The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1851-09-19

places mere depots for the eimmediate sicini-
ties, and Buffalo, Cleveland and Toledo will
be tho Lake cites. II may be asked-if this
is true--why Toledo shouldnoa be solar be-
hind with the great natural facilities here
represented and claimed for herG The ques-
ton IS easily answered An effort on the
part Of half "a dozen rival manufacturing
Companies tebuild each city for themselves
has been the cause, until hundreds Of thou
sands Of dollars have been squandered and
each Company running itself, and in turn
breaking everybody that had any thing to do
with them except at Toledo the location
designated by nature for thsplace. The whole
country between here and Maumee city, dis
tance Of 10 or IL miles, has been laid out in
as many different cities, thousands expended
and at last abandoned. Then there was Man
haitian, still below this and nearer the Lake,
where more than half million was expend-
ed--a bank created, the country flooded with
its worthless promises to pay, and finally
bank, city and company all blew up, and
neither company, city or bank could be exca-
waited from the ruins, as easily as theihouses,
banks and monuments of the ancient city of
Pompeii are brought to light, where they have
been slumbering for ages beneath the burning
81 u . :. a Z. " r. .
lava. Thisis the reason why nothing COM
Iparatiyely has been accomplished here's
Wealthy companies were fighting each other,
while Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, Milwau-
XII, by concentration Of their energies and
capital, have been enabled to build large cit
les, while Toledo, with better advantages,
has advanced but little. That time is now
passed, however, lawsuits are all settled, the
titles, too, are all established, and Toledo is
to be the western city of Lake Erie. That is
a fixed fact, and no company can now be
found fool-hardy enough TO attempt the ex-
pertinent of another Manhattaa, or any Of the
other dozen cities above mentioned. The en-
terprise, wealth, and energy, that is now'con-
centrated here, is acting in pefect harmony,
and in few years Toledo will rival Detroit,
and be second to no city on the Lake except
Buffalo. Another drawback to this section
Of country, is the large tracts of land, owned
by wealthy companies, most of whom are
non-residents, and who hold it at prices SO
much higher than emigrantS can purchase Of
government, that they will not purchase here;
hence, large portions of the county remain
unsettled and as wild as they were hundred
years ago, except the Iron Horse screaming
through here and there, or the plank roadsand
canals, upon which so many thousands pass
by, and go to the more distant localities, not
SO inviting or advantageous.
Another reason that | will mention, is,
that the rival cities Of Sandusky and Detroit,
and indeed all the little petty cities of the
woods, have seconded the cry, "that Toledo
was the graveyard Of Ohio" and that il
man was going there he had better take his
coffin on his back. People heard this so Of
ten from the runners of steamboats, who
were interested in getting emigrants to take
the longest passage--heard it from hired or
deceived press and from all the surrounding
cities-that the country not only began to
believe-it but the citizens of Toledo them
selves, did not know but what there might
be some truth in the perpetual clamor. bu.
upon investigation it is found so far from.
the graveyard represented, it is the most
healthy city on the Lake. During six weeks
Of this summer, when it ought to be sickly
if it ever is, there has beeU but one person
buried, and that child-lrom population
Of five thousand. | ascertained this from
an old citizen and gentleman every way
reliable. 1t is much healthier than our
place, or any Of the cities on the Lake, San
dusky not excepted-where man had the
goodness to advise me to take my coffin
with me if was going to Toledo. All this
kind of blowing has been done for effect
and wealthy steamboatand railroad compa-
nies-and rival cities could well afford to do
it, whenit was source of such profit to
them. I'think ii one Of the best places fol
The investment Of capital in the whole wes-
tern country, and would advise persons be-
fore going further west to come aud see for
themselves. But more of this anou.
promised to say something about the mo-
nopoly and dangerous encroachment of rail-
road companies upon the right of the people,
especially the great Michigan railroad COM
pany, but did not think of it until just this
minute, and like my promise about Niagara,
you must wait, Good night, JIM. A.
frightful railroad accident occur red on
tba Ea,,a.n IMaaaA p.;1.oaI on S....l