The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1860-07-25
KAHsAs coRREspoNDrucr.


| KAU9AS CORRESPONDENCE.
! A MANHATTAN, Kansas, June 9, 1860.
EDITOR RKPUBLlcAx: "A voyage upon tht
"muddy waters" needs to be experienced to bt
appreciated. The swift current, notwithstand
ing the immensely crooked river bed-the thick
y scattered snags all pointing down stream al
an angle of forty-6ve degrees (more or less)-
and the sand bars-can all be better imagined
than described. The bed of the stream is one
continuous sand bank, and the sand is dffused
through the water to such an extent as to make
said fluid quite unfit to drink-halt an inch Of
sand settling to the bottom of every glass full
H water. Is it any wonder, then, that the other
bar received extensive patronage and that full
one half Of the passengers were constantly com.
fortably tighti And furthermore that your tenn.
perate correspondent suffered untold horrors OF
Indigestion through transferance Of aforesaid
sand-bars from the river to his stomach!
was TO board the good steamer Emile Satur.
day morning at six O'Clock Immediately after
which the said steamer was to cast loose from
the port Of St. Joseph and steam up the river
upon the "first trip of the season." Well,
Monday morning we really did get started-a
difference OF only two days-and as the break
| fasts and dinners were tolerable, and business
not urgent, did not object in violent, pro-
fame, and unphilosophical manner, after the
fashionrof some Of the more inpatient passen-
gers.
The boat was large, new, and finely finished
captain well dressed and unapproachable-
| clerks usually prOfane-steward black skinned
| and white headed-mates above par in brutality
-bow hands thirty raw Irishmen-bar tender
an expert squeezer and mixer, etc, etc.
Of course you know all about the country,
and if you do not it is too hot weather to enter
into details. So will only mention some of the
most prominent incidents of the trip, leaving the
cool and sober part until you are in correspon.
ding condition.
It seemed the principal business of the gray
old steward to follow his numerous family of
black, white, and red walters, and with fork in
one hand and carving knife in the other, admin
istering reproof in manner something like the
following:
"Here, Tink, (Tink was a newly civilized In
dian) ain't telled you morn forty times not to
cross knife and fork in dat way-niggerd never
do it so-even white boyd do it better"
"LOOk yere you cussed niger, you spill one
drop dat ar turkey gravy and III cuff one ear off
| sartain-you see now"
just above the Nebraska line the river takes
an enormous roundabout. We were nearly q
day going around the bend and it was but four
miles across the neck.
At one landing was much amused at the cav.
alier manner in which passenger treated the
hotel runners. We had passed through the
gang and were standing upon the bank watching
the unloading of the boat. runner approach
ed d. confdentially.
"YOu had better go to the City Hotel, sir, it
is an excellent hotel"
"Is it," said D., with evident interest "Yes,
sir. new, large, live welcome up--free ride
baggage, free, sir."
"Any bed bugs"
"NO, sir-cOme up-come and see how we
live-this way, SIR"
"No." said D. thoughtfally-I guess not
amt married.
At night the boat tied up under some shelter
ing bank and waited daylight before proceed.
ing upon its journey. Through the day it was
obliged to feel its way alOng-a man upon either
side Of the lower deck throwing the lead" al
most constantly to sound the depth of water
It isa rule with river steamers that oil passen.
gers must remain on board the boat at landings
If they get of they are out of their places and
must get on again the best way they can. The
same rules applies the other way to shore peo
pie. We had both it's workings illustrated du
ring the trip.
y Stopping to "wood up" Missouri I" sneak
came on board for drink. He drank once toe
long, for when he ran up the plank it was alrea
dy several feet from the shore, and fast receding
He jumped for the land and sank up to his necl
in mud and water. Fortunately brothe
"sneak" was near and helped him up the banl
amidst the jeers Of passengers and the crowt
on shore. But he was lucky to get only a wet
ting, for when person falls into the current o
the river he is counted ga goner"-his clothe
, Immediately fill with sand and the swift curren
> washes him under past recovery.
Near Nebraska City the boat made fast for tn
night, and after "wooding up" one of tn
mates, himself an Irishman, took the Irish ere,
into the woods to cut and bring on board site
! of timber suitable to work into spas-one ha,
: ing been broken in "sparring off" from san
bar. A suitable tree was found, cut down, an
!, cut off, Then followed the process of carryin
it to the boat. The men wished TO carry
: breast high upon levers but the mate knew
would 90 better in another way, so he ordere
them to shoulder it. The whole crowd manage
: with the utmost difficulty to raise one end Gle,
from the ground, and part were ordered
hold on while the rest lifted the other end. {
course what it took all to raise could not be he
BY one half-and it came to the ground with
crash. The men were badly scared and prote
ted earnestly against the shoulder method, b
= the mate was determined that it should be ca
ried his own way and no other, and again orde
ed them to shoulder it.
This time the hands were scattered along Il
, whole length, and both ends were to be raise
But Is no regard had been paid to sorting o
- and pairing of the different lengthed "Pai