The native American., 1838-04-21
THE GREAT WEST.


The western termination of the Erie Canal
looks ont upon Lake Erie, the most southerly
and central of that great chain of navigabe lakes
which stretches far into the interior from our
western boundary. Around these inland seas,
a cluster of five great States is rapidly rising.
The territory which they comprise, and which
is to become tributary to the canal, embraces that
great area extending from the lakes on the north
to the Ohio on the south, and from the western
confines of this State to the Upper Mississippi,
and containing 100000 square miles, 10 mea-
sure its extent by well known objects, it is fif-
teen times as large as the State OF New York,
west OF the county of Oneida-nearly twice as
large as the kingdom of France, and about SIX
times as extensive as the whole OF England. 1t
contains 10000 of acres of arabic land, great
portion OF which is Of surprising fertility.
The productive powers of this region, and It's
capabilty of supplying tonnage for export, are
strengthened by the facilities which it enjoys OF
cheap and easy transportation. In this respect,
no country on the face of the globe enjoys greater
natural advantages, for it is nearly encircled by
navigabe waters, and its broad area is interseced
IN numerous directions, by streams furnishing
ample means of fconveyance-whileu unusual faclll-
ties Tor the construction OF canals and other arti-
hcial channels Of communication are afforded by
These being its geographical advantages, II
needs only the requisite population to experience
the full development of its agricultural resources.
Its progress in this respect has been truly sur
prising. In 1916, Ohio was the only organized
State government within its limits, in that year,
Indiana, having obtained the requisite number OF
10000 inhabitants, entered the Union and took
its place by the side of Ohio. Illinois and Michi-
gan were then distant and feeble territories with
few settlers thny scattered over their broad
face,-while Wisconsin, unknown even by name,
was an undistinguished portion of the great
Northwestern Territory. In the brief period of
twenty-one years, such has been the flock Of
population into this great district that Ohio, the
eldest member in this brotherhood. of nations,
now numbers one million four hundred thousand
inhabitants, Indiana upwards Of six hundred thou
sand, Illinois and Michigan (both Of whom have
organized their governments and come into the
Union) seven hundred housand,-while west of
Lake Michigan, not only is Wisconsin rapidly
rising, but even beyond the Upper Mississippi,
thirty thousand citizens have already laid the foun
dations of yet another State. Such is the on
ward march Of this population, that the amount Of
its annual increase alone, exceeds in number, the
white inhabitants Of ten Of the States of the Union
The population already embraced within the dis
and if the rate of progress shall be main
tained for the twelve years next to come, by the
year 1856, it will probably exceed six millions.
This group Of inland States has two outlets for
its trade to the ocean; one by the Mississippi to
the Gulf of Mexico, the other through Lake Erie
to the Atlantic. Whether it be attributable to
similarity Of origin, or laws, or habits, or to ties
Of consanguinity, or superior salubrty of climate,
this people evidently prefer the market on the
Atlantic; and they are making prodigous efforts
to reach it. Three great canals, one of them
longer than the Erie Canal, and embracing in
their aggregate length about one thousand
miles, to connect the Ohio with Lake Erie,
while another deep and capacious channel exca-
waited for nearly thirty miles through solid rock,
unites Lake Michigan with the navigable waters
of the Illinois. In addition to these broad ave-
nues of trade, they also constructing lines of
railroad, not less than one thousand FIVE hun
dred miles in extent, in order to reach with more
ease and speed the lakes, through which they
seek conveyance to the seaboard. The ndaunt-
ed resolution of this energetic race of men, is
srikingly evinced by the fact, that the cost of the
great works which they have thus undertaken
(and most Of which are in actual progress) will
exceed fortyeight millions of dollars, sum far
exceeding all that New York, with two millions
of inhabitants and two hundred years of accumu-
lated wealth, has ever attempted.
The various portions of this vast work are now
in train of rapid construction. Indiana alone
has six thousand men in her employ, and Ohio,
Illinois and Michigan are making correspondent
efforts: SO that it may be confidently predicted
that within seven years from this time, the whole
inland trade of that broad region around the lakes
will crowd the entrance of the Erie canal. on its
way to the Atlantic.