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

ages, blear and gloomy as the brow or Time, It
stands like grand but silent record ofthe nigh
ty Past Deep seams are now worn into its mas
siye front by little streams that trickle down the
side and dash themselves to thin mist long before
they reach the bottom. Here and there some am
bilious vine striking its roots into shallow crew
ice of the rock, climbs up to the very crest, in
line Of green and graceful pendants.
Between the foot of the bluff and the waters
edge, there is barely space enough for a long
rank of. cord wood and narrow foot path, fol-
lowing the windings of the tortuous river
Over the highest point of the bluff, "wood-
man. has constructed 'shute," (Which is
simple trough of heavy plank, for sliding wood
down to the river bank, to be sold to steamers
for fuel. Wood is the principal fuel used by rv-
er steamers for generating steam. Men who own
timber land bordering on the river cut and haul
it along the bank where boats can run up at any
time and take a supply on board. The "War
Eagle burns about 80 cords in "a hours run
ning besides some coal, so that we stop to wood
| up'' several times every day. Most OF the tim
! Der along the Missouri is cottonwood which is
very light and not worth much for fuel. 1t sells
! for about $500 per cord, while good, hard oak
brings as much as $500.
The customary signals were given by the pilot
as we approached the bluff, and the huge boat
slowly swung in to the shore and was tied up to
a tree by stout rope The plank was run out
and the deck hands set to- carrying on wood from
a long rank on the shore. While this was going
on, most of the passengers went on shore to
Hstretch their limbs" Some amused themselves
gathering wild flowers or cutting canes from the
sappy underbrush around the foot of the bluff,
while few more vigorous and ambitious, found
a deep seam in the rock and boldly climbed to
the top Richly did it repay the effort. The In
dams in the old picture, accustomed to the will
derness of nature and highly susceptible Of its
| 4 L..
moved by the magnificent grandeur and striking
beauty of the scene, than was the little Company
that stood there in the glow Of that bright Snn-
day morning. Admiration for the works of ma
ture in the Indian was mingled with sorrow
and revenge as he looked upon the steamboat;
pioneering civilization into his native haunts.-
it betokened the usurpation Of his favorite hunt
ing grounds by the hated white man, and drove
his little canoe farther back toward the source Of
tne great river. To us it was not only evil
dence of the greatness and goodness of the Crea
tor, but of the skill and ingenuity Of man, il
applying and developing the vast resources o
nature and thus making them contribute to hu
man happiness.
Directly beneath our feet lay the ssWar Eagle )
her huge engines at rest and the smoke from bel
black chimneys rizing lazily toward the sky
The ''Big Muddy" rolled its dark mass of earth
and water along the bluff, now kissing its yer,
itself to sight amid the deep-green forests tina
lined its banks. The opposite side receded ir
graceful variations Of hill and plain, heavily Gov
cred with timber and underbrush, amid which
at intervals, the smoke of a settlers cabin curl
ed gracefully upward, GROWING the tree-top:
with blue and hazy wreath. Near the middle
of the stream, an island, covered with the same
dense jungle Of vine, shrub and tree, lay like a
picture on the bosom of the waters. The eye
followed the windings of the river by the line oil
heavy timber that bordered its channel, with an
occasional glimpse of its silvery surface through
! break in the thick forest A pleasant May
! breeze stirred the young foliage, and the brigh
Sunshine brought out the varied colors of the en-
chanting scene, with vivid brilliancy
We gazed in silence. There is an inspiration
in nature, too deep for words. Human passions
are hushed, human vanities wane, lunar
thoughts die, when God, through his visible ere
d; alton, holds communion with the SOUL No maj
Gescends from such communion without being
3 the better for it. He despises his own follies
grows humbeat the thought Of his own impo
+ tence and feels within him the stirring of Hop
!, that goes beyond these earthly scenes. The va
red landscape is a striking evidence of Divin
u power and benevolence while the everhowin
{ river, with the shadows of great clouds sleeping
upon its turbid surface, is constant reminder c
! that other River, full of the dark shadow
e of human life, and bearing us all onward to th
ocean of Eternity
n The shrill whistle Of the "War Eaglen brok
;. in upon such reflections, we fastened down tn
u bluff, and soonswe were again steaming up tn
e river, amid a succession of similar bluffs on th
/ one side and Of heavily-tmbered, bottom land
on the other. L. NJ. Fl.