The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-02-13
Indiana I'm 1850.

Samuel Merrill, formerly President Of the State
Bank of Indiana, and afterwards President of the
Madison and Indianapolis Railroad, has communi-
Gated some interesting statistics of that rapidly
growing State, in letter TO Hamilton Smith, which
is published in the Cannelton Economist
Mr.. Merrill puts the total population Of the State
on the lst Of July last, at ,025 900. Steamboat
navigation (the Oho) on the southern border @,
the State, cat least eleven months in the year" 37C
miles; on the Wabash, ''for about four months in
the year., $50 miles; the St. Joseph, "for about
six MONTHS 20 miles; Lake Michigan, 81
miles-making total Of TO miles of steamboat
navigation. The fat boat navigation is stated a
$50 miles. II consists, in addition to the Ohio
Wabash and St. Joseph, above mentioned, of th,
following particulars: White river, four months
so miles; West Fork, two months, 235 miles
East Fork, two months, l75 miles, Muskakitack k
one month, rs miles, Potoka, three months, 81
miles; Anderson, two months, 30 miles; Yer
million, two months, 20 miles; Tippccanoe three
months, rs miles; Kankakce, six mohths, 100 miles
Fallow, three months, 80 miles.
Indiana has the following railroads and parts O,
railroads completed-yiz; Madison and Indanapo-
lis, SO miles; Shelbyville Brunch, I6 miles: New
Albany and Salem, 80 miles; Jacksonville and Co
lumbus, 20 miles; Shelbyvie and Rushville, 20
miles; Shelbyyille and knightstown, 26 miles; La
fayette and indianapolis, (north end,) 30 miles;
Peru and Indianap polls, (south end,) % miles.
indianapolis and Bellefontaine, % miles; Terre
Haute and indianapolis, (west end.) 80 miles; max
ing n total Of railroads completed 323 tniles (The
railroad from Lafayette 10 Cravfordsville, 2s
miles, has been put under contract, and Mr.. M
says Of the So miles Of the Indianapolis and Belle
lontaine road, not included above. '.the whole will
soon be completed" In addition, Mr.. NJ. saws:
Surveys have bee n made 10 extend the New Al
bany and Salem Railroad TO Bedford 30 milcs on
the whole route from Jacksonville 10 Columbus
about 40 miles beyond the part under contract The
Lafayette and indianapolis Railroad has been sur
veyed to this place. (Indianapolis,) % miles in all
The Peru and indianapolis ditto, 20 miles in all
The Terre Hautc and Indianapolis ditto 10 miles
in ALL These last two roads will progress 10 COM
pletion, but not rapidly"
The agricultural products Of Indiana last year
Mr.. Merrill estimates at 45,000. 900 bushels corn,
5000, 600 bushels wheat, $1,000 900 bushels oats
rye, barley, &c. Hogs fattened last year 300 600
head, Of which he supposes $50 900 were exported
Average price Of wheat through the State ffty
cents near a market il was from sixty TO seventy
cents per bushel, remote from market forty cents;
corn from ten 10 thirty cents, according 10 stua
ton. Hay IL stated TO average in price 81 per ton
Beef and pork are put at 81 so TO So 90 per one
hundred lbs.
There is much irregularity in the assessments of
property for taxation. Mr.. Merrill tllnks that real
estate IL assessed at about wo-thirds its actual
value. On this the State, county, and road taxes
amount 10 aboutforty cents on the lO0 OF twenty.
six and one third cents on the actual value
OF the p 100000 acres of land in the State Mr.
Merrill represents that Ia 200 900 acres ia
farming land, 4,45O, 900 inferior farming land AMI
], Z 80 900 refuse land