The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-08-16
DISMALISMS.
A Journey for Pleasure Under Diff.
cuItfes.
ST. PAUL, MINI, Aug. 9, 1867

Editors Journal
The navigation of the Mississippi
River at this season of the year il
not of that kind which would be APT
to improve the temper of an irritable
man. Crowds are going on every
boat, and such crowds could not be
seen anywhere except on the Missis-
sippi. OF course, we have Miss
Flora McFlimsey and Mr.. Softers,
with their small talk and discussions
as to whether succotash is spelled
" sackcr tash," from its having origin
ated in the Sucker State; or whether
it is spelled suckey fash, from its be-
ing sucked from u spoon, and other
like spirited conversations. Besides
these we have the genus raftsman.
They are different from any one we
have on the Ohio-much like the.
fiatbOatmen. but ten times worse. We
had four hundred on the Dubuque
coming up-some in the cabin but
most on deck. They are mostly Irish
Of the lower class, and came aboard
full of mean whisky and fight. Halt
refuse to pay any fare at all, and the
other half want a reduction.
and constant brawls with the
the result. We had to land
to put off several on the way up.
They refuse to go, of course, and the
officers of the boat being the weaker
parties, have trouble to get them
ashore. The boat was in constant
uproar all day and all night, until we
got to La Crosse, where most of them
went ashore.
Most of the towns on the way up
looked nice and clean. Davenport
and Rock Island are especially so.
All complained, however, of unusual
dizziness. owing perhaps to the scarcity
of all kinds Of grain and produce.
The people along the route look for
ward with much hope to a fruitful
harvest.
The scenery along the Mississippi
from Quincy is beautiful, much more
so than we expected to see it. The
Bluffs on either side stand away up
over, the river, some of them being
one hundred feet above the water.
Some look as if they had been broken
in two by some great %upheaval of the
earth. while others slope down to the
waters edge. and their tops look
smooth and bald. The grass on the
sides and tops does not look green,
but gray and old, and worn as if the
frosts had already nipped them.
We came Up most Of the way in the
pilot house, and the pilots pointed
out TO US ali the objects of interest on
the route. From here we saw the
Loaf Rock an insignificant
rock about ten feet highland
in shape not unlike a Sugar Loaf,
stood by the waters edge, and
had nothing about it except that it
was the only rock of the kind any
where near it. Here the Indians
come to worship yearly. Their tent
poles were still standing on the bank
near it, where they had been this
Our pilot told US that before
they were driven West by the white
he had seen hundreds of them
here at one time. They worship the
stone IN their rude manner-no one
knows why.
We lef the boat at Winona, q
beautifully romantic little town on
the plain below the bluff, thirty miles
above La Crosse. The Winona and
St. Peters Railroad here has its east
ward terminus. After a good nights
rest and a good breakfast, we took
The cars at 6:30 for Rochester, one of
The most thriving cities in Minnesota.
It is surrounded by a good wheat
country, and has two rivers running
cast it, which afford a water power
or the grist mills and some few man
lfacturing establishments. 1t is a
.own of considerable importance as a
,rain depot. They have the finest
Court House in the west; are build
ng a very large school house, and
aave some very fine wholesale and
stores, aud n of the largest
grain elevators on the railroad. The
Is only ten years old. The lady
With whom we are stopping told us
hat ten years ago there was but one
rouse in the place. She came to this
ten years ago, aud stopped on
he prairies a few miles from the
,lacr where1she, lived, under some
set up against a hay stack. /,
until they could erect a shantya in /.
which she with seven children bore {
he severity of a Winter, in which /.
he snow was four feet deep, aud drifted /.
over the stable in which
hey kept their oxen In the morn 6