large/8011/letterstohischildren_1510_librivox_64kb_mp3/letterstohischildren_49_roosevelt_64kb_30
large/8011/letterstohischildren_1510_librivox_64kb_mp3/letterstohischildren_49_roosevelt_64kb
English
8011
I think of it all as I pass down the river. October 4. . . . We are steaming down the river now between Tennessee and Arkansas. I THINK OF IT ALL AS I PASS DOWN THE RIVER OCTOBER FOURTH WE ARE STEAMING DOWN THE RIVER NOW BETWEEN TENNESSEE AND ARKANSAS
passing up or down the river or one of its branches in an Indian canoe; then the first faint changes, the building of one or two little French fur traders' hamlets, the passing of one or two British officers' boats, and the very rare appearance of the uncouth American backwoodsman. Then the change came with a rush. Our settlers reached the head-waters of the Ohio, and flatboats and keel-boats began to go down to the mouth of the Mississippi, and the Indians and the game they followed began their last great march to the west. For ages they had marched back and forth, but from this march there was never to be a return. Then the day of steamboat traffic began, and the growth of the first American cities and states along the river with their strength and their squalor and their raw pride. Then this mighty steamboat traffic passed its zenith and collapsed, and for a generation the river towns have dwindled compared with the towns which took their importance from the growth of the railroads. H CANADIAN EXPLORER PASSING UP OR DOWN THE RIVER OR ONE OF ITS BRANCHES IN AN INDIAN CANOE THEN THE FIRST FAINT CHANGES THE BUILDING OF ONE OR TWO LITTLE FRENCH FUR TRADERS HAMLETS THE PASSING OF ONE OR TWO BRITISH OFFICERS BOATS AND THE VERY RARE APPEARANCE OF THE UNCOUTH AMERICAN BACKWOODSMAN THEN THE CHANGE CAME WITH A RUSH OUR SETTLERS REACHED THE HEADWATERS OF THE OHIO AND FLATBOATS AND KEEL BOATS BEGAN TO GO DOWN TO THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI AND THE INDIANS IN THE GAME THEY FOLLOWED BEGAN THEIR LAST GREAT MARCH TO THE WEST FOR AGES THEY HAD MARCHED BACK AND FORTH BUT FROM THIS MARCH THERE WAS NEVER TO BE A RETURN THEN THE DAY OF STEAMBOAT TRAFFIC BEGAN AND THE GROWTH OF THE FIRST AMERICAN CITIES AND STATES ALONG THE RIVER WITH THEIR STRENGTH AND THEIR SQUALOR AND THEIR RAW PRIDE THEN THIS MIGHTY STEAMBOAT TRAFFIC PASSED AT ZENITH AND COLLAPSED AND FOR A GENERATION THE RIVER TOWNS HAVE DWINDLED COMPARED WITH THE TOWNS WHICH TOOK THEIR IMPORTANCE FROM THE GROWTH OF THE RAILROADS
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