The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-11-26

s1eeiai ConopoAdsse. crAs IlisIi0aler.
KANSAS CRY, No., Now 2l.-My last
letter 70 the IsrELLrGEScER was, be.
Iieye. written from Tarrytown, n. Y, In
the early summer, when the rosss OF June
were In full bloom on the banks Of the
Hudson, Bhiis this one is written amid
the sere and yellow leaves OF autumn on
the far away banks OF the Missouri.
There is some difference in the
scenes and the scenery that surrounded
me then as compared With those that
confront me now. The Missouri river
IL not tho Hudson BY large majority.
In no respect docs it resemble it,
neither in length, breadth or thickness,
20 10 speak. That IL TO say, that while
the Hudson is u short. broad and deep
river, and whilo II flows through pic.
turesquo aud romantic highlands aud
iowfanis, and is studded from its
source to the sea with cities and
towns, and dense rural population,
the Missouri Is quite the reverse OF
all this, In almost every particular.
II Is a very long river, tho longest in
the land, measuring nearly three thou
sand miles, but not, US q rule, very
wide. nor yet a deep one. Some peo-
pie might call its scenery picturesque,
but have never heard Of anyone call
ing 1t romantic. 1t 10, as its name i'm.
plies, u muddy river, and carries more
loan and silt TO the Gull OF Mexico than
all the tributaries OF the Mississippi
combined. Once 1t had large com
merce blowing its murky waters, al
though 1t was always a treacherous
and dangerous stream, but now, prac-
tically, II has no commerce, 1t Is de-
serted river. The railroads have killed
It deader than tho Ohio by far So far
as can see It has no future, except as
drainage canal for, the vast area OF
streams and streamlets that flow into it
from the Rocky Mountains to St. Louis.
Coming up here from the latter place
some days ago, on the Missouri Pacific
railroad, / skirted yalong its banks for
many miles, and I could not but con-
trast It's deserted and dreary appearance
with the animated scene it presented
when as young fellow | first saw 1t at
exactly the same time Of year, in the
fall OF 1855. There were no railroads in
those days in the state OF Missouri,
save the one on which lately travelled,
aud it had only just been opened to
Jefferson City, the capital OF the state, q
distance OF 1875 miles. Hence all this
upper country, on both sides, of the
river, was reached by innumerable
boats. AS many ms seven hundred OF
them had discharged carsoes in one
year at this point, aud this point
at that time was q mere landing place
for the town OF Westport, farther back
from the river, which was an Quitting
point for the overland trade to Santa Fe
and other points in the far west. In
deed, up to about 1858 Kansas City, as
such, did not exist. It was known as
Westport landing, and remember dis
tinctiy hearing that name called as late
as 1856, when l was a passenger for st.
Joe on the steamer +. X. Aubrey, COM
handed by captain whom l recall as
the brother OF Mrs. Judge Jackson, OF
West Virginia. 1suppose II had stop
ped of on that voyage and gone to work
on paper, as l did the next year on
the INTELIIGENcER at Wheeling, l might
have stood an even chance for the fate
OF the Parkville Lumiuary, a journal
that had Just been emptied into the
Missouri river. by pro-slavery mob q
short time previous to my arrival. 1t
was part OF my errand at that time to
spy out a good location, but presume,
as Theoretical Presbyterian, that It was
down Ia the book OF fate for me to drift
back to Wheeling, after six months OF
exploration on horseback through this
country, aud perform my appointed
role. There was m editor here in those
days who is still here, aud whose expe-
rience as Republican pioneer on the
banks OF the Missouri Is somewhat anal
agous TO my own on the banks OF the
Ohio l refer to Col. Van Horn, OF
tho journal, late candidate for Congress
on the Republican ticket, and porhaps
the most influential man in this region.
MANY CHANGES.
Many changes nave occurred here aud
hereabouts, physical, political and social,
since the days speak Of. They do not,
for instance, throw Republican papers
into the river any more. The border
ruffilns OF those days have pretty much
all gone to their account. The voices OF
David R. Atchnson and Ben String
fellow, the great inciters OF pro.slavery
deyilment OF all sorts along this border
at that time, have long since boon
hushed. Their plot to make Kansas
slave state, which was in full blast in
those days, came to naught, and now
the "divine institution" itself, as they
called 1t, persisted utterly in the great
strife which they did so much 10 In
augurate. Looking backward" as
Bsllamy would say, to all that has hap
pened, can any ono wholly decline to
believe with Victor Hugo lin his nc.
count OF tho battle OF Watorloo) that
Providence at last arose in His wrath
and took hand in the struggle.
might devote considerable space in
this letter to "reminiscences OF my ak
months horseback journey through the
wilderness, from the month of October,
1866. TO tho month OF April, 1856. For
instance, somo one was speaking to Inc
the other day OF place called Liberty.
fifteen miles from here, across the river,
in Clay county, ana Mt once ! rcmem.
bored being there during the long strug-
gle OF 800. to elect General Banks
speaker at Washington, and hearing q
man in DOCTORS Office say that he
wished God Almighty would strike
than man Giddings dead" meaning old
Josh" Giddings, the "pornicious and
pertiuacious abolitionist," who so long
represented the Ashtabula district in
Congress, and who was tho reddest Of
oil red rags 10 the southern eve in those
days. Then, somebody else speaking
OF Paris, tho county seat OF Monroe
county. recalled that it was there that
had first seen slave auction. l 70.
membered particularly that the sale