The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1920-01-02
(Josrpn B'rNLita uisIsoP

river. At placca the channel being
rarely wide enough for the a TO
20 through. though TO my ineNptrt-
onccd eyes the whole river looks like
a channel. The bottom lands. Illinois
on one side aud Missouri on the Other
are sometimes overgrown with Tor
ests and sometimes great. rich corn
fields. with here and there n house,
here and there VII -, and now ana
then a little town. At evc<y such
place all the people Of the neighbor-
hood have gathered to greet me. The
waterfront Of the towns would be
filled with a dense packed mass OF
men, women and children. waving
flags. The little villages have not
only their " population, but also
their warona with their wives and
children from "a dozen miles back
just such farmers as came 10 see you
and the cavalry on your march
through Iowa last summer.
Il L. my first trip on the Mississippi.
and ] am greatly interested IN II.
How wonderful In ita rapidly OF
movement has been the history OF nj
country, compared with the history
Of the old world. For untold ages
this river had been flowing through
the lonely continent, not very greatly
changed since The close OF the Pieito-
Gene. During all these myrlads OF
years the prairie and the forest came
down to It's banks. Tho immense
herds OF the bumaio and the elk wan
dered along them season after sea-
son, and the Indian hunters on foot
or In cnnOcs trudgcd along the banks
or skinned the water. Probably n
thousand years saw no change that
would have been noticeable 70 our
eyes. Then three centuries age be-
gan the work OF change. Fol n
century is effects were not percepti-
hlc. Just nothing but an occasional
French fleet or wild, hulf-savage
Frsnch-Canadian explorer passing up
or down the river or n % It's branch
es In an Indian Canoei then the first
faint changes. the building OF n or
two little French fur traders ham
lets. the passing Of n or W Brit
ish officers boats. and the very raro
appearance OF the uncOuth American
hackwoodsman.
Then the change came with a rush.
our settlers reached the hoad-waters
Of the Ohio. aud flatboats and keel
boats began to go down to the mouth
OF the Mississippi, and h Indians
and the game they followed began
their last great march TO the west
For ages they had marched back and
] forth. u from this march there
was never to be a return. Then the
day Of steamboat ranic began, ana
the growth OF the first American cit
les and states along the river with
their strength u their squalor and
their raw pride. Then this mighty
steamboat ratio passed It's zenith
and collapsed. and FOR a generation
the river towns have dwindlcd COM
pared with the town which TOOK
their importance from the growth OF
the railroads. ! think OF II an as
I pass down the river.
MaHH#E
the river now between Tennessee and
Arkansas. The forest comes down n
little closer to the bank; the houses
do not look quite so well Kept, other
wise there = not much change. There
are n dozen steamers accompanying
US. filled with delegates from various
river cities. The people are ell out on
the banks 90 greet us atill. More
over. az night. no matter What we
hour IL that We pass a town, u %
generally Illuminated. and sometimes
whistles and noisy greetings. while
our steamboats, whistle In equally
noisy response. 50 that our s'eep u
apt 20 he broken. seventeen Cover
nors OF different states are along, IN
a boat bv themselves. I have seer
= good deal OF them. however, and
Il has been Of real use 20 me- e.
peclaItv as regards two or three prob
lens that are up. Al 81. Louis there
WAS an enormous multitude OF ptopl'
out to see us. The processio- was ~
drcnching rain, IN when stout
h~arehonded, smiling nuuhl ana WuN
ing my drowned hat TO those hardy
members Of the crowd who declined
10 70 to shelter. AZ Cairo wa
also greeted with great enthusiasm
and I was Interested to find that there
was stiil extreme bitterness felt owe
Dickens description OF the town an,
Tho poople In Martin Chuzzlewlt
siNty-iNc a ago.
gvo n. ContInuedl