The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1844-04-18
written for the Bay State Democrat
THE WABASH VALLEY.-NO. q.

r0ughfare between New orleans ana new
York, via. the Wabash Valley.
The Wabash River drains a country but little
short of 10000 square miles INCLUDING all its
tributaries from the East and West. 1t would
connect, by the most direct route, New York,
the New England States, part of Michigan, part
Of Ohio, part of Illinois, Indiana, and Upper
Canada, with part of Kentucky, Western Ten
nessee, North Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas,
louisiana, and Texas.
These countries furnish, in perfection, every
variety of all the products known to the region
of the United States, or British America. The
whole of the regions interested. amount to not
less than 100000 square miles, and embrace the
great manufacturing districts of the nation,
and a very. considerable proportion. of the va
rious descriptions. in order to see the prodigious
groundwork which is now laid, for a
which must ultimately crowd every nayigable
river, every canal or railway. which may unite
these extensive countries. The following list
ofitems deserves attention:
GRAINs-Corn, following not above 25 per
cent. on the products of 4940) 10000, 900 bush
els; wheat 40 900, 900; barley 1000, 600; rye T.
600, 600; total bushels of grain, $50, 000, 0Oo.-
Other crops-Potatoes rs. 600 900 pounds; hay
1000, 900 tons; sugar $780, OO, 900 pounds. Ma
terials for Clothing, &c.-Cotton 400. zoo, 900;
wool 2 5,00O,000 pounds; hemp and fax 10000
tons. The above are great leading articles; to
these may be added swine, 1900, 600; sheep
Is, O0O, 600; neat cattle 1000, 000-not to name
horses, mules, &c. Then, add the numerous
other products. which it may be useful to present
to the eye in one condensed view. There are
produced an abundance of hops. honey, wax
considerable rice in louisiana; fruits of the
orchard to the value of many millions; butter,
cheese, products OF garden culture and nurse
ries, to the amount Of millions; inexhaustible
mines o firon ore, coal, some lead, and numerous
salt wells, where millions of bushels are manu-
featured annually.
The manufact ures that ale interested in this
, thorougbtare, are prodigious. The whole o.
, those of New England and New York-more
than 300 furnaces and $50 bIoweries for the pro
duction of iron its wrought and cast forms. L
would add a new facility for the sale Of thu
!, products of the fisheries. The Northern manu-,
facturers of machinery, hardware. cutlery, arms
woollen goods, embracing annual manufacture
of woollen to upwards of IL ,000. 900 Of dollar
worth cotton to more than 3 5000 900 of dollar
| worth silk, fax, hats, caps, bonnets. leather
s~addlery, &C., liquors, drugs, medicines, dye
%stuffs; glass and earthen ware. paper, printing
and binding, carriages, wagons, and alnos
:. every thing known to the history or present con
[ dition of manufactures.
\ Experience is, that the annual growth of tn
f trade between these regions, surpasses the cal
culations of those who are regarded as the mos
, visionary in respect to the growth of the West
The region mentioned in this article embrace
about half of the Great Valley Of the Mississippi
which is profitable for cult ure and its rapid ad
J vance will constantly stimulate the action of tn
Northern manufacturers. if sufficient channel
of intercourse shall be opened. To extend tn,
e Western region SO as to include the whole o
Illinois and Missouri, and the whole area woult
$4,000 square miles, (more or less1 in roun'
numbers-embrac ing Illinois, Indiana. Nilsson
r ri, part of Kentucky and Tennessee, Mississip
d pi, Arkansas, and Louisana-without incl udin,
e Texas, which as an outlet for the products OF tn
North West States, and the manufacturers @
n New England, is intimately connected wit
q them in interest. This immense body of land
9 susceptible of being put into cultivation in tn
proportion of seven acres to every ten. An
u owing to its facilities. it will become cultivate,
to that extent. The State of Indiana is suscep
tible of being reduced to cultivation, in som
profitable form, in the proportion of eight out c
every ten acres-and so is Illinois. 1t may b
said the want Of timber will prevent this in tn
State of Illinois. 1t is not so. Timber will b
n Gu ltivated; stone coal will be used houses wi
be so constructed, and wool so manufactured, q
to render less fuel necessary in the winter SET
son, and the prairies, which are richer than tn
gardens are in other regions, will be cultiv aztec
mr. and the whole country will be filled up. So
Missouri: and as TO Arkansas, her surface, viii
it adds to the health of its inhabitants. is nc
susceptible OF as general cultivation, but niue
W. of it is rich and will yield immense product
ne and there are regions of Arkansas which will
to distinguished for the vine, and for the peaci
est and other fruits.
at Misslssippi as a planting Slate, is unrivalled
lP- the production OF cotton; and the produetivene
of Middle and West Tennessee, and OF Ne
mt lucky, is proverbial. These countries lie IN ii
e. range of emigration. of commences, OF enterpris
re-, of an active, growing, humanizing Civilization