The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-12-26

| freight on meat had tallen S2U per car. 1n-
asmuch as Memphisis o great distributing
market for the mest products ot all the up
per Missouri river country you can
see what savinghas been effected in that
one item alone, saying nothing ot corn,
flour, oats, hay, potatoes and other pro-
duCts.
The philosophic Mr.. Woodward used to
say that whenever the neterprise Of the
country had got over It's hurry to build
leading lines Of railroads, iswould begin to
exhibit different phase OF enterprise-viz
shortening OF distance and the better
ment Of road beds aud equipments. This
ia what the great Pennsylvania road ia do.
ing to-day. II has spent millions in the
last five years to strnighten aud shorten its
track and reduce its grades between Phila-
delphia and Pittsburgh. This becomes a
pressing necessity by reason OF the con.
STAN, competitive friction that has reduced
agricultural freight in the lasE twenty years
from three cents per ton per mile to six
and seven mi Il por ton. In this compe-
tition as to cost tho question Of cut offs iH
destined to play a very prominent part. 1t is
almost likeariver finding anew channel.
GRANTS vlcKsBrEG CHANNEL.
And by the way, speaking of river
finding new channel, had IN opportu-
nifty on the trip down here OF seeing a
marked exhibition of the eccentricity OF
the Mississippi river in this particular.
When waslast at Vicksburg, some ten
years ago, there was clear and unobstruct-
ed view acroEs to the Louisiana shore, and
there. was plenty Of water at her wharf.
The channel which Grant had tried In
vain to turn through an artificial canal
during the war remained iutact as the
source and guarantee OF Vicksburg's com.
mercial importance. General Wheat used
to Say Of the Wheeling bridge that while it
had successfully resisted mandamus it
yielded very promptly to G-d-s. SO OF
Vicksburg's channel. That which Grant
failed to do nature has taken in hand to
do, and now the hand OF man has been in-
voked once more (niuidtis mtltaRdis) 10 op-
pose and thwart naturs. In the war time the
Federal treasury was at work on the
canal, but now its dredyea are al.
most rs vainly at work attempting 10 pre-
serve Vicksburg the old channel ofwhich
the great river, in It's own good time,
seems 10 havegrown tired. And while
the grass is not as yet literally growing up
in the streets Of Vicksburg, yet the will
lows, the ayaut coutiers OF the grass, are
growing up in the river directly in front.
An island hes formed and the willows are
growing day aud night, and our good
steamer, the Will S. Hays, sailed into the
doomed port through these, willows, the
mate all the while throwing tho lead and
shouting to his echo Oh the hurricane rool,
"quarter less twain" "!-''mark twain'l-and
other such ominous words, while the steam.
er slowed down her speed for fear Of en-
counteripg one Of those sudden formations
that are the terror OF Mississippi river pilots
under such threatening circumstances as
exist at Vicksburg.
FOUR HUNDRED MILES BY RIVER.
As 1 stood on the upper deck Of the
Hays, about z o'clock in the evening, aud
saw the huge Ed. Richardson, all lit up,
coming up through these willows, looking
like
"The phantom OF the sea,
That moved On land or lea"
she verify seemed to my Imagination to be
the flag ship OF Grants feet sailing through
that ideal channel Of the war, 50 surely did
she seem to be moving through cut of in
the land. n
Speaking Of being on the Hsys, / con-
cluded to vary my much railroad riding
when ] got to Memphis by sand wiChing in
400 miles Of river travel, which 10 the dis.
tancs between Memphis and Yicksburg,
and so, naturally took the Hays, the regu.
lar packet between the two places, one oil
the most superb steamers in her proper
tions and In her whole a. up anywhere
afoat on the Mississippi river. 1t is q
languid but not by any means an unpleas-
ant life to the leisureIy tourist to traye! on
one Of theae frat class Mie9issippi river
steamers. They have large stateroomawith
large beds, and, In the seot the Hays, mat.
tresses and pillows that seem to be stufied
with the Misunderstanding peoples Of
the Levant. Their tables are quito
equal to the average frstcass hotel,
and the cost OF travelling on them for a
considerable distsnce but little exceeds the
per diem at such hotels. 1parted with her
genial commander, Capt. Ell, Knowland,
with regret and had he been coming on
down really think Ishould have followed
his fortunes oil along the devious shore to
the Crescent bend, where | am now stop
ping. AS 1t was, i transferred myself to the
cars Of Yicksburg 4 Meridian railroad as far
as Jackson, and thence by The "6reat jack.
son Route' TO New Orleans, reaching the
city by this "cut off" next morning, and
eavipg three days Of travel, Of which have
had quite enough for the present.
A. W. O..