Iowa news. [volume] (Dubuque, Upper Mississippi Lead Mines, Wisconsin Territory) 1837-1841, 1837-07-01

ence and industry VIII one DAY develope. The
mineral riches Of Wisconsin, although much
extolled, are but very imperfectly known. Ma
ny are under the erroneous impression, tina.
lead ore il formed in the crevices Of the rocks
near the surface Of the earth, which, in numer-
Gus instances, has induced 4hem, when the
bodies Of ore near the surface have been ex-
hausted. to seek no further, and to abandon
their s'diggings." We intend. when leisure
permits, to notice this report more particular
~, a. the subject upon which it treats is one
Of such general interest to so many Of our rea-
-ders in this Territory.
We extract the following paragraph from a
long communication, published in the Phila-
delphia Ledger, under the head of "Letters
from the West" purporting to be one of a
series of the same nature:---
awe advise the emigrant who is about to
leave St. Louis for the interior, to go first to
the general intelligence Office, where great bar
gains are frequently found, and to read the
newspapers of the city attentively, but let no
advertisement tempt you into the mines of Wis
cousin, nor into the wide spreading prairies of
Illinois, unless your capital is heavy, then go
whore you please, but take care. The mining
business 10 uncertain in many respects, and
the prairies Of Illinois, though rich and beau
tiful tolook at, are extremely inconvenient, on
account Of the scarcity of wood and water.---
Missouri 10 far preferable to man Of small ca
pital, the prairies and woodland are generally
small, and water abundant"
We are inclined to believe that the writer
was ssstaiaded by selfinterest, that he could
not look over the face of the country with an
impartial eye, hence he is very lily calculated
to give advice to the emigrant. 1t is we'll
known to any one who has the least knowledge
of the soil and face Of the two countries, that
both Illinois and Wisconsin are far preferable
to Missouri, for agricultural and manufacturing
purposes, especially for the poorer classes of
emierants, who are not abba to come in COM
petition with the rich slave holder of Missou-
ri. He must have been entirely igno-
rant Of the inducements which the mining part
Of our territory presents to the poor cmigrant.
On the west bank Of the Mississippi there is a
wide space Of the finest farming country in
tho west, taken up only by the claims of indi-
viduals, based upon settlement and cultivation,
$50 that for perhaps many years the settler is in
no danger Of competition from the speculator,
and with common share of industry, even the
poorest may have acquired the means Of pur-
chasing his farm before the lands shall be bro't
into market.
We have been close observers of the move
ments Of the spectators in our country,--have
seen most Of the advertisements in the vari-
Gus papsrs in our Territory, but have not seen
any calculated to mislead the public, TO an in
furious extent, with regard to the lands and
town lots offered for sale-and we are satisf-
ed that no description Of the country has ever
been given through the medium Of an Illinois
OF wisconsin paper, which has ex.olled, in an
unduedesree. the qualities ofthe country descri-
bed. We have often heard men Of intelligence
say; that previous to their visit to this country.
they had road the fair descriptions given of the
same, and thought many Of them were rather
more Of an imaginary than real character, but
find the country 70 exceed amy description CIV
en- Of It.
Tho mining business il, Of course, uncertain.
but there are but few men in the mines who
have persevered for any length Of time buthave
finally been successful, and many instances
are known in the mines, whore individuals
have, in the short space Of few months, OBJ
tained fortune, by mining operations.