Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1858-06-10
Correspondence of the Tribune 4 Telegraph.
Up the Missouri.
STEAMER WIN. CAMPBELL, May % Is


at Lyons, Iowa. Between that point and this,
there is considerable country, and incidents
enough in river voyage, down the Mississippi
and up the Missuri, for more than one letter.
As cannot go into the particulars, however,
shall only give you my general impressions.
left Lyons, on Monday morning last, ON the
good steamer W. H. Denny, for st. Louis. She
had goodly number of passengers, and all the
freight she could carry, long before she got to
her destination. The weather was cold and I'M
pleasant all the way down, which prevented US
taking as leisurely view of the country on
either bank of the Mississippi as we wished to-
The west bank seems to present the most de-
sirable country as far as can be seen from the
river. All the river towns of Iowa are finely
located and present very thrifty and promis-
ing appearance, Davenport, Muscatine, Burl-
ington and Keokuk, the larger towns are
wide-awake, busy, growing places, with fine,
slightly locations. The country back, as far as
can be seen from the steamers deck, is beauti-
full. The high, rolling prairies stretch back, in
some places, as far as the eye can see.
The Illinois side, as general thing, presents
much lower. and more level country, and
along the river, is not generally cultivated.
The towns and cities present the same charac-
teristics-the same evidences of growth AMI
prosperity, as those on the Iowa side At the
present stage of the water in the Mississippi,
much of the low land on this side is overlooked.
In places the river widens out over the level
prairie for miles.
Below the mouth of the Des Moines river,
the southern boundary of Iowa. the character
of the banks changes. The high banks are
now on the Illinois side, as are also most of the
Improvements. The Missouri bank is low, and
timber and prairies at present under water, for
miles in extent.
Among the sights along the river mono seemed
to elicit so much remark as the deserted Mormon
City, Nauvoo. No more eligible site for city
occurs along the river. The city lies in bond
of river, which flows along two sides of it.
The ground ascends from the river gradually
tor nearly mile, and ON the height stands the
celebrated temple, still unfinished. The town
is scattered over large extent of ground. suf-
fieient for large city. 1t presents rather
dilapidated appearance.
We arrived at st. Louis about noon on We'd
IhVouay last HdO pui llLlle tlUlc 10 lOOh ABOUT
this great western emporium of the Mississippi
valley. l always supposed that St. Louis was
a large place, but l never had any conception
of its real magnitude before Its Levee is q
sight to make ones blood coarse little swifter
through his veins. can hardly give you an
idea of the appearance it presents. Imagine an
extent of three miles along the river
lb.nL xx.et
they can lie, with their bows to the bank, and
in some places two or three tiers deep at that
Our Captain was unable TO get sight of land,
and had to tie up to the stern of other boats
and let his passengers off over their decks, and
wait for an opening made by the departure Of
others before he could begin to unload. Inside
the line of steamboats, the whole length of the
Levee presents perfect Babel. 1t is paved
down to the waters edge with stone and is from
fifteen to twenty rods wide, with the first street
This whole space is covered with piles of box
es, barrels, bales and every species of property,
and all being handled over, coming off and GO
ing drays, carts and Wagons, with horses don
keys and mules, heuogeneously eommingled,
gathering over the stony pavement, with dri-
vers of every shade and hue and of every Ian
guage, shouting and driving, make noise that
, might well be lkened to pandemonium. Such
is faint likeness of the ST. Louis Leves ut
present, but everybody says business is very
ldull and hardly anything doing
From the River, the city presents a solid
mass of brick. The streets are very narrow
and the buildings are high The ground grad
ually rises back from the river, till it becomes
quite bluff. The air is black with smoke from
the chimneys OF furnaces and steamboats,. St.
Louis Is certainly great place, and the Mis-
sourians may well feel proud of such city
went aboard of the Steamer I'm. camp6sH.
Capt. Ddlts, which was about ready to start up
the Missouri, to st. Joseph, and intermediate
ports. The steamer is fine one and well-of-
fcered, and l have found no occasion to regret
my choice of conveyance She has large lead
of freight, and a good number of passengers.
many Of whom, like myself are bound for Kan.
sas
The Missouri is an unpleasantstream to nav.
igate. owing to numerous snsgs and sand bars,
aud the constant changing OF the channel. /,
is spread out to twice its legitimate width, and
and is constantly widening by the falling in
and washing away of the banks. The current
is rapid, but the water is thick and muddy, SC
, that You have no way to judge of its depth, but
. by tryingit. Wehsye been detained frequently
by having to sound for the channel, which is al
ways deep enough when jon find it.
The country, along the river at least, in al
most an unbroken forest from the mouth up.--
The towns are small and show bu. little sign Of