant sweep Of
Landscape, full of quiet beauty. About
six miles from Portsmouth, we caught the
first farotf view of the banks, and 'glints
of the waters of the Ohio! SooE we were
rushing along its margin, and presently
safely and comfortly housed at the 'Bigg's s
Hoteh upon its very banks. And that
is the Ohio river;
Row, brothers, row,
Going down the 0-hi-op
Let us lean out of the window, and
observe its characteristics. How strange
ly they strike one who remarks them fo7
the first time The water is low, and is a
quarter of a mile from the street, which
has frequently been its boundary at high
water Yes; it is mighty quiet and
peaceble no1s; quite down in the mouth,
even, at Cairo. seven hundred miles a.
way, where it joins the Mississippi, and
weakly at Pittsburgh, four hundred
miles up stream; but look al the trees,
and logs, and food-wood, and debris of
flat. boats scattered all along down the
edges of the pale brown flood: these tell
the story. Wait till MISS BELLE RIv-
IERE gets excited; when Allegheny
rushe TO her assistance, and Big Sandy
comes clustering down, and Little San
dy' to help him; and 'Kanawha' inter.
feres; and shocking Hooking dashes in ;
and big and little Muddy go in free
fight with the rest; then comes the ex-
panation of all these ragged banks aud
trees, and logs, and hood.wood, and
wrecks; and yet on she goes. seven hun
dred miles from This place, taking up col
lections' at every point of her journey,
and receiving large and small watery de-
putaions' from a vast landed constituency
on either side. How curiously the steam
boats look. too, TO a stranger-eye Huge,
high.preSsure, four story structures, puff
fling and blowing like porpOises; some
making long arm oct behind, and turn
ing an old fashioned grist mill wheel, with
infinite splash and noise others padding
at the sides, with wheels out of sight; all
the machinery visible, and the bitumin
ous fire and blacklist smoke rolling from
the immense pipes and staining all the air
We crossed the Ohio with friend and
when we touched the opposite shore we
took off our hat and saluted the good old
Kentucky State of Daniel Boone, Henry
Clay, and many another brave and gifted
son. Ascending precipi,ous hill, which
rises some seven hundred feet directly OPP
poste Portsmouth, we obtained a splendid
view of this large and flourishing town, Of
some ten thousand inhabitants, and tE[
noble country by which it is surrounded.
If the western bard had been with us who
| - 'Gazed upon the Great Scioto,
And wondered whore its waters go to,
one wonder would have ceased at any
rate, for here is where it throws itself in
to the embraces ofth Ohio, A glorious
valley it waters, richest of the rich in fer
tility, and stretching, oliye-green, for some
thirty miles away to the north. Looking
southwardly, nothing at this point meets
the eye, save the rich, rounded, wood
crowned hills of Old Kaintuck,' We saw
one ofthe Hunters of Kentucky pluc :
ed a graceful branch Of the paw-paw frat,
and made our way back across the river
Now, down the Ohio to Cincinnati 7
Going down the Ohio from Portsmouth,
in staunch steamer of fine afternoon, is
agreeable voyaging, When late twilight
comes on, and the roundings and points Of
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