The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1858-05-15

Correspondence Of the Nonpareii.
A Hurried Glance at IL Valley Of Ne Missouri.
I ST. Louis, No., April 81, 1858.
Left Council Blsfs on the 18th inst, on
the Aionzo Child, and, after = five dsy's
passage, arrived il this city. We wers de-
tanned somewhat BY head-winds, otherwise
we had a very pleasant trip, and most cheer
fully, recommend the AlonSo Child. to any
and all who propose to journey upon the
s'Big Muddy" With HOLLAND, as Captain,
and Dick and NEWELL, in the Office, fast,
pleasant and jolly trip, would seem to be
something that would necessarily follow
At all the places at which We touched, on
our downward passage, we found business
dull and stagnant--no Improvements going
forward-eyeryshing lifeless. At Nebraska
City, We noticed considerable stir among
the Utah crowd-necessarily temporary, in
its character-but'the commotion and hustle
did not extend beyond the limits OF the cx-
pedition-the business portion of the city,
complaining bitterly Of 'hard-times," and
their disappointment in the expected relief
from Messrs MAJORS, RUSSELL & WADDELL's
trains and their sanctifed tcamsters. TRUST
that the two hundred or more Transfers with
whom we came in contact, are not fair
sample of the moral (?) and sober (?) youths
who are required to keep sacred the COM
mandments, and 60 armed with bible and
hymn book, and refrain from any indulgence
in the "ardent." To account for the great
discrepancy between the orders issued by the
Employers, and the practice of the en-
ployees, we must needs revert to the old
saw, regarding the extreme difficulty Of ha-
bituating aged cannes to the performance
of new feats.
At st. Joseph, matters appear in statu quo.
Several blocks of buildings were being fin
ished, but in point of size and architectural
beauty, none of them would compare with
JAMES, Block, in your city. St. Joseph
needs, very much, a good hotel-it would
add much to her good name, and save her
many and loud complaints. They have one
so -called ssfrst-class'' hotel-"STour's"-
which same have tried, and if that be the
''frst, }" may saints preserve US from encoun-
tering the "second." The people of St.
Joseph are looking anxiously forward to the
completion of the Hannibal and St. Joseph
Railroad, and are sanguine of its early COM
pletion. Influential and wealthy men have
hold of it, and are using their best efforts to
secure its rapid progress, but | understood
that there are yet some one hundred miles
untouched, and that, too, through that
portion Of the State which will require the
heaviest outlay and the most labor. Within
the last year, some Is miles of the road has
been completed from st. Joseph Eastward
the difficulties under which the company
have labored in building from the Missouri
East, must account for the slow progress
of the work. There is no doubt but the road
will be completed, sooner or later, but fear
that the citizens of St. Joseph will have to
await its completion at least year longer
than they at present anticipate.
Elwood, opposite St. Joseph, appears to
be going ahead more rapidly than any other
town on the Kansas side. Its position is
good, but its location on so low bottom,
fear, will be detrimental to its propress.-
There appears to be a strong desire on the
part of the citizens of these points, to build
a road North Easterly through the North
West counties of Missouri, tapping the Grand
River country, and reaching Chicago by
way Of Ottumwa or Oskaloosa, and Davcn-
port. They have now company formed,
and very liberal charter to the North line
Of the State. and. no doubt the road will ere
long be built, or else Road up the Missou-
ri Valley to Council Bufs-thence Eastward
to Chicago. Neither Of these routes will
prove hardly practicable, as North and South
Roads, especially when they come in contact
with River trade, have ever been found bad
investments.
Our next point, Fl. Leavenworth. We
found all a stir, with preparations for war,
and the fine array of some 1000 troops sat-
isfed US that something unusual was to lie
did. Money, the great desideratum in car
rying forward such projects, being just now
scarce, we noticed many wry faces, and
heard some loud curses on Uncle Sam and all
his servants. We met here several old
friends, whom We had missed many years.
and who have been scattered along the ports
from Texas to Maine; and we were forcibly
reminded, by old familiar faces, now bronx
ed by exposure, of the days of "auld lang
sync,: and could hardly forego the pleasure
of taking "hand in" All were buoyant
and eager for the fun; and all, without an
exception, anxious to win "Brevet.' Ru-
mors were ahoat here, to the effect that
messengers had been sent to Col. JOHNSON,
with orders forbidding his march upon Salt
Lake City, until after the arrival of the
Peace Commissioners. A delay of the troops
at Camp Scott, does not meet with much
favor here-everybody wishing that such Or
ders would not reach Col. JOHNSON until he
had given the Mormon hosts a trial of the
metal under his command. The Colonel is
an officer in great favor with the rank and
file here, and all agree, that what glory there
is to be attached to the campaign, should
certainly be awarded him.
At Leavenworth City, matters were not
as lively as we had been led to expect
Here, as elsewhere, "Hard Times" has made
his mark-business dull-strangers coming
and going-no investments being made in
'scorner LOTS" and as yet, but very little Of
the right kind of emigration. Considerable
excitement prevailed here in relation to a
Convention for the nomination of Officers
under the Leavenworth Constitution-the
radical and conservative elements of the
Free State Forces, have been copying after
old Tammany, in noise and confusion-but,