Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1844-01-20


which, the Sac and the Niangua rivers
being fed by large springs, causes the Usage
at all seasons TO afford abundance Of water
for slack water navigation, and surplus
for purposes of machinery, at any and ev
cry point below the mouth Of Sac River.
The Usage and its tributaries water
section of country of about twenty-thou-
sand square miles, embracing every variety
of soil, in much the greater portion of
which, however, is superior farming land.
Lead and Iron ore is found in almost
every neighborhood for the first two hun
dred miles from the mouth of the river,
and stoae-coal abounds in the country fur
Their up.
Such, fellow.ctizens. is the section Of
country 10 be benefited by improving the
navigation of the Usage river, a region of
country larger than eight of the States of
this Union, of fertile soil. and Astounding in
minerals-but natures bounties are strewn
in vain unless the hand Of art will carry out
natures designs.
Farmers of the State Of Missouri, to you
we particularly address ourselves. for YOU
are the persons who have to decide this inn
portant matter-we address you as "bretb-
rem of the same craft'--for the most of us.
like yourselves, are tIlers of the soil. Shall
the citizens of one fourth Of this wide
spread State remain in their present disad-
vantageous positonl Shall numbers of
them continue to wagon their hemp, wheat
and tobacco near two hundred miles seek
ing market! Shall they continue to way
on their articles of consumption and of
prime necessity the same distance! Shall
near one hundred thousand inhabitants con-
tinue to labor under the disadvantages con-
sequent on being at distance from regular
navgatonl or shall the State do an act of
simple iustice7 Place yourselves in our sit
ua,ion, we beseech you, and then 'do unto
others as We would that they should do un-
to you."
FeIlow-citizens of the State: We have
received from the General Government a
donation of five hundred thousand acres OF
land for purposes of Internal Improvement
The proceeds of the sale Of this land vii
not be short of six hundred and twenty-five
thousand dollars. Shall this fund be ap
piled to objects of great utility; such work:
as will yield the State a revenue and be o
immense service to its citizensl or shall i
share the fate of the Road and Canal fund
We firmly trust that it is the wish of a.
our fellow citizens that this fund shall b.
so applied as to be of lasting benefit to tn
State.
By investing the larger portion Of thi
fund in improving the Usage river by
Locks and Dams we firmly believe a great
err amount of good may be done, and tn,
State at large be more extensively benefit
ted. than would result from its application
in any other manner. The immediate ben
eft would be
A saving to this section of the State il
transportation alone at the present time O
one hundred thousand dollars per annum.
The produce of the country with its pre-
sent population, would be increased fou
fold, by the certainty and cheapness c
transportation to market.
The population and business Of the cour
try would be immensely increased causin
corresponding increase Of revenue. an
thereby tightening the burthen of taxaio
in other parts of the State.
q The mineral resources of the countr
would be developed. Iron would be mad
e in sufficient quantities to supply the Stat
and in the course of time we see no rcaso
why manufactures should not spring up ;
the different locks, as noted as those Of L.
i well or Fall River
! One word more, felow-citizens. aud W
t are done. The seventh article of our COZ
e stitution declares that internal improv
e ment shall forever be encouraged by Il
i Government of this State, and it shall
the duty of the General Assembly. as SOC
d as NAV be to make provisions by law f
2, ascending the most proper objects Of il
n provement in relation to roads and navg
t BILE waters, and ii shall be their duly to pr
l. vide by law for systematic and econuI
re ical application of the funds appropriate
IF to those objects"
% Now fellow citizens. the General ASSol
is bly, have complied with the first part of II
n article of the constitution; they have maj
D. "provisions by law for ascertaining t
nj most proper objects of improvements. al
er those objects have been asccrtained
eS competent commissioners and skiliul en-!
neers-and first and foremost of all
r point of practicability and usetuInt
o, stands the Usage River. Means to RAJ
IL funds have been appropriated by
he General Government to the State,
he purposes of internal improvement
ed have accepted and received our share
,st shall the funds when realized be apple
IS and shall they be applied to the most pro
70 err objects of Improvement If such st
be be your will, let the members whom y
cd elect to the General Assembly know il
he and relying on their patriotism, JUST
judgment and discretion, we rest our eau
ire with the full anticipation, that our ho
he shall soon be realized, in the improvem