Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1844-01-02
STATEMENT,

STATEMENT,
Of facts, Nth regard to the commercial i'm
portance Of Southport, and shorirg the
necessity Of an appropriation by Goccrn-
ment, for the construction Of harJor at
that point
In commencing this subject, it may not be
out OF place TO make a few general remarks.
Than the territory of Wisconsin, probably no
country oft the same extent possesses a grea-
ter variety of advantages. Forming her
| eastern boundary she has Lake Michigan,
one of the great chain connecting her by
uninterrupted navigation with the Atlantic
coast; on her western border she has the Mis-
sissippi, navigable with the tributaries to the
far north of her territory Her interior is
every where irrigated by streams, bringing
comfort and health to her inhabitants, fertl-
izing her soil, and furnishing power to pro-
pei an unlimited amount of machinery Her
mineral wealth is inexhausible; her agricul-
tural resources, with facilities for those BRAN
ches of business naturally connected with it,
are eXcelled by no country in the world.
But few years since Wilderness, now ev-
cry portion of it, however remote, filled with
active and busy life. The history of her SET
Element presents astonishing facts In 1888
the population of the Territory of Wiscon-
sin was 1910: in 1910 the population had
increased to 30, TAT: in l5 II to 4G ,97S and
from the time the census was taken in S42
TO the commencement of the spring of '43,
it is safe to say that the population had in
creased to 10000. An astonishing result,
but with an adequate cause; a cause found in
| the unexampled Inducements held out to i'm
migration, for no country more readily yields
its fruits to the hand of labor, and no coun-
| try offers greater facilities for almost
every branch of industry. 1t is these facts
lie mind, which in q, few years from the first
settlement, gave Wisconsin population of
10000. Let us look at her increase in po-
pulation, since the. commencement of 1913,
and on this point, pArhaps more correct and
satisfactory mode of arriving at a knowledge
OF the facts, cannot be had than bv the tes-
tmony of dsinterested men of intelligence.
Capt. Walker, lof the steamboat Great Wes-
tern, one of the largest boats which ply on
our waters,) gentleman of undonbted in
telligence, and who, from his position has
had opportunities of arriving at the facts, says
I'.'it is certain that from FIFTY to SIXTY
THOUSAND emigrants, have gone to Wis
consn, this year." Oihe.s, who have had
opportunities of Judging estimate the num-
Der still higher, but the estimate of Capt.
Walker is certainly not beyond the facts.
That the emigration has been astonishingly
great, has been apparent TO all, who have
witnessed the hundreds arriving at one or
the other, or all our lake ports, by the daily
arrival of STEAMBOATS, and propellers. Ad-
ded TO this number, are those who have found
their way into the western part of the Terri
tory, by the Mississippi route, swelling the
whole number, to probably not less than Sc
| VENTY THOUSAND, who have emgrated
TO this Territory within the past year, and
this added TO its population at the commence
ment of the year, would give an aggregate
of ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY
THOUSAND souls
| A large majority of the g fifty or sixty
thousand "who have this year become resi-
dents of the Territorv, are farmers who have
located themselves in the several counties
east of Rock river, so that the farming pop
ulation of eastern Wisconsin cannot now be
less than 6O.0O0 Located in country I'M
rivalled for the favorableness of its climate,
and the extreme fertility of its soil, the vast
quantity of productions ofvarious kinds which
must come from the hands of this army of
producers, is apparent. 1t is alone upon the
Lake Ports they depend for the shipment of
their products to market, also for the vast
amount of supplies they require in return.
With the exception of an appropriation Of
81, 900 dollars. made last winter, there has
been nothing done on the part of govern
ment to extend protection to the commerce
Of this vast country. Government has had
the greatest interest in advancing the settle
ment of the country. vet she has absolutely
done nothing. Had she at the time OF It's
first settlement made sufficient harbors at
the natural points on the lake, in addition to
the money she has received, the whole ex-
pense of these works, would before this have
been reinrned to the national treasury. This
is fact, which every one acquainted with the
quantity of government land yet unsold, will
readily recognize. The weight of this rea-
son is yet but slightly diminished; and a
powerful additional reason exists IN the al
ready vast and rapidly increasing commerce
which demands protection. OF this COM
merce, the Secretary of War in his late re-
port, says: "A trade which two years since
was of the value of more than 65 ,00O, 900 of
dollars, has been since rapidly increasing,
and is now probably equal in amount TO one
hundred millions of dollars.n Should Con-
gress at once commence the construction OF
harbors, two or three years must elspse be-
fore they can be completed. The commerce
of the lakes will undoubtedly increase in the
same ratio it has heretofore done; what will
then be its charac,erG Can it be possible in
E view of these facts, that Congress will longer
take the responsibility of refusing appropria-
tons for these works. If the wants of great
country are nothipu shall the thousands OF