Lincoln telegraph. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1836-1846, 1842-02-03
JACKSONVILLE, Illinois, Jan. 1910.

REPLY.
JACKSONVILLE, Illinois, Jan. 1910.
Your letter dated Ellsworth, December, 1899,
addressed to our worthy Postmaster, has been re-
ceived, and, as he is otherwise engaged, he has
quested me to reply to the interrogatores contain
ed in your letter-which will endeavor to do to
the best of my abilities, and in SO doing, shall
confine myself to this country, as my knowledge
of other places referred to in your letter, is not
extensive enough to give you any positive infor-
NATION respecting them and | suppose you will
receive from persons living in those places, the
requisite information. In answer to your first
question, as to our alimprovments
!. @. What progress has been made in your
internal improvments-what canals, and railroads
are now completed, or nearly so--are they pro-
crossing have funds been secured to prosecute
them; Will the system be abandoned what will
be the final Legislative action on the subject
Ans As to our CANAL which is the Illinois and
Michigan canal-t is in state Of progress and
will be finished at all events, and as this is the
only canal we shall ever want in the state, we are
determined to have this. From the manner Of its
construction and the state of money matters con-
nected with it, it is certain that it viii (with aid
of Providence and the Irsh) be finished in the
course Of ten years, without costing the State any
thing, except trihe, say ten millions Our other
internal Improvements are Rail Roads which were
TO be constructed by the State, and for that pur-
pose we borrowed eleven millions OF dollars and
ii nj IN, oil ,oL bo
works or most of them will be abandoned. Al
though about enc fourth of the whole 1900 miles
is under contract and it would not cost more to
finish them than to pay the contract, yet with the
usual wisdom of legislators now abandon the
Improvements. 1t depends good deal, however,
on the success of the Exploring expedition sent
out by Congress under the command Of Lieut..
Wilkes.
2. Q. What has been done to remove the OBJ
struction to navigation at the several rapids OF
the Mississippi and Rock Rivers do steamboat
ply regularly occasionally upon the latter; and
ifso of what size, and to what point do they usu-
ally ascend what is the width and depth up at
Rockport.
Ans. To question two, will state, that all thai
has been done to remove the distractions in the
Mississippi river, is that great deal money has
been spent by the United States to the great profit
of the contractors, and for the benefit OF the afore
said Irish and as for Rock river, it is not, nor
can it be navigable stream for but two or three
months in the year and as for Rock Port, do not
know where it is.
g. @. What is the present population, bust
ness, and prospects of Jacksonville how IS
! Springfe Id Naples, Nashville, Beardstown, Lew
stown, Macomb, Albany, Decatur, &c, DC.
Ans. Toquestion three Jacksonville contains
about three thousand inhabitants, and is getting
pretty well, | thank you. Springfield has, since
the seat OF government was located there, become
decidedly immoral and my opinion is, that it is
going to the d. as fast as possible, being great
| ly pulled up by pride. and overrun white stran.
gers; however, Sportswood lives there and this nc
doubt operates as check on its Babylonish destiny
As to Naples, from all accounts, its inhabitants
are all dead or drunk, as no one has been seer
from there since the Christmas sprees commence
ed.
Rushville is completely used up since the Leg
is!ature refused to let them have branch of the
Rail Road, and it is thought that it will die a nat
ura death. However, it is doubtful. Boards
town is III the same condition that Naples is
may here observe, that the inhabitants of river
towns,are to certain extent amphbious, and it is