The emigrant aid journal of Minnesota. [volume] (Nininger City, Minn. Terr. [i.e. Minn.]) 1856-1858, 1857-10-10
The Mississippi River.

Ehe MISSISSIPPI RlVcc.
This is the IN ,st important river in North America,
and with the Missouri its principal conauent is the
largest in the world. 1t extends 3 100 miles, and IT
We regard the Missouri its continuation it is $500
miles long 1t would reach from New York the
Atlantic, and extend through France, Germany, Austria
aud Turkey in Europe, aud penetrate the remote Gas
plan sea in Oriental Asia The average width from the
Falls Of St. Anthony, in Mnnes ta to its delta the
gulf of Mexico is nearly half mile its average depth
10 feet. 1t is always navigabe to the mouth of the
Ohio ami the upper part for eight months n
the year Its is from north to south, and the trap
per deceniine the river may take with him the fnrs
u the animals that nhabit its scource, and exchange
them for he sugar, and tropical fruits that gathered
on it's banks belov.
Again. the fools produced by winter and spring
rams be simultaneously discharged. Spring ad
yaneiug in reverse direction the current Of the
stream release succession the waters Of the lower val
ley, then in the middle section, and finally of the remote
of its tributaries io the Rocky Mountains and
hills of the North. 1t takes month tor the foods
to travel from its source to its delta.
The ,o,, vaus Of steamboats, afoat this mighty
river and its tributaries estimated at ST 900 OOO and
their number l, 800, with aggregate burthen Of
than twice the entire steamboat tunnage OF Great
Britain, and probably equal to that OF the world 1t
drains of 100000 square miles, which from its
pied fertility has obtained the title '1he gar
den of the New World In extent, fertility variety Of
scenery and diversity Of climate, its valley surpasses
any other on the globe. 1t receives score of tribu-
taries the least of which is larger than the vauued
streams of mighty empires 1t might furnish natural
boundaries for all Europe, and yet leave for every coun
try river greater than the Seine.
1t engults every season than the revenue Of
many petty kingdom, and at speed unknown to any
other great river it rolls volume in whose depths the
cathedral of St. Paul might BE- sunk out of sight. 1t
flows from the country Of the savage to that of cviza
and refinement and its descent the gradations of
thickenng fields and glowing cultivation which line its
until its mir Vded
city
1t discharges in one year more water than has been
issued from the Tber in five centuries; it swallows up
nearly fifty rivers that have yet names each OF which
is larger than the Thames The addition Of the waters
of the dark rolling Danube would not swell it half
fathom and in single bend the naves of the world
might safely ride anchor in the heart of the Republic,
500 miles from the sea-
1t washes the shores of twelve powerful States, and
between its arms lie space for twenty The rain
which falls upon the Alleghanes, and the that
shroud the Slopes and cap the SUBMITS of the Rocky
Mountains borne upon its bosom to the regions of
perpetual summer, and poured into the ea,more than
800 leagues from their 1t has formed larger
tract of land by the aluval deposits of its nundation,
than is contained in Great Britain and Ireland, and
annually bears away than it would require
make German prlncipaIity Ec
Agricultural Machinery and Its Results.
Six years since, in Ohio there very few agrcu-
tural machines-now there immense number.
The effect of machines in doing the work OF men is
hardly possible to estimate.
\ mower with two horses two men, aud boy, must
accomplish the work Of at least twelve men. If so, it
must save the labor of FIVE at least Now, we know
of one county which has three hundred and fifty mowers
and pers and they must the labor of about 1900
men In the State at large there must be about eight
thousand of these machines thus saving the labor Of
10000 able bodied Supposing that they are en-
poyed only two months in the year, for harvest only
l.hn ohOuf4
per annum. The interest their cost will be about
$4,000 only so there will be absolute gain on
them of more than two millions per If we look
to the prairie Sates the saving will be much greater.
In the United States at large probably the labor OF
100000 able-bo1ied is saved during two months
in the year. This equal in money to twenty millions
Of dollars per This saving too is made IN the
last FIVE years But the saving of moneyis by no means
tn. most part of the saving The economy of labor is
in our mordern civilization of the highest value without
reference to the money the market value. We have
already REFERRED as readers will remember to the
tendencies of our present civilization towards centaliza
ton in cities and towns. This is really and without
theory drawing large portions OF our rural or country
population to the towns This is diminishing the agrcul
tural laborers while it increases the towns The conse
ouences is that both in America and Europe, the rela
tive proportion Of cultyators is continually diminished
If suppose this process to 60 on like mathematical
SERIES without arrest the consequence would be ultimate
starvation but of course, the preliminary symptoms Of
such calamity would De SuHcient 10 urIVe many IRON
the cities to the country, and thus change the current
Still we must regard the invention and Of this
agricultural machinery providenal interference to
avert for time the alternative Of starving in cities
returning to the country.-G Railroad Record.
The Lebanon (Ohio) Star records tue death Of foul
men from drinking whskey with strychnine in it. L
also saws that tens of thousands Of fish in the
below the listery have died Two tons Of dead 6st
have been taken out, mirace being literally chokee
with them.