The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-07-27
Interesting Letter from Missouri.
ROANOKE, HOWARD County, No., }
July 90. ls66. {


To the Editors Of The RicA1aond Dispatch:
After many days and nights of hot, dusty
travel | reached this point in what IRE call
, the West, but to find that the West il re-
| moved to the remote "regions beyond
| This famous locality, "M West" is an
WniS fdtmlS which eludes your search. The
inquirer is directed further towards the
setting SUI or the Rocky Mountains.
Through State after State "cproceeded,
accommodating On Our persons the dust OF
various soils, until we found opportunity to
miugle the deposits with the alluvium OF
the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, hat all
might flow together to the oblivion OF the
ocean. The crops of grain already har-
vested are about as in Virginia-whcat
good in quality but scant in quantity oats
abundant corn prospects exceedingly
promising; fruits very scarce: politics eX-
uherant-indccd, rank for the most part.
Indeed, We were continually reminded OF
the couplet Of the old hymn:
Every prospect p!"ase:,
And only mRa 10 vile
From Baltimore, several car loads OF
cmigrants formed part OF our train. They
were Germans, who reioiced in their
escape from CONSUMPTION i'll the war now
raging in Europe, and were happy in the
expectation Of quiet on the praIries.
These vast plains impress one who sees
them for the first time with peculiar feelings
OF quiet sublimity and surprise. Read as
II uch rs you please, and the sight will still
not meet your anticipations. They are
generally very fertile, and covered with
grasses, flowers, and weeds. Here and
there, in the distance, and remote one from
the other, are small onc-storied cabins or
framed houses, surrounded 10y a few peach
trees and by large fields Of corn Ut rich,
healthiul, dark green color, or large fields
Of wheat or oats. Amid this appearance OF
abundance it seemed strange TO note the
apparent squallor of many vi the residents.
The impress of ignorance and rudencss
was very apparent. The poor whites OF
the South, of whose vice, Incidence, igno-
rance, and poverty, Northern philanthro-
pists write 81 much, seem to have emf
grated and settled all along the rail
road route in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois.
| hardly expect to see many of them re-
naming on my return. Egypt is full. If
charity in the North begins ut home, the
prospect of it's ever reaching the South is
~v.ry-very unpromising.
One strange thing for the ~rirtuous' ~
rural districts of the immaculate North
attracted peculiar attention. They have
driven away the negro 10 put their own
daughters in the bar-rooms, diEing-saloons,
aud cigar stores. At every station in
these "loval" States the waiter, Were
Young ladies. Boston and the Bowcry
have "sprcad OUT OF the walters them
selves We express no ccnsurc. But oil
the custom which employs them, or tole-
rates such engagements, We feel an un-
qualified adherence. That the large cities
should find some trained 10 such situations
is not surprising but that the scli-boastiul
intelligence, refinement, and virtue of the
rural districts OF the North should " hire
out its daughters where they arc inevi-
tably exposed to many and serious and
! deadly dangers j. matter for wonder.
Factory life is far less dangerous to mo-
dcsty and virture than thi, public, pronis-
cuous contact with all sorts OF i~rrcsponsi-
bic voyagcncy. Ont upon that philanthro-
pv which would drive away the darkcy
only 10 make Us "hire' the daughter of
the fanatic. These base gains are only one
remove from the bascst. May God forbid
that this should ever find favor among the
people of the South.
The Baptist General Association Of Mis-
souri, will convene here Tomorrow.
More anon. "kAAr."