342 LIFE ON THM MISSISSIPPI.
several directions, through rich agricultural regions, and has a pixy
mising future of prosperity and importance.
Apparently, nearly all the river towns, big and little, have made
up their minds that they must look mainly to railroads for wealth
and upbuilding, henceforth. They are acting upon this idea. The
signs are, that the next twenty years will bring about some note-
worthy changes in the Valley, in the direction of increased popula-
tion and wealth, and in the intellectual advancement and the liberal-
ising of opinion which go naturally with these. And yet, if one may
judge by the past, the river towns will manage to find and use a
chance, here and there, to cripple and retard their progress. They
kept themselves back in the days of steamboating supremacy, by a
system of wharfage-dues so stupidly graded as to prohibit what may
be called small retail traffic in freights and passengers. Boats were
charged such heavy wharfage that they could not afford to land
for one or two passengers or a light lot of freight. Instead of
encouraging the bringing of trade to their doors, the towns diligently
and effectively discouraged it. They could have had many boats and
low rates 5 but their policy rendered few boats and high rates com-
pulsory. It was a policy which extended—and extends—from New
Orleans to St. Paul.
We had a strong desire to make a trip up the Yazoo and the Sun-
flower—an interesting region at any time, but additionally interesting
at this time, because up there the great inundation was still to be
seen in force—but we were nearly sure to have to wait a day or more
for a New Orleans boat on our return; so we were obliged to give up
the project.
Here is a story which I picked up on board the boat that night.
I Insert it in this place merely because it is a good story, not because
it Belongs here—for it doesn't. It was told by a passenger—a college
paxjfeesor—and was called to the surface in the course of a general
conversation which began with talk about horses, drifted into talk
about astronomy, then into fol.V about the lynching of the gamblers
in T"iefcsburg half a century ago, then into talk about dreams and
sopearstitions; and ended, after midnight, in a dispute over free trade