New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-10-17
STEAMBOAT CATARACT, MISSOURI RIVER, !
Oct n 1aSE


We have left Kansas behind and my last asso-
cation with il is of three pistolshots which kliel.
IN . drunken row. one Of the selt-same company Of
VIRGINIA and South Carolina youths who were
svscccr,O in cur cabin when Wen, to bed. 1
Nd moi. however, know of the catastrophe I'LL tho
next morning.
We are Gliding down the rapid Missouri, now
,bouldering over a sasdbank, now shuddering over
. srsc. while the endless woods look dewy ana
beautiful in early morning or moonlight, ana very
nor AZ noon The yellow dust drifts over tue odr1
Islands which the shrinking water has ieit ana
buzzards and Wild geese shrek and scar away
through its midst. ,.,y
The tumultuous steamboat-dlnner - dlspatchct
with that rushing rapdity which is usual on sacn
occa.ions where people having nothing 10 do alter
ward are in a proportiOnate hurry 10 do u. AS
look M and down the long table, and AT the row OF
guests who sit with their glasses OF Missouri water
ike tumblers of lemonade before them, II ~ SAD "
think that among those sixty men there are not nv
n dozen who belong TO the same nation with myscu.
For what constitutes a common nationality excepS
comm,n ideas, principles. habits aud purposes
ard IN all these | find myself more alone than \
| should he among English French or Russians.
The majority young men from various south.
| crn Statcs-Nirgnia, Kentucky, the Carolmas ana
| C,oroia-vho have been to Kansas expressly 10
fcht men from Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont,
! \rv.York. Michigan, Illinois, and 80 on. Ana
vet reonle speak of civil war as only thing that
ma, be- when there is scarcely state III tue ohou
which has not been already involved IN ci'n WAT,
| through It's representatives IN Kansas Inc s,hPlo
fact j. that Shareholders and freemen are always
| two nations. | could speak my whole thoughts
more safely in Berlin or st. Petersburg than here,
except indeed that these enemies are more sas'
| cCptible OF lear.
By their own account, indeed, they show poor
| record in this respect. Yesterday they were de-
| clared by their lieutenant, who alone wears milf
| tary coat to be pack of towards; and M iursher
asserted that in the point OF danger they had ot@n
accustomed to take a vote whether to fight or ran,
| and always ran! III,
Most OF them are quite young and slender, WIN
a dup. pr, nigate look, while lew have open' SIM
ple faces that seem strangely out OF place iney
| have an easy, natural polteness, and swear, o'o"
| and play cards enormously.
| Ti.v are not in the least hypOcrtes or dough.
faces; too uninstructcd for that. One OIL them s'0
paiyev in my hearing with sert OF tender regret'
| 4" DON'T you remember when we went up inc r"ers
W. were all of us drunk all the time !" " 30 We
were " replied another himself not far from thac
condition. " and 40 We should be now only We va
got 10 money
They proclaim openly that they went to Kansas
20 6oht and vote for Slavery All voted at Leayep,,
worth: and having done that, are going home.
But they complain bitterly .. Atchison and others
who induced them 70 60; they say they were prom.
. lied support for year and $50 IN money, ana yeN
the nave had TO support themselves almost entire
~. ard now very few have more than enough To
take them to 81. Louis, and some were unable I'd
| leave Leayenworth for want OF even that. " Lou
"me once get home" said the same youth VINO
made the above confession, aud III stay at homes
sure It's cost me the price OF one good niggers
Just for board aud liquor, since left home
WO unto them, for they have east lots Tor my
people and sold a girl for wine that may drink"
Let me confess that this apt bit of Scripture obtain
| not from memory but from "Dred, OF which L
bought an early copy Mt Lawrence. could easily
fiji the margin with sketches of Illustrative faces,
especially those Of Ben DakiD jim Stokes and ths
unfortunate Crpps The romance reads well in the
midst of the reality, though TO be sure we have no
actual slaves on board except one young T,psy in
a yellow apron who stands az patiently as her ma
ture permits, behind the chair Of stout lady, IN
the consecrated upper end Of the long cabin. Il
never saw the aesthetic inequality Of the sexes 40
fully recognized az in Missouri River steamboat
OCT. ll.-Yesterday We spent on sand bank,
till at nghtfail the steamer +. \. Aubry came
along and pulled US off. We proceeded in company
till at another difficult place the two bOat-l0ads
were disembarked and we all walked half u milo
aoI Q the shore Then came out startling story:
how III. Miles Moore, esq, Secretary of the Kansas
state Committee, had taken passage on board tho
other boat-sfter being released from malicious
arrest at Kansas City; how the South Carolina and
Virginia rOwdIes on the beat, hndlDg HIN alone ana
unarmed, had threatened TO hang him, and were
proceeding 10 actual violence, when Gov Cobb Of
Alabama and the captain nterfered and put him
for protection in a stateroOm in the ladies' cabin,
and how all thought be actually owed his life 10
them. Seeking him ont, / found that 10 was all
true; although the honor" of Gov Cobb and
some of the rowdies themselves now pledged
for bis safety. 1t appeared to me, however, that
transfer to our boat and the loan of q revolver
would be better security; and that night bs
tyaied himself Of it, there being fortunately va
cant berth in my stateroom The men on our boat
were quite as far gone with whisky az those 90 the
! other, and made common cause with them but
these were fewer in number, and we had three OK
four very reliable New.England men, who kept q
good lookout. And caution was needed for the ex-
citement rose again We lay at JefersOn City over
! night, and inquiry began to be made as 10 ms
! whereabouts OF Moore. But Gov. Cobb got up q
Wit TO Gov Price, on the part Of the passengers;
and then there was a dance in the other boat; ana
When, about l0i O'Clock, the riDgleader' began 10
| whisper mischief again, part OF their men "e,o
sseep and part in worse condition, and The noblo
| de.ion fell through and We were undisturbed.
We reached St. Louis this afternoon, four days
| and half from Leavenworrb atrp which usually
| ,aLcs less than three. Kansas and ts pers lie be-
| hind aud there is no excitement but elections.
! Will one does feel little hOmesick for Kansas, I
can assure you and az some future day you may
/ hear sean from your correspondent
WORCESTER