Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-08-21
CoRREsPoxDESCE OF THF Appeal.


Opposite Davenport Is Rock Island, 6
! dead village, on which the curse Of
heaven surely rests, because Of the
, malice and horrors that was meted e
! Confederate prisoners there during the
J late little row Letween the Confederate
and United States governments. While
Rock Island exists, il will stand as 9
living monument to tell that the black
hole Of Calcutta and the so-eslied hor-
! rors of Libby and Andersonville were
! naradises in com parison TO the inhuusn
and brutal tortures that were inflicted
here on Confederate soldiers. The acres
of graves, where moulder staryed, frozen
and murdered Confederate prisoners,
mark a sad monument here.
The navigation of the great river is
here obstructed by the grossest and most
uniustifiable outrage that has ever been
perpetrated on commerce in the world.
A railroad bridge crosses the river at the
foot OF the rapids and in the very center
of the current, the draw has been
placed so that II is really a dangerous
operation for boats to pass through.
It is impossible to make the passage at
night. The Outrageous definitions and
the nuisance the obstruction is generally
should have caused its abatement long
ago.
I A magnificent arsenal building and
barracks have been built on the island
and are now occupied by United States
troops. $685.
At Clinton, Iowa, a magnificent iron
draw bridge crosses the river. It does
not interfere with navigation, and is
| really an invaluable benefit to the COM
meree Of the country. Clinton is 3. new
and rapid city, and is getting along as
I fast, in many respects, as its neighboF,
| Chicago. Already its population Of
| twelve thousand inhabitants anticipate
| the day when it will anDex Davenport
/ as a suburban ward. It's little rivals on
each side Of the river, Lyons and Fulton
| Cityl, are dwarfed and ruined by the pom
| derOsity Of ClintOH's huge pFoteasions
and anaconda coil. Dubuque is beauti-
| ful and very important city. It's com
merce is constantly Increasing, and its
z proportions enlsrging. With popula-
( tiOn Of twenty-five thousand people, il
! has already the pretepsiOus, fine business
4 houses, and elegant residences, and we'll
built character Of dwellings, churches,
banks, warehouses. hotels, depots, ETC.,
( like other cities of several hundred thou
/ Galena, Is dead. The whole town is for sale
or rent. Not an empty house can be found
I in Dubuque. Twenty years ago Gslena
was a city, and sneeTed eontemptuOusly
at the little village of Dubuque. Now it
Is a deserted rat hole, and its neighbor is
the great commercial city of this Sec
ton, with an immense, thriving and
[ largely increasing trade. The whirligig
OF time brings about strange revenges.
The lead produce in this section con-
tfnues to increase in supply, and the
sources of deposit are daily found PROM
ising to be inexhaustible The lumber
trade on the river heresbOuts is an extra
ordinary and most notable feature. It is
one of the chief sources Of the wealth OF
various sections Of the northwest. Hun
dreds Of acres Of logs and sawed timber,
containing incelculabie millions of feet
Of lumber, have dOsted past US during
our passage OF the last six hundred miles.
Our boat has about three hundred pas
sepgers aboard, all OF whom are known
by the generic term of river men. They
are comb0sed Of all nationalities, and
are, as a general class, veyy hard cases.
/ Several fights have occurred amongst
them, but no more damsge than q few
bruised noses and bunged up eyes have
resulted. They have the most varied
entertainment on deck and on the hurri-
cane roof, I ever saw on boat before
( Some Of them have educated dogs, that
| perform for the delectafion Of laughing
and well pleased admirers. Others are
/ constantly playing ehuckaluek, old
sledge, draw poker, and stch like amuse-
ments. A party Of WinnebagO Indians
are aboard, and amusing the yanks with
war dances and other representations of
a barbarous character. A noisy crowd
are applauding an Irishman, who is sup
nOsed to be an inimitable elOcutionist
He has repeated Sheridan's ride until his
brngue and the ride have become very
disgusting Another party is singing
union rebel, religious, blackguard, sen
tlmentat and senssless songs, as the fancy
seizss them. You will perceive from
this. that we have a babel aboard
Decidedly, it is babel, below
the cabin. In the cabin, every
berth aud every foot Of fioOr-rOOun
IL occupied by passengers. You can i'm
agine from this what enormous travel is
done on these up river boats. This
northern line is more popular in every
respect than sny other / ever knew,
hence the present crowded condition Of
its boats. Through passengers have
great advantage in being provided with
good rooms. There are about twenty
persons from the south aboard, going to
st. Paul for the season. The greater
number Of them are invalids.
From Dubuque to Lacrosse the
scenery along the river is very mOnOt-
ouous. Any section OF ten miles is a fac
simile OF the whole route. A very few
villages appear in the very few ravines
and small tables of land that will permit
of building sites. The country extend
ing back over an extent Of many miles.
is well settled and highly cultivated
Every landing is provided with well
built and strongly made elevator. for
shipping wheat. These steam boat lines
have great number Of barges, which
are laden and discharged by elevators.
Hence it occurs that the rates Of freight
are very low, and the transit is made to
market very rapidly. The rivalry of
competing lines and the extraordinary
enterprise Of bostmen up here, places
travel aud freight rates at very low
figures.
I found Lacrosse a splendidIy built
pile Of bricks and mortar. Everything
there looks new and fast. AS q railway
center from every direction, easy Of ac-
cess by rail and river, occupying a western
great center of trade, and being great
point for lumber operators to seek their
y
labor, it has rapidly assumed a position
that makes it one of the most important
commercial centers of this country.
Vast improvements are being made, new
houses Of good and substantial material
sre being buiided. The heavy sand of
the streets make TRANSPORTATION over
them difficult. To avoid this and to facil-
itate the communication between the
railway and river, and to improve busi-
ness generally, the streets are being laid
with wooden pavements. Not the least
important means of improving Lacrosse
is found in the immense influence that
"Brick" Pomeroy's paper-the Demo.
crdt -exerts in inducing immigration, by
inviting people from all sections to seek
the vicinity and become citizens.
The people there swear by "Briek y
His psper most certainly exerts
an incsleulaple control over ali classes in /
this country, makes them think and fear
lessly express their views and demand
redress for wrongs. Let me refer to an
incident, which mention thatour people 1
may perceive thst every avenue Of our
social system is being penetrated 10 foster
radical doctrines. In a conversation with
an svOwed radical from BurliUgton-a
superintendent of schOOls-yesterday be
plying school books to the south, the
whole matter was regulated with view
TO radicaliZe the rising generation of that
country, irrespective of color; that a
principal object is to make the memory
Of the rebellion detestabls in the eyes Of
the young, so that they could never be
induced to attempt such revolution
again, and TO despise the effort that has
50 lately proved futile and unsuccessful. I
To my inquiries he made answers that
are embodied in the following statement: 1
The entire school system of the south is
or will be placed in the management Of
radicals, whether avowedly such or
secretly their friends, as they
propose to not hesitate at any
measures or means to cOnsummate
their object. The books that will be
used in schools will be favorable only to
the dissemination Of radical precepts
and their views Of the war and govern
ment. That the schools will not be per-
mitted to use any other class of books,
they having been expressly prepared and
carefully compiled to this view; that the
people of the south cannot help them
selves, for already the books have been
introduced; that the schools are largely
in the hands of radical agents and teach
ers /, and that the Dorthern publishers