Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1885-04-23
HOMEWARD BOUND
F,.. Land of sun to Land of Snow.
MISSISSIPPI RIVER, April 16. 1885.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER, April 16, 1883.
Or board the good ship Guiding
STAR" we left the sunny land, the "Cres-
cent City," the place of our ten weeks
sojourn, on the 9th inst, and are no"
being b,Tue, on the bosom of this MAJ
jesuc river, toward our Northern home
the Father of Waters"-which God
hath made the artery of a great Cont
nent which meanders through nearly
every zone which belts the globe. On
it we descended when escaping the pro-
tracted rigors of Northern winter
from frost to flower; and uOw it bears
US back from this sunny cline, Where
its enervating heat comes, to the cool
breezes and beautiful lakes of the Land
of frost and snow" Around this river
cluster impressive memories, from the
days when Ferdinand-de-Soto discovered
It's waters, OF century later, when Mar
quette beheld its sources, till the hour
when the Exposition opened its doors to
receive the products of the civilized
world.
Fifty ears ago, many were the wond-
rous tales told, to interested listeners, by
returned flat boatmen, of their exploits,
achievements. and experiences as they
fioated down this river on their fiat
boats, laden with the products of the
Ohio river border, until they reached the
far-famed city of New Orleans, or tied
up to trade, at important points, such
as Memphis, Vicksbnrg, Natchez, or
"NatcheZ under the Hill"-the names of
which were thus made as familiar to the
boys of that day as household words, as
indeed they were. Often these fiatboat-
men, after dispOsing of their cargoes at
New Orleans, would walk the entire
distance home. All this is changed
now. The days of fiat boating have
long since passed away. The march of
Improvement has extended to navigation,
as well as to other departments; and
now we have the advanced methods of
water transportation. On this river are
now plying in the various trades, null
titude OF splendid steamers, some of
which are little less than floating pala-
ces; with the latter, the one on which
We are now sailing might be classed. II
is, perhaps, one of the very best of the
line. and is in the advance in the intro
duclion of electric light. Two batteries
are run, one for the chandeliers in the
cabin, aid the other for the headlight
and other lights on deck. The head
light is made to revolve so that the light
is thrown in any direction desired, su-
perseding the necessity OF using basket
torches at landings. The light is great
improvement, and beside the cabin is
made by it, as light as day.
In leaving the city of the New South
we carry with US many pleasing memo>
ries, beside the attractivenesS and won1
derful beauties of the Exposition itself :;
the kind and cordial treatment We have
received from the people, and the gener-
Gus welcome we have everywhere met,
has made an impression not easily ef-
faced. Then the inspection of the city
itself, with its peeuliaiities aud its more
peculiar people, has beeu, to me. of in
tense interest and source of profit and
instruction, as well.
Our journey homeward, thus far, has
OOOh WY piOoOoAb, oho aiOO fCl ONChG'
full; simply the usual routine of steam
boat life. We landed at Baton Rouge,
which is situated on a bluff on the east
side of the river, l32 miles above New
Orleans. Walked up to view the State
House, in the 20 minutes allowed u.s.
1t was rebuilt in 1S79 on the site of the
old one, which was destroyed by fire in
1862, while occupied by Federal troops,
and prisoners, as :. barracks. The struc-
ture looks we'll from the river, though |
it is not large. On the second day out
passed the wreck of the Charles R. |
Springer" which run into a bank and
sunk. about a month ago. She lies almost |
totally submerged at the east bank
about 80 miles below Vicksburg. This
boat is the second one of this Southern |
Transportation line, which has sunk |
within the last 4 months The other
one is the Belle of Shreveport" the
wreck of which lies about 265 miles
above Vicksburg. Six miles above the
wreck of the Springer" is seen ex-
President Zachary Taylor's plantation,
with the little frame church he built
upon it near the river, many years ago.
Another point of interest which we
viewed while passing on yesterday, is
Fort Pillow, where the terrible massacre
of colored troops, by the Rebel Forests
command, took place during the war.
The bluffs on which the batteries were
located, have for the most part caved in
to ruins. The fort is 175 miles below
Cairo, on the Tennessee side.
The celebrated Island No. 10, SO miles
below Cairo, next attracted attention on
account of its history, m .de during the
early part of The war. 1t, like Fort Pill
low, is fast being washed away by the
action of the current.
About 40 miles above this point, Co.
lumbus, KY, comes in view, and direct+
ly on the opposite side of the river, Bel
mont, Mo-, is seen, place noted during
tie war, and is now still more so Oh &C
count of its being the place where Gen
Grant fought his first battle-and who
is now fighting his last enemy--Death
and the Nation mourns.
Tweut; miles above Belmont, we come
10 the mouth of our own beautiful Ohio,
which We are now entering, and where
we leave the broad Mississippi, witlSits
mysterious current, to flow on from
Dakato to the sea, carrying with it the
waters of the Ohio and its
multitude of other tributaries.
AS we near our home, and get farther
away from the scenes that have sur
rounded US, and to a large extent en-
crossed our attention the last few
months, our thoughts begin to cluster
more around old st. Clairsville, where
we have lived the last quarter of cen
tury. We think of the grand country
around 1.-THE beautiful nils and val
leys-its fields and forests and rippling
rills, and exquisite shady hooks, where
we, in pleasant summer time. have spent
many happy hour. Think of the many
changes we may find have taken place,
even during our brief absence, not the
least of which, perhaps, will be the
change in appearance around the