Tri-weekly journal., 1847-11-11

! lately written two or three very excellent ar
ticles for the Louisville Journal upon the rela-
tive cost and applicability of steam power for
manufacturing purposes compared with water
power-Coal Fields; &c. The authors object
is to bring,to notice the town of Cannelton, sit
uated ON the river between this place and Lou
isville; but nevertheless the arguments will APP
ply as well TO this place and we hope may have
weight with our citizens. 1t was addressed
to citizen Of our town.
Dear Sir: Pittsburg is very thriving city,
although it is at the head of a very muddy
stream, ''dry the summer and frozen in the win
ter" although it is in the centre of barren re-
gion. 1t has lost most of its commercial i'm
portance, but its merchants have gone into
manufactures. Why does it grow? What
gives it importance? Coal-Coal To get
near this capitalists raise the hills to get place
to build upon. Now can you tell me how long
the cotton, hemp, iron and wool of the rich
plains of the South and West are to be taken
up this river eight hundred miles, above site
which is below all the important distractions
of the Ohio, equally healthy with Pittsburg,
with position perhaps unequalled on the riv-
er, by which daily and weekly packets are pass
ing to and from every section of the great West,
and where coal is to be had at one cent BUSH
ell cheaper than at Pittsburg, and in the centre
Of the richest agricultural countries in the
world?
In fifteen years Illinois and Indiana will have
population of three anda half million of souls
Are these to be tributary to Pittsburg, or New
England, or Old England, for that which they
can produce far cheaper at home Nature gives
us in power and distance at least % per cent.
advantage verthe cotton manufacturer of New
England, and perhaps 10 per cent. more in
cheapness of living. We have even now abun-
dance of capital for any enterprise which will
yield one half Of this difference. Operatives
from New and Old England are ready to come
to US in thousands if we will guaranty employ
ment. Have we not the men competent to
take hold of and prudently and theoretically
carry on manufactures of every kind? The
Lawrences and Appletons are not confined to
New England.
Nature has placed the great Illinois coal field,
and covered it with the most prolific soil for
some good purpose. She intended il for the
great manufacturing region of the world. In
England she has placed the coal on an average
over 500 feet under the surface; in Nova SEQ
tia 300; in Belgium 700, and in veins averag-
ing less than three feet in thickness. In Eng
land iron yields on an average only &c per cent.
On the other side of the Mountains the coal is
under Mountains two hundred miles distant
from the nearest point where ii can be used for
other than iron manufacturing purposes and
the iron there yields only about 80 per cent
over thirty-four millions of dollars has now
been expended in rail roads and canals to take
that coal to tide water. The Illinois coal field
at various positions, such as ours at Cannelton,
offers all the elements Of a manufacturing dis
trict-cheapest power knownand in inexhaust-
IDLE quantities-every facility of transporting
man and matter-proximity to the raw mate
rial-iron yielding 60 per cent.-cotton, hemp,
wool, &c.--nearness to vast market-cheap
living health-good ites-building materials
of best quality, and in free States.
Where else in the wide world are all these
natural advantages found? The more you look
at the condition of manufacturing districts the
greater will our advantages appear. Take q
cotton mandatory of say 10000 spindles, re-
quiring capital of not over 5000 900, making
about 4 ,000, 900 yards of cotton cloth; the diff
ference in cost of cotton between us and Bos
ton, and the freight, interest and insurance Oh
the goods brought here is rather over one PEI
cent per yard-S40, 900 difference in one mill !!
Steam factories are now making the best divi
dends in New England; coal costs there 2;
, cents per bushel. The saving of fuel in thu
mill here would be $4,000 more-saving il
cheapness of living still more. Now how lonI
, are we to bear this burthen of 25 per cent. p
How much longer are we TO send our raw ma
terial to a barren country, 1900 miles off, t,
be manufactured-sendp provisions to feed thu
manufacturers-pay the interest on rail road
and canals to do the transportation and the
take our pay in small quantity of the good
: made up? We are not in Roman province
= and compelled to do the bidding of lordly mas
tiers!
Think little Of these matters and see you
! citizens who have the mind and the means t