Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1821-03-20
FOR THE SPECTATOR
SITES FOR VILLAGES.

SITES FOR VILLAGES.
In the infancy OF every state, but more
particularly III ours, the subject of vii
lage sites occupies more time, creates
more priv ate contentious, and SACRIFICES
more public prosperity, than most Other
measures OF local disturbance combined
a few spectators have tract surveyed
and divided into lots--Call the place a
town-puilingiy advertise public sale
sell part to Inferior e-hullders-giVt
part to neighboring builders of log
honseS--get pedllng merchant and cob
Ter TO inhabit lhem-and the village is
completed. Ba; TO enhance its value
still more, 1t must be made a county
seat; and deceptive petition to the le-
glslature IS therefore frequently circu-
lated Tor some division or mangling of
the county, necessary to forward this
object. Within eight or ten miles ano-
thor farce OF the kind has probably been
acted, and petition to suit this party
Is therefore framed. Or perhaps some
intermediate men, not sufficiently inter-
ested for either to go to any extreme in
favo~ OF their nominal villages; an !, dis
gustcd with tie violent forcing measures
OF specializing party, rise up in then
might, and appeal for their own right to
be heard. Here Immediately iraitlul
field Tor waste Of time and the Drawings
of contention is opened, where public
utility is almost always sacrificed OH the
shrine Of private interest. The most III
uisuing party generally succeeds. The
ideal importance OF a seat of justice
(Which, however, species of idioical
frenzy magniiies into atemporary reality
is thus obtalned for spot which has no
thing but the name 10 recommend it,
The original spectators get rich-the
second or third orders are ruined--the
poorer matcrialsleave the place-and this
is the usual history villages. 1t is for
the sake OF directing the public atten-
ton more dispassionately to this subject
| that the following crude reflections are
offered.
LOCAL ADVANTAGES.
Health is the first and greatest object.
The situation should be high, dry, and
| airy. We all know that oui rich yege-
table soil (like any other fermentable
materially requires certain quantity OF
moisture, las well as to be acted On by Ger
tain degree OF neat, in order 10 produce
the seeds OF disease; and that calm
state of the atmosphere is favorable to
gcnel alton and propagation. Blu. that
the more they are dffused, the less poi
sonous they become by diurion with pure
air; and that this weakening OF injection
is particularly observable in an upward
direction. Thus, they who reside and
sleep in the second story of their dwell
lings, are, in the proportion OF one to
four, less liable to be attacked by fcvers
Of the intermittent or remttent kind.
During the dreadful ravases Of the
plague at Aleppo in 1862, DR. Russell
held communication with his patients
while stationed at window, fifteen feet
above the ground, with perfect impunity.
In the cities, when the yellow fever
prevails, the most elevated, dry, and
airy situations, are generally exempt
from that alarming disease. Knowing
these facts then, the high sounding theo-
ries of the Doctors cannot the more en-
tighten our judgement.
| The situation, therefore, should be
dry, NOT generate-should be high to
dilute, and airy to diSSihate the floating
particles of disease.
But observation has already shown that
! dry airy eminences are in this state the
most healthy; Tor the proportion ofper-
sons at such places affected with the dis
eases of the country is considerably less,
when comparison is made with those
who inhabit low bottom land. To this,
however, there is very considerable
exception. An eminence on the north
east or east side Of creek, pond, or
creek bottom--the usual sources Of dis