Year: 1873

lhe 1unny man of the Danbury News
has gone on a journey west, and here is


his description of the Father of Waters
and steamboating thereon: at


AT Quincy | got my first view of the
Mississippi river. Ibelieve there is not an
American but has some sort of an idea
what the Mississippi river looks like, and
mas vague impression that some time or
other before he dies he will be permitted
to see it: The Mssissippi-what word
1t is to chew inks an institution by IL
self. 1t is full of associations. both tragi-
cal and comic, and it is also full of mud
1t is full of bars and has a narrow and un-
certain channel. These are matters we all
hear at school and see repeated in the pa
pers, but we don't realize them until we
get on the river itself.


Ihe steamboats, are flat bottomed, and
many of them carry the wheel at the stern
thlnk 1t is the stern. 1t is that part OF
the boat where, If it was a house, the slops
would be thrown. The wheel is cumber-
some looking article, and to casual OBJ
server the boat appears to have Just
climbed over it. would give you pie
ture of the two were | not engaged in
painting view of the Rocky mountains
at sunrise. 5


The river Is much broader at this point
than expected to see it, but we cannot
always have things our own way in this
world. The channel is about three feet
deep opposite this place; don't know the
exact width of the river, but there is no
doubt that the water is as thick rs it is
broad. The traveller should turn it over
with his foot and SO look at both sides of it.
All was hustle at the dock when got
there. The boat was taking OH its freight,
and about thirty lively negroes and one
very excited and awfuly profane white man
were doing the business. That white man
was study. He was the mate Of the YES
| sci and what he didn know could be held
upon the point of q knife blade by Il ner-
vous man. The thirty negroes had all
they could well attend to to keep up with
his new oaths, and roll on the casks.
Without any cessation they bobbed from
the boat to the shore, and from the shore
back to the boat, and all the while that
Mississippi elocutionist danced around and
| swore. When got on board the boat
sat down on my baggage and watched that
| man.


Being resident OF New England |
thought knew something Of wickedness.
but was mistaken. The negroes were
uniformly dressed in pants, shirt and hat.
Some of the hats were ornamented with
different eolored ribbons others again con-
tanned but simple brass plate--the trade
mark of a retired fruit can. Beauty una
dorned is adorned the most. They were
driven like sheep. first to the shore then
back to the boat The least hesitation.
the slightest misstep, was noted by the or
ator and promptly Incorporated into his
| discourse. He couldn't have been more
familiar were they his own fathers, which
is not likely they were


After getting through at the dock the
boat moved up to the coal yard. The coal
was brought on board in boxes with han
dies at each end. Each box contained
two and half bushels. and was carried
by two men. Six hundred bushels were
thus taken on The same amount Of bus
tie and vehemence occurred in this tran
saction. The men sweat like April and
appeared to be ready to drop ut every trip
Ddt the mate hurled tonics at them and
kept them up. When his throat got tired
he used his boot, and used it inthat whole
soled way peculiar to the Mississippi boat
men.


The negroes receive 81 dav and their
victuals. | should think they would go to
some city and get into Il store


Through the courtesy of the Clerk
helped to occupy the pilot house. and in
this lofty perch got splendid view of the
river and the cinders. The shores are fiat
and covered with forests. When grew
tired of looking at them looked at the pi.
lot. There was boat ahead OF us which
the Captain was bound to overtake The
pilot didn t believe it could be done, he
cause the boilors on our boat were old and
weak, and could not possibly stand the
pressure. This made me sick ut the stom-
ach, and so l climbed down out of the
pilot house, and Immediately placed be-
tween me and those boilers an the terri
tory could get together


Shortly we came to a cleared place on
the west shore, in the middle of which
stood single house, the last survivor OF
Marion City. 1t WAS the groundwork iur
4 city, and never did u city look fairer on
paper. People came there and built pla-
ces, and soon after the water in the river
oyerilowed that point and the inhabitants


got up and busted. No, not busted, eX-
actly; but they got by. They said they


We're mt naturally advocates of irrigation.


Only this house speak ofnow stands to


mark the ruins of the city. Where the


former inhabitants now are | cannot tell.


have not sworn to keep their wherea-


bouts n secret, bnt it is understood, OF


course, that am not to speak of it, and
and with gentleman this is sufficient
But not with lady.


There was no dork at Hannibal. There
are very few docks along the Mississippi.
! The boats are so constructed as to run
close up to the shore. and even upon the
shore. and over fence, if necessary.
This hardly seems probable. and perhaps
il isn't