EARLY SUPPRESSION OF WATERWAYS

May 31. Editorial correspondence alleges that the Hannibal and St. Joseph company has adopted a policy to suppress steamboat traffic above Leavenworth, except that under its own control. The company had virtually guaranteed boats running between St. Joseph and Omaha against loss.

OVERLAND MAIL

June 3. Notes a decision by the attorney-general of the United States that the Butterfield contract cannot be abrogated or changed, and urges against suspension that the first mail which left St. Louis for California on February 16, 1858, carried fifty letters, and that which left June 2 carried 1740 letters. The mail which arrived on May 31, brought 1987 letters. The first arrival of the line from the west was on October 9, 1858. The number sent from Memphis and towns on the route probably equal those from St. Louis. The mail has failed to arrive on contract time but twice. For the last two months the time has been twenty-three days, about 100 miles a day.

DOUGLAS IN THE SOUTH

Quotes the Mobile Register of May 29, which prints the declaration of Clay in the senate committee report of May 8, 1850, that Congress should refrain from legislating on slavery in the territories, leaving the question to the people, that the repeal of the Missouri compromise gave this doctrine full scope, that on a test vote in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Mississippi it was approved. On this issue Howell Cobb, Union Compromise candidate for governor, carried Georgia by about 20,000 majority.

PIKE'S PEAK

June 14. Quotes from an extra of the Leavenworth Daily Times booming the gold fields and particularly new discoveries on Clear Creek.

June 15. Denver correspondence of June 3 declared that Denver had been almost deserted for the Gregory district, only 300 people left in Denver.

HANNIBAL AND ST. JOSEPH RAILROAD

June 19. Now completed and thronged with passengers. This road is already the great thoroughfare of travel "in the direction of Omaha, Nebraska [City], Atchison, Leavenworth, Upper Missouri, the mines, Utah, California and Oregon, except by those who wish to take it leisurely by the river, the time between Hannibal and St. Joseph being but twelve hours, and seventeen hours the whole distance to St. Louis. . . ."

June 23. Prints a manifesto dated "Gregory's Diggings, near Clear Creek, in the Rocky Mountains, June 9th, 1859," and signed by Horace Greeley, A. D. Richardson, and Henry Villard. It set forth the richness of the field but warned against an indiscriminate rush there.

THE Omaha

July 11. Quotes the St. Joseph Journal's story of the late trip of the "great steamer Omaha." She took another up the Big Sioux River as far as Little Sioux City, where upwards of 3000 sacks of corn were taken on. From points above Omaha 5000 sacks were procured, 2000 for Leavenworth and the rest for St. Louis. This was the largest shipment of corn ever made from that upper country. The Omaha had to back down the Big Sioux, the channel being too narrow for turning. In the Pawnee attack on Fontanelle no less than sixteen houses were completely pillaged.

MAIL TO PIKE'S PEAK

July 16. A letter from the mines by Henry Allen to the Council Bluffs Bugle wants to know if the "Leavenworth and Pike's Peak Express" hasn't a contract for carrying U. S. mail at regular rates, though at Leaven

worth all letters are taken out of the wrappers and stamped with the company's name at a cost of twentyfive cents for each letter.

UPPER MISSOURI STEAMBOATING

July 17. The Florence left St. Louis June 4 with freights for various places and about 280 recruits for Fort Randall. She reached Sioux City (1030 miles) in seven days and 21 hours; Fort Randall (1300 miles) in ten days 16 hours; Fort Pierre (1600 miles) in thirteen days 18 hours. Here she overtook Chouteau's Spread Eagle and Chippewa which started seven or eight days in advance. The Florence arrived at the mouth of the Yellowstone in twenty-three days, the best time ever made.

July 26. Copies from the St. Joseph Journal an account of the battle [?] of Battle Creek. It says the soldiers, about 330 strong, made three charges on the Pawnee, who were about 1000 strong, "before the savages surrendered." A number of the Indians were killed and wounded. "Major West, U. S. Marshal," tells of mighty deeds of valor. He was sure that he himself killed two Indians. He chased on horseback a gigantic savage a hundred yards, killing him with four balls from his revolver", 72

72 These are the short and simple annals:

"At two o'clock on the morning of the 12th we took up our line of march and came up with the Pawnees a little after the break of day, when at once they threw down their arms and surrendered."-Report of the expedition by General John M. Thayer, its commander, House Journal of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Nebraska, Sixth session, page 267.