Missouri Botanical 

 Garden Bulletin 



Vol. IX St. Louis, Mo., April, 1921 No. 4 



EXTRACTS FROM MR. SHAW'S DIARY 



Mr. Shaw, in all of his business dealings, was evidently 

 unusually painstaking and systematic, keeping a most elab- 

 orate set of books and saving every receipt or other bit of 

 paper which in any way might have a bearing on any of his 

 transactions. In addition, particularly while traveling, he 

 kept a careful diary winch is full of most interesting com- 

 ments concerning his journey. The only diary pertaining to 

 travel in this country seems to be one taken in July, 1810, 

 when he started from St. Louis to Rochester, New York, pre- 

 liminary to his tirst trip abroad the latter part of that year. 

 While not of much historical importance, it seems worth while 

 that Mr. Shaw's comments on conditions in this country eighty 

 years ago should be preserved, and the following extracts from 

 his diary, in so far as it refers to travel in this country, are 

 hereto appended. It is interesting to note that even at this 

 early period Mr. Shaw had a keen eye for the beauties of 

 nature and that he "much admired the house and gardens of 

 a Scotch gentleman." 



The spelling, capitalization, and punctuation are given ex- 

 actly as written by Mr. Shaw. 



"JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE FROM ST. LOUIS 

 TO — 1840 



"July 11. After a preparatory arrangement of my affairs 

 for an absence of 18 or 20 months this day took passage on 

 Steamer Fayette for Peru the highest navigable point on the 

 Illinois River and about three hundred miles from St. Louis 

 — was much disappointed in the appearance of the towns and 

 settlements on the Illinois some of which appear rather now 

 going to decay than advancing in prosperity. 



"July 13th. Landed at Peru and immediately got extra 

 stage coaches to carry us to Chicago a distance of one hun- 

 dred miles — we were eighteen passengers in all nine in each 

 stage and being fine weather had a most agreeable ride across 

 the prairies which at this season are covered with verdure 

 and of vast extent — passed or forded Fox river and afterward 

 the Des Plaines both tributaries of the Illinois — the road is 



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