The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1849-12-05
Des Moines. Transportation Of freight win
therefore be cheaper, even if it is made to pay
the same exorbtant tolls

Raccoon Forks to the mouth OF the Des Moines,
at 25 cents barrel, and on wheat eight cents a
bushel. Much depends on the amount of toll
required to pay for work and keep up the inn
provement and make my estimate by compar-
ing it with what it costs on public works of this
kind elsewhere. By flat boats it would cost a.
bout one half this sum, I. e., ~ 1-2 cents bar
rel for flour, and cents bushcl for wheat.
IN time, and expense, and certainty, the plan
OF the Des Moines Improvement will compare
favorably with any Improvement in any State,
and the more | consider the country which is
likely to contribute to its commerce, the more
certain am Gifts great Importance.
Let us suppose all the commerce within ten
miles of the Mississippi will be hauled into Keo.
kuk on wagons, and suppose ten miles from the
lower end, we appropriate only the business
within miles, and say 10 miles back from tho
Mississippi, the improvement will carry off the
surplus within five miles on each side Go up
to Raccoon Forks, and it is certainly fair to say
TINS Improvement, with its milling and manufac.
turing power, and other inducements, will draw
IN 1he trade within 90 miles of Raccoon Forks.
lhoeec at sixty miles distance, there is no PROS
pect OF rival to the Des Mones Improvement;
and reference to the map will show that such ia
the distance to the Missouri, Mississinni and I'll
other streams from Fort Des Moines. that wa
cannot doubt the reasonable prospect of this
point being the center of business for q country
one hundred miles West and North West of it
But assuming 60 miles, and it now commands
this extent, we have surface ten miles wide at
the East end, 100 miles wide at the Forks, and
without counting anything for ten miles nearest
the Mississippi, 1874 miles long. To this area
must then be added semi-circle with 60 miles
radius, which lies west of Fort Desmoines; which
being computed, gives for the surface drained by
the Des MONIES Improvement, IA 1854 square
miles, or 9,092G60 acres of land. This is what
consider the country Immediately attached and
tributary to this river. There is vast country
northwest of Fort Des Moines, the Coteau des
Prairies, which will send portion of it's pro-
ducts down the upper branch of the Desmoines.
The Dcs Moincs is longer above Fort Des
Moncs than below. 1t rises, according to M.
Nicolet, in the Shctek Lakes, Lat. al deg. 3 min.
Lon. 80 deg min. 80 Sec; point 1873 miles
North and IA West, and therefore, in straight
line 2J0 miles from Fort Des Moincs Some
improvement will be made to secure an outlet for
the products OF this country, and the most natu-
raj one will be by the valley ITSELF which, accor.
ding to M. Nicolet, is peculiarly adapted to wa.
ter navigation. He says, ''the photographed
relations of the Des Moines with the Mankato,
St. Peters and Mississippi rivers, present geo.
graphical incident of some interest By refer
ring to the map, in Lat 43 deg. 45 min; Lon.
50 deg. II min, "a point 161 miles above Fort
Dcs Moincs, it will be seen that there is lake
very near the Dcs Moincs named Tchan Shctcha
is a tributary to the Mankato, that empties itself
into the St. Peters, has it's source in this lake.
Now, the tongue of land separating the Des
Nlones from Tchan Shctcha lake. is not more
than mile to mile and half broad so that
were canal cut across, the waters of the Des
Moines would be made to communicate with
those of the St. Peters, This not only shows
that others have conceived the idea of the i'm.
provement of the river above the Raccoon Forks.
but the Shetek lakes and the connection with
the St Peters, are indeed extraordinary incidents
IN favor OF the future construction of such an i'm.
provement have before also alluded to tn.
proximity of the Western terminus of the Des
MONIES Improvement to the valley of the Ne.
braska, and here reiterate the probability of a
connection with that valley, which will draw in
share of the trade and travel of the Far West.
But excluding the advantages which we NAV
derive from extended works, and confininp orr.
selves to the surface | have suggested, as the
legitimate field which is destined to produce ,
commerce for this river, and the Importance Of
the work is enough to command the united en-
crgles OF the whole State. The county Of
wayne, IN the State OF Ohio, produced in 1910
according to the census of that year, 1,763741
bushels OF the various ceria grains, wheat, corn
rye &c 1t now, no doubt, produces more than
2,0o0,o0o bushels. The Dcs Moines country
that have here been considering, is decidedly
richer, and more capable of producing these
grains than the county of Wayne; but taking
this as unit, then the area drained by our i'm
provement would, with the same culture. pro.
duce 100000 of bushels This is onlv one
item, to which may be added the wool, potatoes.
nay, apples, manufactured articles; to saw moth.
ing OF the coal, and the mineral products that
Will swell the annual wealth of the country and
enlarge the commerce of the river Settlements
are now rapidly extending over all parts of this
area, and such is the ease of preparing and cul.
II iInr tho 4l,,+T ~
ten years of labor in this section of country. will
40 more towards perfecting farming district,
than can be effected by 40 years of the same a.
mount OF labor applied to heavy timbered coun-
try ike the county of Wayne. Counties on the
Desmones which commenced their settlements
hvc years since, now send off large surplus of
cer'ai grams, besides greater surplus of horses,
peer ca1te and hogs These considerations de-
nonstrate that we cannot easily over-estimate
the products of this country or too soon prepare
market tor It's accommodating surplus.
An important article of commerce on this riv-
er VIII be derived from the mineral products of
the valley to which have before alluded. Stone
coal appears to increase in quantity, and quality
as we proceed up the Des Moines. 1t is found
in many places in bluff banks where it can be
wheeled directly from the mine into a boat; and
we may form some idea of the convenience of
mining, from the fact that with the imperfect ar
engagements now adopted it is delivered at the
mouth of the coal bank at Fort Des Moines. at
two and half cents bushel. This is the bank
belonging to MIR. Van, and suppose is no moro
than fair specimen, since found the strata of
coal in different places to vary from two to eight
feet IN thickness, and this stratum at the Forks
is about feet thick.
AS this Des Moines coal field is the farthest
West, it is Of great importance to the Minssissp
pi valley, and it will be matter of interest con-
nected with the proposed railroad to the Pacific,
since this valley will probably offer the nearest
and most convenient fuel to supply the destitute
country West of the Missouri river.
Gypsum plaster paris) is found near Fort Des
Moines in large cliffs Of inexhaustible masses.
and at present prices in St. Louis, it would be
profitable article ofcommerce if the improvement
were completed The magnetism lime stone and
the white, red, and yellow sand stone which pre-
vail in great abundance along the entire length
of the improvement, are so excellent and SO ca
silly prepared for building purposes, thaEthey
will also some day be carried to towns on the