Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1890-03-21
EASTERN VS.. WESTERN SHORE.
A Picture of wild Nature on the Missis-
sippi From the Pen of Oh ateaubriand.

Francois Auguste de Chateaubriand, q
distinguished French writer, born 1863, died
1913, visited the United States at the age Of
twenty-five, and from the primeval forests
ofthe South was drawn the inspiration Of
some of his most romantic works. His
"Atala" (lSUlJ, Genius of Christianity"
QS02), "The Martyrs" $500, and Journey
from Paris to Jerusalem" Qs1l), are the
most valuable of his voluminous works.
His style is highly poetical, and his descrip-
tons of natural scenery are eminently fine.
Following is an excerpt from one of his
works:
France formerly possessed in North
America vast empire, extending from
Labrador to the Floridas, and from the
shores of the Atlantic to the most distant
lakes upper Canada. Four great rivers,
deriving their sources from the same noun
tains, divided these immense regions the
river st. Lawrence, which is lost to the east
in the gulf of that name; the Western river,
whose waters flow on to seas then UNI
known; the river Bourbon. which runs
from south to north into Hudson bay; and
the Mississippi, whose waters fall from
north to south into the Gulf OF Mexico.
The last-named river, in its course of more
than thousand leagues, waters a delicious
country called by the inhabitants of
the United States the New Eden, TO
W
appellation of Louisiana. A thousand other
rivers tributaries of the Mississippi, the
Missouri river, the Illinois, the Arkansas,
the Wabache, the Tennessee enrich it with
their waters. When all these rivers have
been swollen by the deluges of winter, up
rooted trees, forming large portions of for
ests torn down by the tempests, crowd about
their sources. In short time the mud ce-
ments the torn tree together, and they become
Unclaimed by creepers which, taking root in
every direction, bind and consolidate tho
debris. Carried away by the ioaming
which, taking possession OF them. hurries
them down toward the Gulf of Mex
leo. throws them upon sand banks,
and so increases the number of its
mouths. AT intervals the swollen
river raises its voice whilst passing over the
resisting heaps, and spreads its OVERLOOKING
waters around the colonnades of the for
ests, and the pyramids of the Indian tombs;
and so the Mississippi is tho Nile of these
deserts. But grace is always united to
splendor in scenes of nature; while the
midstream bears away toward the sea tho
dead trunks of pine trees and oaks tho
lateral currents on either side convey along
the shores floating islands of pistias and
nenuphars, whose yellow rose stand out
like little pavilions. Green serpents, blue
herons, pink fiamingoes, and baby croco-
diles embark as passengers on these RATS of
flowers; and the brilliant colony unfolding
to the wind its golden sails, glides along
slumberingly till it arrives at some retired
creek in the river.
The two shores of the Mississippi present
the most extraordinary picture On the
western border vast savannahs spread away
farther than the eye can reach. and their
waves of verdure, as they recede, appear to
rise gradually into the azure eky. where
they fade away. In these limitless meadows
herds of three or four thousand wild buffa-
loes wander at random. Sometimes cleav.
ing the waters as it swims, a bison, laden
with years, comes to repose among the high
grass on an island of the Mississippi its
forehead ornamented with two crescents
and its ancient and Shiny beard giving II
the appearance of god of the river throw
ing all eye of satisfaction upon the grandeur
of its waters and the wild abundance of its
shores.
such is the scene upon the western border
but it changes on the opposite side which
forms an admirable contrast with the other
shore. Suspended along the course of the
the mountains, and dispersed in the valleys,
trees of every form, of every color, and OF
every perfume, throng and grow to-
gether, stretching up into the air
TO heights that weary the eye
to follow. Wild vines, bignonias, colo
of these trees, escalade their trunks and
creep along the extremity OF their
branches stretching from the maple to the
tulip tree, from the tulip tree to the holly
hook, and thus forming thousands OF grot-
toes. arches and porticoes. Often. in their
wanderings from trees these creepers cross
the arm OF a river, over which they throw a
bridge of flowers. Out of the midst of these
masses the magnolias, raising their mo-
tionless cone, surmounted by large white
buds, command all the forest where it has
no other rival than the palm tree which
gently waves, close by. its fans of verdure.
multitude of animals placed in these
retreats by the hand of the Creator, spread
about life and enchantment. From the ex-
tremities OF the avenues may be seen bears.
intoxicated with the grape, staggering upon
the branches of the elm trees caribous
battle in the lake; black squirrels play
among the thick foliage; knocking birds
and Virginian pigeons not bigger than
sparrows fly down upon the turf redeemed
with Strawberries; green parrots with yell
low heads, purple woodpeckers, cardinals
red as fire Chamber up to the very tops of
the cypress trees; humming birds sparkle
upon the jessanIine of the Floridas, ARD
bird-catching serpents hiss while suspended
to the dome OF the woods, where they
swing about like the creepers themselves.
If all is silence and repose in the sayan-
nahs on the other side OF the river. all here
on the contrary, is sound and motion
peckings against the trunks of the oaks |
irictions OF animals walking along as they
nibble or crush between their teeth the |
stones of fruits, the roaring of the waves
plaintive cries, dull bellowings and mild |
cooings fill these deserts with tender vet
wild harmony. But when breeze happens
to animate these solitudes, to swing these
floating bodies. to contound these masses of |
white, blue. green and pink, to mix all the |
colors and to combine all the murmurs, |
there issue such sounds from the depths OF |
the forests, and such things pass before the |
eyes, that | should in vain endeavor to |
describe them to those who have never |
visited these primitive fields of nature.
General Passenger Agent Kenyon, OF the
Burlington, the line coursng the eastern |
shore of the Mississippi, says this accounts
for the high living in the Burlington dining
cars. They discover big fat bear roaring
drunk from eating too many of those juicy
grapes and the dining car conductor takes
a club and kills him. In the meantime,
the walters are out picking Strawberries and
swiping fat birds and other things, while
all is as barren and silent as a church yard
on the other side of the river.
The Slaughter of the Birds,