Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1851-12-10
Progress Of the West.

We Of the West are enphatically a fast pco.
ple;" We only require to be set .airly a.going,
and whatever the work in hand may be,
from the building Of a pig stye to the construc.
ton Of railroad, We doit in double quick time.
Within the memory Of persons not yet past the
middle Of life, Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, and
a large portion OF Indiana. were almost unin.
habited by the whites, whilst Iowa and Wis
consin were occupied exclusively by savagcs.
Within the few years which have since inter-
vcncd, Indiana has acquired a population Of
over million; Illinois $50 900; Missouri 100 900,
whilst Iowa. Wisconsin and Michigan are close
upon their heels In the same space Of time,
Indiana has constructed over 1000 miles Of
railroad. and will soon have double that guam
tity. Illinois has built her magnificent canal,
and within the next five years will have more
than a thousand miles Of railroad in operation
Michigan hsAnyer Aye hundred miles Of rail
zaxlty Sxssadlns the =
now building five hundred miles Of railroad
whilst Iowa is entering upon such improve
mcnts with great energy and zeal. How many
farms have been opened, how many churches
and school houses have been erected, how ma
ny noble cities have grown up, how many steam
boats have been built, how much actual wealtl
quirc. But the world has never witnessed sucl
progress in any ot~or portion of the globe
Nor has it been slckly, hot-b growth, dcs
tined to a short life and speedy decay. On The
contrary, it has been the result of purely naiu
raj causcs-a temperate and heathful climate
fertile SOIL the finest rivers in the world, and
a geographical position which gives us the com.
mand OF the markets both at the North and
South. In addition to all this, we have mex.
haustible minera treasures of every variety
and, found in almost every locality 1t is no.
difficult, therefore, to account for western pro,
gress Men are prompted by the strong motive
of self-interest, to abandon the crowded cities
the worn out fields and densely populated dis.
tricts of older countries, to breathe fresh, in.
yigorating air, to turn up the virgin soil, and
exhnme the hidden treasures of this glorious
Western land. The new scenes in which they
are placed, the broad theatre which is opened
before them for industry and enterprise tn.
rich rewards it promises to sagacity and skill
inspire them with renewed energy, and prompts
them to undertakings which, under any Other
circumstances, they would not have dreamed
OF. Hence, it is no unusual thing to find at Tho
West men distinguished for energy and enter
prise, who, before they came here, were not a
all remarkable for these qualities. Everything
here is progressive, and men catch the spiri
of the age, and become themselves unconscious
| ly progressive. This state of things must con
tinue for many years to come. Indeed, tn
West is every day becoming more and more at
tractive, not only to the people Of the East an
South. but to the inhabitants of Europe; and
etide Of population ard wealt
0II Ddf into the Valley of The Missis
sippi, within the next twenty years, will almos
defy belief The early emigrants had to en-
counter the hardships and peri of a frontie
! life. Those who come hereafter will encounte
none of these prvations. They will find land
marvellously rich, at a very low price, inter
secied with railroads, and with all the advan
tages of cheap living good markets, an abun
dance of churrhes and school houses, and cul
tiyated society. What more could the hear
of man desire? Twenty years hence, those O
us who survive that period, will look back t.
the present condition of things with more as
tonishment than we now do The state of affair
twenty years sincc.-St. Louis lnelligencer.