Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1875-01-28
Up the Mississippi.
BY VI. G. THAYER.


Der 9Th, amidst rain storm, (the only one
that had cheered the earth and the inhabi-
tants thereof, in this portion of the coun-
try for three months), our steamer push
ed from shore, headed up stream, fired a
parting salute, and we bid adieuto the in
teresting city of New Orleans, feeling as
sured, that though its past history has
been important, that of the near future
will be equally. if not more so.
For the first hundred miles of the Mis-
sissippi, from New Orleans, the country
is very fertile, and there are numerous
and extensive sugar plantations, cotton
plantations, and orange groves, or or
chards. The latter are usually hired for
the season, in the following manner: The
fruit men go around in the Spring, look
at the trees, and estimate the probable
amount they will bear. and pay a stipula-
ted price for all the fruit that each tree
produces that season. We passed one or
chard of $50 trees, the years production
of which had been sold at $1,000 per tree ;
or 81, 500. 00-the money paid in advance
to the owner, who took no chances what.
ever; and the man who bought. it was
said, would make handsome profit
We had supposed from the great length
of the Mississippi, which, if calculated
from the source of the Missouri. is 1906
miles long. making it the longest river
IN the world, and, from its own source,
Itasca Lake, is nearly 5000 miles long,
would be very wide. so near its mouth !;
especially as it has received the entire
flow of so many large rivers. But, at the
present stage oflow water, il is seldom
over one half mile wide ;but In high water,
when it overfows its banks, it is said to
resemble vast sea. 1t sometimes rises
very suddenly, causing great destruction
of life and property. Since the war. the
levees are not kept in good repair, owing
to the utter inability of the planters TO do
so. Before the war; each planter kept UP
his own levee; and when crevasse ap-
peared. the entire force of the surround
ing planters was brought into requisition.
and 1t was soon stopped. This was in
time of Slavery; but now they cannot
command the labor; and il seems that it
VIII be necessary for the Government 10
take the matter in hand, and keep up the
levees. or vast tracts Of fertile lands must
90 TO waste and ruin.
The Mississippi is assembled by steam
boats TO the Falls of st. Anthony, about
22Oc miles, and above this point il is also
navigable. Up the Missouri steam boat
passed. in 1859, near to the Great Falls. at
the east foot of the Rocky Mountains, n
distance exceeding $3.50 miles from the
Gulf of Mexico.
In its progress from the mouth of the
Ohio, TO the Gulf. the actual length of the
river is computed at iIsS miles, increas-
ing the distance over straight line BY
nearly 200 miles, and by its textures. also
reducing the rate of its descent to less
than half the inclination of the plane
down which it flows. In the low water
of summer and winter. the river is de
pressed. The fall, at the head of the plane
is abouu. 10 feet, and near New Orleans
&c feet below the top of the banks.
The current there flows slugglishly in a
trough about 5000 feet wide; as feet deep
at the head, and 100 at the foot. The
immense curves of the river,ir it's course,
are remarkable features in lis topography.
| They sweep around in hall circles, and
/ the river. sometimes. after traversing 81
OF 80 miles, is brought within a mile or
less OF the place it had before passed.
In heavy floods, the waters occasional
! IL, burst through the tongue of land, and
form what is called q "cut of" which may
become new and permanent channel.
The height of the banks and the great
depth of the river bed, check the frequent
formation of these cut offs; and attempts
to produce them artificially have often fail
ed,especially where the soil is tough blue
clay. which is not easily worn away by
flowing water. This was the case at
Bayou Sara, when, in 1S45, an excavation
designed to turn the river, was made, by
which a circuit OF % miles would have
been reduced to cut of one mile. An
attempt was also made at Vicksburgh
during the rebellion; but it also failed.
The sediment, with which the lower Mis-.
sissippi is charged, is chiefly fine clayey
matter, SO universally suspended in the
water as to give it thick muddy appear.
ance. The upper Mississippi is a clear
stream; but the Missouri pours into it a
vast amount Of whitish muddy matter
which renders the water so turbid that at
ST. Louis, one cannot see through tum-
bier filed with it. This, however, does
not prevent its being generally used for
drinking. and for culinary purposes; in
fact, it is commonly preferred to any 9th.
er water.
The depth of the river is variable; some
times reaching 1873 feet; but the maxi
&. 1on oo