Iowa news. [volume] (Dubuque, Upper Mississippi Lead Mines, Wisconsin Territory) 1837-1841, 1837-09-02
TItE GREAT WEsT.


4 Much has been said and written within a fep
years past, concerning the great extent, vat re
sources, and rapidly increasing prosperity of thu
i western country. And from the tenor of article
j which are constantly appearing in the daily ant
periodical press, one would suppose that resi-
Il deuce in some Of the western states was al
that was necessary to make rich, useful, and
happy. Influenced by the accounts which are
/ on;inualIy coming 10 US OF the immense real aG
i imaginary fortunes that have been made in the
space of a feg years, even months; multitudes
Of citizens have been induced to leave their COM
Portable homes in tina cast, with the hope Of finding
better residences and more favorable prospects in
! the s.far wes.o So great indeed has become The
spirit of emigration, that many people act as tho
they believed il necessary sor them to move west
ward Immediately, il they ever expect Ia procure
| a farm or town LOT for themselves and families.
| Nov whatever may be said of the west, one
| thing is cefain that notwithstanding the constant
] emigration thi,ber there viii be room enough for
all who, from misfortune, o. the hope of making
money, may be induced to go there for, twenty,
| forty. or fly years to come. 1t may be remarked
alao, that accounts usually given in the papers Of
the Number Of persons that annually move west
| ward, arc Yefy much exaggerated The western
editors az well as oi,or folks, are in the habit of
! to telling large sieries. This may be accounted
Tor from The iact that they live in sarge place.
and that il is Tor the interest Of their patrols to
have tho bright side Of things conspicuously in
serted il, the columns of their papers.
As to the qeat fortunes that have been made
within ewyears past in the west, il should be
obscrsed, thar most Of them have been made on
PAPgR, consist Of lands bought at small price.
but held ri prospective value, which value is pre-
dictcd upon what the owner thinks Of hopes they
VIII be worth five or ten years hence. One thing
at least is evident, that very little Of the proper
inf rhpu 49,
of cash, or that which can readily be converted
into money. The experience of merchants who
have sold goods TO go west, viii confirm the remark,
that scarcely any thing can be collected from their
western customers. There are some executions
TO this observation, but, as general statement
lis truth cannot be questioned.
Notices. aisn, frequently appea. in The papers.
hodias out apparently, great inducements for me-
cAanics to move westward. These notices are Of
zen deceptive Ia their character, and in the infia-
ehce taey exert Oh the class Of persons for whom
'hsy are intesacd. For, as general fact, i, may
oe stated. that there is scarcely place il, the
western country where mechanics can do any
betsei than they can at home. This remark is
Inc result of close observation and ca6efl inquiry
II Is true Ina, in many places the services OF me
-hanies have commanded high wages, but the
nigh price of their labor has been moe ,bae conn
iefoalanced by the increased expenses Of living
incurred by removal and residence in a new
Concerning the business of the ssst. il may he
observed, that TO considerable exten, il has been
1seitione. Insre are quite too many traders 80
alfnoS all the new towns and villages that hare
been started iato being within a few years past
In come places there are ainoss maar .sores az
families. Credit has been TOO chesp. Aimosi
efe9 body could ge. trusis3 for goods, and as a
general thlny. people hare MOI been backward IN
entering into trade, whether fbey understood any
thing abou; business or not. As necessary con-
sequence of 50 many persons having become NER-
cHssTs, agriculture has been sadly neglected. Al
most every thing saiablc now costs four or five
lines much a. il did seFefal years ago. In many
'laces there is almost literally famine. a.T
carcely grain enough can be procured for the use
u man. much less for horses and cattle. rh;s
tate Of things, be il obsefred no, owing to the
'arrenness OF the soil, any peculiar difficulty in
Providence has done every ,b;,v
% make the western country an eaihly paradise,
provided men win but labor little IN mo-
vide th'ags honestly for themselves and families
Labor Oh the farm viii there. il any where, always
reap sure and rich reward. But rich az ia the
soli OIL the west, cofn, potatoes, &c. will no, grow
unless they are planted and otherwise attended IN
Speculation a, The west has been the ,heme of
much newspaper as web as verbal comment. We,
It IS believed, that the evils growing out Of il have
NOT been duly realized. The rage for building I'M
towns and cities, each Of which, in the opiuion ~
thcir projectors, possessed advantages for trade s
pcrior to every other, has been carried much ftber
t'ah people have generally supposed. The consc.
lucncc mas been, that mutitudes of Entrants
nave oecn induced 70 locate in places, which, ~
io' thc seihshness OF few interested men,
never nave been dreamt Of as su,ablal
ousiness.-Iihe temporary increase
~ towns that have been nv p,ea,
10 notice, has magnifed the value d. ,5fs :,
me eyes OF their owners so much, that real estate
ls almost universally held, nomipa,ly. higher n,
II SIN 'hisc CITY But the worst of the case is ,b,,
people are not aware Of the illusion by which their
minds arc infatuated. Men q, the west have vet
70 learn, thas the simple act of dividing farm In
- 1911 aasa,s lots, does mt necessarily
se' 'ns S''ue Oh their property several hun
drcd or thousand per cent. and that towns. how
ever favorably located for trade. cnnno, r;ss :,
permanent value and Importance, faster than thew
are backed up by an industrious and thrifty farm.
ing population. 10y '"'"-
o,'uha'eiy 'of inc country, the evils resulting
rom iand speculation are beginning to be mani
iost. And the much talked of ssSpccic Circulars,
winch mas oecn considered by many to be the cause
OF great portion Of the fiscal cnbarra ssmen,s or
JUG country, WIN DO found il is believed in the
cnd, to have been tho wiscst aud most e,l,,,a..,
measure Of the government. ,rhc rcmedv !, 4.
true, IS severe. But then il should be remember
ed mat the disease TO which It was applied was
desperate, ana had become well nigh mortal And
II every man, intcad Of charging his troubles 10
collateral causes would now ascertain, and honest
ly confess, his OWN MISTAKES, 1t might be conf
IDENTIFY s,.Gpcd that thugs would speedily take q
tirn-thnt business would revive, and Ina, the
whole country would soon be in reality in a pros-
porous condition An OBSERVER.
+
DAvENroRT's ELECTRIC MAcH1Nr.
Great Improvements have been madc in this
most important invcntion since our last notice.
machine is now ins operation which is moved by
four small galyanic batteries or the size Of ma
me sure. mud which will an Gra