Maumee City express. [volume] (Maumee City, Ohio) 1838-184?, 1840-01-18


RESOURCES OF THE WEsr.-Few per-
sons, we suspect, thoroughly realize what
are the capacities of the valley of the Mis-.
sissipp, though many has been talking and
writing about them these twenty years. A
writer in the New York Review, sets this
matter in a most forcble light, as follows:
"Look at it; in that valley one million
four hundred thousand square miles, or
eight hundred and ninety six millions OF
acres, while Great Britain, with all its ISL
ands, contains but about 88, 900 square
miles, or fifty six and half millions Of
acres. And what is the character Of this
vast region! One third of it, at least,
is capable of cultivation and settlement,
and one third is four hundred and sixty
six thousand square miles in extent, about
seven times az great an area as all the
available land in England, Wales, Scotland
and Ireland.
Look at it more minutely, and you find it
from the clear fields of Ohio and Indiana, to
the edge of the barren prairies Of the Mis-
souri,, and from the wild rice swamps OF the
north. to the cyprus swamps of the SOUTH
fertile beyond example, almost level or
slightly undulating, and accessible IN every
direction. Never was there finer country
for the agrculturalist; standing at his
farmhouse door, in the interior Of Ohio or
Illinois, a thousand miles from the salt wa
ter, he NAV see his produce afloat on its way
to New York or Europe; in few years
five complete lines of water and railway
communication will exist between the lnte-
rior of Ohio and the ocean-four are now in
operation. Nor is that vast valley destined
to be less eminently manufacturing than ag-
ricutural. The state of Ohio, If we may
RELY upon her geologist, Mr.. Mather, con-
tains as much bituminous coal of good qua
lity and easy of access, as all England and
Wales; and Ohio, in this respect is, he
thinks, no richer than Western Pennsylva-
mia, Western Virginia and Kentucky.
Judging from the little that is known. lndi-
ana, Illinois and Missouri, are probably un-
| derlaid to a considerable extent, by this
same great mineral treasure. Nor is it Goa
alone that abounds in the west; from the
head waters of the Cumberland river across
the Kentucky and Ohio, extends bed ol
iron ore twenty miles in width. Tennes
see IS filed with iron; immense beds were
lately opened in Indiana-and who has no
heard ofthc Missouri mountain OF that pre-
cious metal! Already do Pittsburgh an'
Cincinnati, yearly, manufacture some sever
or eight millions of dollars worth ot lrol
articles for export to other points; and Leaf
abounds also; salt is met with in lnexhaus
tible quantities; lime is universally clstrl
buted; and the finest freestone in the great
} est profusion.
Here, then, is land, the soil and climat
of which favor tilage in the highest degree
the interior of which is far more easy Q
access than the interior of fny country !
; Europe, aud filled with mineral wealth
Within its limits grow maize, wheat, henri
flax, tobacco and sugar.-ltisa "a land who
: scarce needs foreign commerce-lt is
3 world within itself; there is scarcely on
: considerable article Of commerce, it we eA
' cept coffee and some dye stuffs, which tn
Q Mississippi valley cannot furnish. The fir'
: flint glass made in America, was at Pitt
A burgh; the porcelain earth found within ii
: limits of that region, rivals that Of Chin'
n the lakes abound in fish, and the burrstor
v of Ohio may compare with the best ire
: France.
e Now, what, in the common course
n things, must be the result of the veal
Q and capahityl A dense population
II ncpulation of not less than one hundred M
d twenty millions Of people; nay, if We bal
F" our calculations on the population