RUNNING WATEKS 



163 



The cloudiness of the Missouri is the natural 

 result of its draining the alkaline plains ; but 

 the turbid condition of many large rivers can 

 be traced directly to civilization, the axe, and 

 the plough. 



In its normal condition, and as it appeared 

 thirty years ago, the sun never shone on a more 

 beautiful river than the Upper Mississippi. 

 Then the tall bluffs along the stream were cov- 

 ered with timber, the bottom-lands were a mass 

 of tropical undergrowth out of which rose ma- 

 jestic elms, oaks, maples, and sycamores ; the 

 river itself was clear and wound its bright way 

 over sand-bars and by many little islands. 

 There were no railways stretching along the 

 shores, and the small towns that stood by 

 the river's banks had hardly made an impres- 

 sion upon the wilderness. All was quite as wild 

 and primeval as one could wish, and every 

 traveller standing on the deck of the river 

 steamer, as he ascended that stream felt the 

 freshness of the air, the brightness of the light, 

 the unmarred, the unbroken beauty of forest, 

 bluff, and shining water. A beautiful river it 

 was, and never more impressive than at night 

 in storm when the pilot at the wheel was find- 

 ing the channel- way by lightning flashes, and 



