The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1866-05-26
Up the Missouri.

gfeauy swollen by the spring rains, and bore
on bis dark and muddy bosom, huge floats Of
drift-wood aud trees torn bodily from their un.
certain footing on the banks OF the Missouri.
II had Fained heavily during the day, and the
city being somewhat gloomy In consequence We
had gone down 20 the steamer about noon, Sc
lcctci our State Room, and by this time felt
quite nj home In our new quarters. Al dny the
deck hands were heaving on board huge boxes,
bales and bundles, marked for various points IN
Kansas, Nebraska aud the far distant Colorado,
with large LOT Of iron for the Pacific Rail Road
shiple cd 10 Omaha. The deck hands were about
equally divided between American citizens oi
IRISH, German aud African descent, intermin gled
In perfect state offraiernal harmony II seems to
he awell-esiablishcd principlcamong deck hands,
In no case toliti much, and never 10 lit any with.
out giving Simultaneous groan, something like
=" yo-hcave-O," " VI hove-e,' ho-hoi-hup. -
Il reminded US Of the old Greek gallcys. whcrc
the rowcrs kept time To music with the stroke OF
their oars.
I Amid the innnmerable craft that ihrong the
long wharf at st. Louis, the traveller has his
choice Of steamers for nearly any point within
navigable reach Of the city. We selected Tho
War Eagle ~ on account OF her geniicmanly
aud obligiug officers. her good size, her clean
aud comfortable arrangements Tor passengers.
aud for appearing. In al respects, a. the uspec-
: tors certificate described her - staunch and
sca-worih!, with proper means or escape from
the main TO the upper deck, in case ofacciden,.
: To "a pure landsmAn like ourseif. there was
something intensely exciting in the idea o. Of be-
ing atioat on the great Mississippi, especially al
ter having had peace and patience well. nigh
shaken out u US by more than thousand miles
Rail Road travel. IL was feeling not unmixed
with dread, as We looked into the brownish-black
fluid boiling around US and dashine itself into
foam against the Prov Of the boat, aud the bar
rowing thought that We were no swimmer lifted
across the mind.
Tho punde,ous engines had begun 20 stretch
their lazy arms aud set the huge whgcls ia mo
iion, giving the boat a decided trcmor, while
the iimbers creaked and crack 4 under the
strain. To have fall view OF the city aud the
adjoining scenery. ~ well as perhaps, from an
instructive notion that il might be safer 10 be Is
far from the water as possible, we went on the
upper deck. There Is a fine promenade herr,
some goo feet IN length aud 80 In breadth Tn,
view was grand. Ca the eastern shore las T..
81. Lewis. with the three great Eastern aud
Northern H. u. lines penetrating il aud coming
10 an abrupt termination on the river hank, as
though the waters had declared -" Thus far
shalt thca come but no farther Long lines Of
dark-brown and green cars were being loaded
with fFcights for the Eastern cities, and a dozen
busy engines were putting about collecting the
cars into trains aud shifting them from track to
track There is no bridge at this point. Pas.
sengers arriving by rail are transferred TO five
large, four-horse omnihuses driven on board
the ferry boat conveyed over the river aud taken
TO any par; Of the city without additional charge
Drays and wagons laden with freight cross over
In the same way, thus avoiding reloading ~ the
Terry boat. Freights are loaded hese for Balii.
more, Philadelphia aud New York. aud taken
through without change Of cars.
On the Western shore, or. in nautical lan guage.
on the larboasd side, lay ~, Louis proper The
great city sits ia n bend Of the river like an in.
FAINT in It's mother arm. Il has a river 'front.' Of
SIX miles, and rising from the waters edge by q
gradual elevation, recedes a distance Of ,hrrt
miles, where the woody highlands are crowned
with magnificent suburban residences. AZ iar
AZ the eye could reach, II dense line Of water
craft, from tho huge New Orleans steamer 20 the
ffaiiesi shaliop, lay nj their mOoHngs like vas.
sails csep 10 the foot Of their queen 20 DO her rev
erence. Down the long line, steamers werr
breaking out Of the rank and heading away Tor
, the upper and lower Mississippi, the Missouri
Ohio, Wabash and Illinois, white rs aud ferry
boats were briskly sieAming hiiher and ihither
over the bosom OF the river. The air was filled
with the harmony Of the steam whistle from tic
shrill tenor Of the tug down to the deep bass Of
the more majestic steamer, as they gay chal.
lenged each other in passing
Throughout the day, the heavy atmosphere
bad pressed the thick smoke Of the numberles.
factories, Close upon the house-toTs OF the city
where II hung in huge black masses. But now
the sky cleared away, the sun broke through the
clouds and unged the church spires with Hood
OF golden light. u was a beautiful picture
There was that happy combination Of nature anil
art, Of divine and human mechanism, that al.
ways charms the sensitive behoider Admir.-
too for the wonderful achievement; Of man min
/ gled with reverence aud gratitude 20 the Great
Being who had 50 beautifully provided the
means for mans enjoyment and gave him power
aud skill to use and develop them FOE his ad-
Ivaniagc.
7 One hundred and years ago French royaqes,
selected the present site Of 81. Louis as base Of
operations for trapping purposes. The favorable
position, good soil, healthy climate, with other
natural advantages, In after years attracted set
tiers 10 the spot. until to-day the little irapper
village has become n magnificent city Of over
200, 900 inhabitants. The waters originally ted-
icated TO the indians canoe and the hunter =
barge, are now thronged with swift and mighty
STEAMERS. The hardy trapper used TO consume
from one 10 three years in making a trip up tie
turbid Missouri or the placid Illinois n his keel.
boat, TO gather furs and Ielires now, the busy
merchant makes the same trip in as many days
The streets u 81. Louis arr rpmatkably mar.
row, especially iho~ near the wharf They are
paved with stone, plates OF cast lion or blocks o.
wood, cut the proper length, set on edge ara
closely eemenied together. This makes a FIRM
and durable pavement. The Court House cost a
miihou ana quarter collars, anu TOT size. BEAU
y and durability. probably has not IL equal In
The Cnited States ~ q common court buiidng
The city u well Supplied with fine churches aud
Institutions Of Learning, with n thorough sys-
tenn Of Free Schools, holding grounds aud build
ings valued At S275, 900. Six daily newspaper
are published here aud are well-susiained. ST
Louis was the second city In the Union to adoip
the hre-alarm telegraph, and soon after organized
an eficieni steam hre-engine department for the
suppression u CONGREGATIONS.
An idea may be formed Of her immense inland
trade from the ilafbor-Nasiers Report, for the
six months ending September 3Oih 1866 Du-
ring that time, :, 7l3 steamboats, arrived ut her
wharf, or more than twelve per day, with n ton.
mage Of GDt, COL tons. THIS was In addition 10
the business done by the vafions n. u. iincs.-
Lyiag 10 the heart ofthe great Mississippi Valley,
with Unparalleled advantages for land aud water
transportation, with boundless resources Of min.
efal and agricultural wealth around her. with
the immense and growing trade of the far West
and Northwest flowing naturally 10 her arms
the time may come when 81. Louis will be the
second city Of the Union 10 trade and population
Sunset fingered long In the West, unwilling
70 leave the beautiful picture Of its own crrating
Gradually the shore lines became indislinct; one
BY one NE sentinel stars set their watch IN the
sky the had lights Of the steamer were run IN.
and By the time we entered the muddy Missouri.
night bad settled down upon the earth.
L. H.