Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1852-01-06
THE observation-disclosures.

idents of Michigan, were wont so utter uoieIui
savings over the great lack oil conveniences Tor
locomotion in this wooden country OF ours,
which was certainly comparatively destitute OF
the means and appliances Tor comfortable ana
speedy travel, that were SO last coming INTO
vogue at the east, and the enjoyment OF which,
we did so envy our friends and neighbors Oh
York State, and New England.
A few years passed on and our good citizens,
tired Of talking, went to work, and actually |
commenced upon system of improvements,
which are now represented in the magnificent
works known as the Michigan Central and
Southern, and the Detroit, Oakland and Otta-
wa railroads, which, penetrating the most west
erly and northerly sections of our State, and
poino even beyond our own limits, are now
,appnp the resources of our sister Common
wealth of Indiana and Illinois, and will soon
nut our fair Peninsula in communication" as
the mesmerisers say, with Chicago at the west,
and the Ohio and Mississippi rivers at the south
west.
And yet twenty years ago these great enter
prises would have been deemed chimerical, and
but the idle creations of some dreamer's fancy.
Our transition state in these matters, from In
ception to completion, has passed among by
gone things. We possess within our borders,
mighty thoroughfares upon which, for hun
dreds of miles, the iron horse thunders along
with undiminished speed, unhagging, untiring,
to his journeys end. Of course the foresight
and sagacity which projected such stupenduous
works, is beyond all praise, and needs no wordy
eulogum.
We are no longer the West-the "ultima
thule" of eastern imaginings-that honor, if IT
be so deemed, now belongs to our western SIS
tiers, who as yet rejoice in the possession of
"more land to the acre" and fewer railroads
than ourselves. Wisconsin, for instance, who
is younger sister in the confederacy, and lacks
not energy, either, proportionate to her age, is
still where we were found less than a quarter
of century ago. She yet suffers from the
absence of "ways" and means, Of which we
have been boasting, and her complaints are nei-
Their few nor far between.
No idler is she, however, sitting down to
brood over her situation, but, like most young
people of energy, is casting about for the where
with to put improvements in operation. She
has already piece of a railroad running from
Milwaukee q score Of miles inland, and that
she will right speedily, have more than this, may
be reasonably anticipated from the nerve and
spirit with which her public press has taken the
matter in hand, determined that it shall 90. In
an exceedingly able article, and generally to the
point, which we clip from the Madison paper,
we find the following apt and cogcnt sugges-
tons, very much to the purpose:
snow. we have lived some seven years in
this western country-and it was rather ne,o
seven years ago-and Notwithstanding the draw
back for want of avenues to market, the eastern
canal and railroad have helped some 100000
settlers TO reach Wisconsin. Our community
now stand somewhat in the same relation TO
railroads that the inhabitants of western N. Y.
did fifteen yers ago. Present projects look
1arge, Dut, the words or the rrencn Ia
borer who swan from the shore to the ship to
see Kossuth, "there are no obstacles to those
who WILL" The west is not the margin of the
Mississippi. A thousand miles of fertile coun-
try, stretch away to the Rocky Mountains, and
who knows but some modern Swiss republic
will yet establish itself on this rocky barrier,
and discover some Middle Pass to the wilds of
Oregon! The railroads that Wisconsin builds,
will build Wisconsin and more than that, they
will build the West-and if they cost much
money, they will make much money; yea, a
hundred fold. There is no such thing as a ,ceSt
end to such thoroughfares short of the Pacific
and the next generation may see half doz-
en- lines across the continent, as railroads build
their own way, and help make their own bust
ness" Det. Free Press.