The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1872-03-23

dozen, hash nominal. We glanced
around to sec what the spirit Of inn
provcment had done for Camden in
twelve months. The progress in that
time has not been very great. The
Camden people appear to be uncertain
as to their fate in connection with the
building of projected rail roads through
appear not to be fully united in their
views of what course to pursue.
Our stay in Camden was limited to Il
few hours only, as our boat was not to
be caught up there by a fall in the river.
At that point, our beautiful river rises
and falls with precipitation, at this
stage of water, and boats have been
caught there in the early spring and
were compelled to summer it there.
The condition of the river below Cam
den, in the matter Of navigation, has
been very little improved by the party
sent out, ::last summer, by the general
government. Only ut one place,
Hodges's Shoals, have the dangers and
delays of navigation been Iessencd.
The timber cut down on the banks was
left, mainly, as it fell. The trees, in
many places, have floatcd to the mid
die of the channel, their tops sunk to
the bottom and their butt ends rising
just above the water, making most dam
gerous snags for ascending steamers to
encounter. The appropriation will
have to be duplicated to clear the river
Of the snags put there by the govern
ment in its efforts to improve ravig:,-
ton.
With Our craft and its management,
we were delighted. The Mcssrs. Blanks
Fred and MISUNDERSTANDING us as
Il "third party" in the direction of the
boat, and we, accordingly, stood watch
with Joles and Gomellon, the pilots,
making some beautiful and graceful
swings around sharp points; went into
the den of clerks and issued orders to
Morris, Ruth and Guss, by turns, and
saw that Perry Barnes had always a
good steak or roast for us at meal time.
We drank at Gains Branch, and pro-
| nounce his water very good. The col
| ored deck hands gave a free concert,
| comprising plantation songs, steamboat
parodies, dances and impromptu dia-
logues about the Captain, the Belle and
her capacity to demolish wood-piles.-
At the conclusion, Il pitcher of whisk Y
appeared on the outskirts, donated by
the Captain, and there was Il lively
scutfle for a drink. They fell into line
finally, and the spokesman put the
question, can you dat's in favor OF
drinking, say, I?' \ more unanimous
vote we have never heard. Prolonged
applause followed, and the pitcher went
around. One darIey, who stood about
head, got his drink and fell out, but re-
appeared at the foot of the line ready
for a second sWig. He was discovered
and escorted to a place of safety near
the boilers. The scene, SO forcibly IL
Illustrating happy darkey life, concluded
with three cheers for the Captain, when
the colorcd sovcrcigns withdrew to
their little beds upon the cotton bales
and soft springy planks of the deck.
We feel i'll duty bound to the public
and to 4 colnmcndablc public spirit, tc
recommend the McssIs. Blanks and
their splendid boat to the people for
their liberal support. They arc dcscrv-
ing, energetic young mcn-thc urchi-
tccts of their own fortunc-cvcn-tcm
pcrcd, atf;,blc, and we know they have
a hand open for charity, and hearts not
dead to the necessities Ola friend They
are doing Il good business, we are glad
to know; and, therefore, don't need on,
cnconiums but the travelling public
should know where their interest lies
and where they will be kindly wei
coined and vigilantIy protected.
Warmoth and Carter evidently inn
agine that they both carry the voice OF
Louisiana in their brooches pockets.
The new movement in Louisiana for