Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-06-13
NOTES BY THE WAY.

Editorial Correspondence of Tn, Sto,1
sTEAHING on THE ROAD-PESNEp BY STEAM.
June 6, 1857
am still scribbling with pencil on this long
stretch OF railroad from st. Louis via Alton. TO
ct Louis-some 2S3 miles in extent.
remarked in my las, that did not envy the
good people of Illinois their so feeund soil. with.
out adding, as should have done, that regard
cur own proximity to the markets of the sea-
BOARD where nearly all their produce as well
as ours l. bought and shipped or otherwise gold
1or consumption, to be fair Offset for the differ
ence between the producing qualities of the soils
OF the two regions, when added to our better
facilities for obtaining fertiIizers-guapo. mari
poudrette, &c, &c. But may not weary the
Stars city readers with a continuous disserta-
ton on agricultural themes.
All along the line of this railroad new-born
'Hiages have risen up, 80 that they seem TO
nave been dropped from the clouds. They all
appear to date back only to last week. and are
80 much alike in size, style of building. plan Of
streets, and cherries want Of comforts-of "a.
pacity TO do more for the inhabitant or traveller
than furnish him with mere shelter from the
passing storm, very bad whisky indeed, and the
coarsest fare, most execrably cooked-as that
those which we have already passed on the road
are Junbled up in my memory. They remind
me more than of aught else, of the tenttowns
for shelter made Of blankets stretched over g..
pole supported by forks which. twenty wears
ago, used TO be erected in a quarter Of an hour
by the Texas Rangers" when threatened in
the Pralrle by the approach of a driving rain.
VI course they will soon give place to more sub
stanual edlfees, garnished with the comforts of
advanced civilized life, Of which So few have
met my eye on this long ride from St Iopis
may not forget 10 mention. however. that
We have passed through an outskirt of Sprinp-
nelu ihe state capital-a town Of some twenty
thousand inhabitants, hear gentleman near
by remark,-whieh, except on its outskirts. is
well built, exhibiting all the signs of being the
home OF persons who live for some other end
tnan 70 get money In their pockets and then to
Keep II there, On money! Iregret that had
no time To remain over here for a few bours
Tor was much pleased with the towns thrifty
ana really advanced aspect Il lay sire 'ched ont
before me from the car window Its denizens
nave evidently made the happy discovery that
theiI sou VIII make capital brick and that stone
Is 70 be had per railroad at reasonable cost: and
iur'ner' That inch pine 'cuIings'' are not the
stun out Of which real cities are buiIt 7,
Is said to contain MANY mannfa.tor;., g
wooden work especiaIly-of ayr;c,l,,,,.I g,
plement'. carriages wagons. 6c 6. -
be the centre of the trade ,s oo,.:,' ~
i0hs Se'ueu anu "eh-to-do-region (which did
Eo' h0 on Jul i'u'e when IN its vicinity
Ihese advantage anu the fact that il il the
- IS
ctae seat VI government OF course make nm
the sources of its so evident prosperity
Bloomington, too, is another thrifty ,o,..
passed by US, lying on the bank Of a sm.u
stream (dignifed with the title of river) II i.
said TO contain some eight or ten thousand soul.
1.-THE reader will please recollect that am scrib-
bling in rail car going twenty miles per hour,
and therefore am without the means of verify
ing local representations and certainly tells
the tale that the Suckers duly improve their
advantages when they get time. II would be
substantial village any where as we'll built
as any other where interminable pine boards
are regarded as a good-enough substitute for
more permanent building ma terials as through.
out much Of New York and New England, with
ali lneir roasted substance. The trade Of its
surrounding country, and the manufacture of
ooden-work-agricultural implements, wag-
on'' dc-,-upon which it is said to employ a
thousand mechanics and laborers, give il IL,
very evident prosperity, also
By-the-by, we saw nothing ON our ride Of the
long settled territory trading with this town Of
Bloomington: the territory through which this
road passes having evidently been almost from
end to end scaled by natural disadvantages
against mans industry, until the rail car broke
Inc charm IN furnishing means Of getting to