The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1849-08-17

Ottawa and her Prospects.
This is universally admitted to be the
dullsst season the west has ever witnessed.
Particularly have we, living on the Illinois
and Michigan Canal, felt the severity
Of the past year. This inactivity in all
departments Of our trade and commerce,
has resulted from number Of causes which
seem especially to have combined asains,
us this season, to render business Of ever,
description duh, enterprise feeble, aud mon
cy exceedingly scarce. The principal Of
these causes may be given as follows:
ls,. The Gland Sales" which drained us
of greater part Of the money which had
been in circulation for two years previous
to their occurrence; and the payment this
fall, obliges those who have purchased lands
or Town lots TO lay aside, aud thu, draw on,
Of circulation, every dollar their absolute
necessities do not require thus absorbing
allrthe nutrimeht from which trade nnd
commerce obtain their vitality, aud re.
ducing the prices of the products Of the
country TO almost rninous rates.
"a. The "Caiifornia Fever" (Which ragged
50 furously during the last winter and
hing, did much towards paralyzing
business. not only Of this particular sec.
but of the entire Union. /, unsettled
- ~Sublc mind, and has taken a large
li Of capisalfrom domestic inv estmen,s
and .pcculaHons, and directed it into new
field from which it viii require from one TO
three years % bring a proper return. uhas
.,usea t,ndreds and thousands of active.
aud ir.ustrious, cnterprising citizens TO sell
op-t great sacrifices, property (which. other.
Use, they would have imprav ed and take
large portion ofthe proceed, with them to
the plains, or expend it in procuring a
passage from the I,thmus TO San Fraucise o.
orpaying doctor and board bills a, Panama
In this way not only carrying out Of the
country large amount Of money, but eaus.
ing many to abandon Improvements, area-
dy commenced, as well as hundreds in
contemplation, and, consequently, inst in
proportion TO what they would have added to
the business Of the country, their departure
has dimshed it.
3D.. The "llard Winter, High Waters,
and late Spring" which had a powerful in.
iluence on the business Of our country. The
hard winter closed up the rivers and lakes
before large quantity Of the produce Of
our country had found its way to the mar.
ke's, and, consequently, yielding no per.
centags on that amount Of capital for over
four months. At.he opening offspring, pri.
ces were down, and the wheat market has
been bad ever since, though an unusual de.
mand in the article Of Indian corn caused
quite stir amongst our dealers for few
weeks, admirably Illustrating TO them their
utter inability TO enter largely into the
produce business for the want of the ready
cash. For, though there wa' money enough
here 10 buy up the greater part Of the
surplus corn, much, Of that money was sent
here form Chicago. Had there been as
great demand for all kinds ofproduce as for
the single article Of corn, nearly the whole
control Of our market would have been in
the hands Of foreign SPECTATORS and the
profits resulting from the capital invested
by them, Instead Of returning to the pockets
OF our business men, would have gone TO
Chicago or other places. Thus keeping
away large additions TO our capital which
but for the scarcity Of money, would have
returned 10 our town.-Althous Oh the dam.
age done by the floods this spring, did not
drain the country Of its cash, yet i, was a
heavy tax on those upon whom il fell, which
vii! require all they can rake and scrape to
place them on the same footing with the
world they occupied year ago.
9TH. The "Cholera." All other causes
sink into insigni0cance when compared
with the Frustrating influence of this dread.
ful scourge upon the trade and commerce
OF a country. Under its whitening hand
the noise aud hustle Of a commercial CITY
rapidly sinks into Sabbath quietuds; /, ties
,upthe floating palaces that plough the wa.
te1S Of ourrivers, and anchors our ga,lan,
vessels in our ports and hsrbors. Never did
the west suffer more than she has from the
effects Of the cholera. lis useless to en-.
large upon this subjects Every day demon.
strases its blighting cfIsc. upon tho business
Of country. In Ottawa, where, when
earsAred with Ito ravages in other town,
un1o der Of settlements around, II may
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