The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1851-04-19
From the Washington Republic.
Railroads of the West,

we are indebted 10 WthtglRss Western Path
RndeT, very useful business iDrln4l published
at Cincinnati, Ohio, for large cuiorcd map meas.
urins !1rty-one by thirty seven inches showing the
various railroad Ia Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, and
p1rlial views Of those in the southern part Of
Michigan aud Wisconsin, the eastern border Of
Missouri and Iowa. and the northern border Of
Virgin aud Kentucky, in which ure distinguished
the railroads which are finished ar nearly so, iiom
those which are proposed or n process uf con.
strucuCn. The map has been copied from one
Prepared with great care and labor by a. ".
Gilbert, Esq, civil engineer sni is published with
his permission.
From this Hap may be perceived what aston.
!shlns energies have been eXerted IN the western
States to form conyinient outlets for he immense
products which produced from their wonderful
fertility of roll and snlubrousness Of climate, and
ln!ets for the very large merchan,able commu-
dltIes which are received in return. Of the lon
ger ct these ruuies--a large portion Of which is
completed, and the rest rapidly approaching con .
pletl0li--it were MvIdiCu2 10 claim a preference
Each has doubtless its advantages. aud We think
mot oi them are destined 10 de- very largo hu,i.
ness, especially those running f0m east 20 the
wet, The lea!uu,les which some Of them hav.
engcnceted at the commencement and which
have ia some instances helped toretari their con.
siruclon, Will give way TO the satisfaction which
must eie long result in their joint pro-p perity.
lhe-e remarks apply, Of course to tie great ar,
cIies oi trade aud not to collateral roads which
may u inay not bo eEsinenlly sugcsss.l! accor.
ding To circumstances
Taking ,hcrn up in tho order in which they
present themselves on the map, first is the great
route which has been dcnUmmAtrd tie Straight.
hGe railroad 1t commences Mt Baltimore and
runs thence through Cumberland. Three Forks
Fhrkersb1rg, Be pre- CEillicothe, Cincinnati, YIN
Genes, and ST Louis, To the western boundary oi
Missouri, whcncc it's expected al suHc not very
remote day 10 extend 70 the Pacific. Then tAcre
= tie great Ceu;eral route, which commencing
VI'h Tie Baltimore and Ohio road from Baltimore
10 Wheeling, VIA Three Forks, runs from Wheel.
| ny TO 2sursyiie; from GAINESVILLE hy u southern
route To Cincinnati, but by The great Crnrcral route
10 Newark, where II Is iHtersectcl by the Pitts.
burgh route from the east, and the Sanlusky
roG:e from the north thence To Columbus, where
! II Is inicr,eCtrd by the Cleveland route on the
one band, aud tie Neula on the Other from
Columbus, they Crnturg, route uursurs It, course
| hy one way To trbana, Pigua, and GrrcuyilIc, to
Wuecesier, wbGrc /, lutersec,s the 3, lfuutaine
ro1t, aud continues with il 10 Indianapolis. and
by another runs to DAYTON, pari. Richmond. Cen.
;reviiic Cambridge Kuightstovu, 10 INDIANAPOLIS;
and here ~ less than seven roads concentrate. one
oiwhlch t~ Central, which continues To Terra
Haute. hcnrc 10 NandaIia aud thence 10 St Lou
Is, ami nu"ilcr runs to Chicago, aud thence To
p1veEsport Iowa, by one route. and by another,
ihe grynt Central Illinois ro.tr, 30 Cairo The
PrnnSy Ivar'a and Ohio railroad TUas from phi,a.
dr'pha To Plusburg, and reaches Cluo al Wells
vile, whence Il runs through northern Ohio to
Fort Wayne, and thence 20 Warsaw, IN Indiana,
which l. rs far rs it Is projected 1t the present
time. Of the runtcS commencing further noril
are the great New York and Ene road which
run' from the city OF New York to Dunkitk On
Lake Erl", aud thence communicates hy water
wlth the Cleveland and CounLu, route. md al.
50 wl'hthe MchiEpn Central route irum Detroit
To Chicago, thence To Davenport, and with the
Michigan Southern route from Monroe, via 81
Jnsrrhs to Chicago aud thence 10 Rock Island
Davenport, luway CITY, Council Bluff. &c.. and
the Massachusetts,, Albany. and Bu.riu road,
which toy the lake communicates In the same man.
urr with the same points.
y" American can look nt these stuponiou,
worl--'ot no castles in the mir. Of doubtful exc.
cu'iun, but many Of them completed and all in n
greater or less state Of progression, aud carried
on IN u great measure by priyPte cn,crprs,--
without feeling proud TIA, he is an American.
Thousands aud thousands ,fmilcs are acromulisl.
ed millions upon millions ofdunars arc expended
and my rlad, ui sulwarl arms, ~ well ~ numerous
minds. are employed in this great sys
TEN Of internal Improvements, which lind. rur
Cun'"deucy together with band, nl iron, md
with band, that are stronger ,hau irun, and Which
time only s'rcreihens--O community cfmt,rcs,
and a community ofwucSamp!cd prosperity