RIVER LIFE. 219 



and vanity of worldly possessions more deeply realized, and that 

 this singularly appropriate antidote to a bold and Heaven-daring 

 intemperance may dilute, if not wash it entirely away. 

 " Very truly, your friend and brother, 



" John West. 



M Bangor, Maine, March 30, 1849." 



The editor of the Bangor Courier, in some cheerful remarks 

 upon the incidents of the event, observes : 



"We could not bring ourselves to believe that the market- 

 house, in which we had our office, would be removed. We were 

 induced to move our materials at the earnest solicitation of friends, 

 and under their strong advice. We felt all the while as though 

 the alarm would soon be over, and labor resumed in the old prem- 

 ises, and therefore a clumsy article here and another there were 

 left, until the value of the aggregate was about two hundred dol- 

 lars, the removal of which we thought we had wisely avoided. 

 The market moved off majestically, but with gentle dalliance, 

 until it plunged forward from the bridge into the fast receding 

 current of the stream, when it righted with a ship-like propriety, 

 bearing aloft a beautiful flag-stafF — emblem of Liberty, erected in 

 honor of Henry Clay, the beloved and whole-hearted patriot and 

 orator, v/ho in private station receives the highest attentions ami 

 sincerest regards of the American people — and sped its way on- 

 ward to the ocean, until happily bethinking how many little ar- 

 ticles it contained which would be so missed and mourned, that 



it settled down with a determination to proceed no further. We. 

 visited the wreck in the evening, and, fearing it mighl prove our 



last, we h<»re away several pamphlets and documents as pri 

 At an early hour yesterday morning we |»aid it another visit, 

 when, in Company with OUr office hands, and the kind help and 



timely suggestion! of personal friends and a few strangers, we 

 Buoceeded in securing every article of value. There happened to 



