Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1856-07-18

The most important places on the route are
Guttenbmgh, an old German town; Prairie du
Chen, noted once for being the head quarters
Of Gen Taylor in the barracks Of Fort Crawford;
Is Gross, which is said to be poiat-as indeed
al of them are by those interested; WinOn,
which stands on one of the few le-el places
that can be found along the shores Of the Mis-
sissippi, and is the prettiest town you may see.
The fact of the matter i, that though it may
be possible for all these places to become great
cities one of these days, they undoubtedly give
but little hope OF it at this present time. To
hear the inhabitants of each village in the West
tell kis story, you might come to the conclusion
that the place from which he comes is to be
second New York, while all the others viii be
compelled to dwindle down to nothing.-about
where many of them are at present, ifthe truth
we're told Each one of these river towns sup
ports a paper, and that tells much for their cE-
ergy and perseverance.
There are some things on the route to st.
Paul that would like TO talk about, were com
peteiit for the task One of them is Lake PePin,
which is most splendid sheet of water, and
YOU are piloted into it so unexpectedly, as to
make you enjoy the treat to greater extent
than otherwise. 1t is about % miles long and
from two to three wide: in fact nothing more
than the widening of the river; but there is not
the least apparent current in it, and the bottom
lies some 50 feet below the calm, clear surface.
In the winter it Is first to freeze, and the last to
tha,y, and of course considerable hinderance
to navigation A number of little steamers are
found plying between the ''head and foot dur
ing the season, to aid RATS in getting through,
as they have nothing else but the wind 70 de-
pend upon.
think it was on this lake that my friend,
the sleeper, fell overheard, in the following man
ner: There were generally piled along the guards
the mattresses used by the servants at night to
sleep upon in tine cabin. This gentleman being
inclined to get the fresh air, climbed up on top
of these tied up husks. for The purpose of taking
snooze. lie had just gotten fairly asleep, and
was dreaming of-what indeed l know not as
/ forgot to ask--whcn the boat accidentally
struck a fish, or a log, or a saHd-bank or some
thing or other, and was drought up standing :;
very unlike our sleeping friend, who was
drought down rolling" on to the deck, the mat
TIE ,ses taking advantage of his position to fall
upon and beat him awfully. know not that
he would have objected to that had he known
it to be the worst; but having dim reeoilec-
ton of the water he saw just before closing his
eyes, itscemed to him very natural conclusion
to come to, that he muat have fallen into the
river. So he followed most Justify for help, de-
claring that he would drown, and begging in
Gods name that some one would pull him out.
You have no idea how he made the mattresses
roll about in his desperate attempts to keep from
drowning. At last he was recovered, andinstead
of thanking US for our exCrtiOns to save him
from watery grave, had the impudence to look
mad because we laughed at him, and even threat
eued to kick some of us little fellows overheard.
You shall hear of st. Paul in my next.
j. D. n. C.