Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1852-07-07
WESTERN NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..

WESTERN ENTERPRlSE-kAlL
During q recent hasty journey through the
northern portion of the Great West, we saw
much to interest and crafty the mind upon all
matters pertaining to the general progress OF
the nation and while the East-the seaboard--
maintains the supremacy in many important par
ticulars, yet with the rapidly opening facilities
for transit, the Western World must soon out
strip us in all the elements of substantial great
ness.
There is no country which so much demands
the influence of the railway, as that which lies
beyond the eastern shore of Lake Erie and its
southerly ne,dividing the State OF Pennsylvania
with Ohio, Virginia, and Kentucky. This fact
is now we'll understood, and the eastern capital
list is turning his attention to this important SUBJ
ject Although comparatively an uncultivated
wild, especially beyond the western line of Ohio,
inviting only to those fond of the rugged but
substantial realities of life, yet withal there is
an increasing pressure westward, and an in
ternal channel through Indiana and Illinois, to
the Mississippi, would command an immense
business both in passengers and freight. The
inhabitants of the West are alive to this truth,
and an animated struggle is going on in the
more important western towns in this respect.
The Michigan Central Line Of railroad, which
passes through the State to the Lake, consttu-
tes an important link, connecting us with Chic
ago and the northern country in most easy
and rapid manner. The stock in this market
commands its par value. This, however, did
not fully answer the public demand, and to COM
plete more easy access to Chicago, road has
Just opened from Toledo, Ohio, to Chicago,
distance Of GAG miles, passing through coun-
try Astounding in unsurpassed agricultural rich
ness. The stock of this road commands, in
this market, from $15 to $l8 per share above
par, and we think Justly so, for the road must
of necessity, constitute the terminating link in
the great chain stretching from New York and
Philadelphia northwest The cost of building
and keeping in repair all western roads, must
be great deal less than eastern roads, as the
grading is comparatively easy and timber plen-
ty, convenient, and almost costless, while, ut
the present price of real estate, the right of way
can be negotiated upon very favorable terms.
People are getting tired of canal and steam
boat travelling, they are too slow for the pro-
gressive spirit of the age, and must soon be for
gotten in the great rush. We had, in our jour-
ney, an opportunity of testing the three sys-
tens leaving New York by the Hudson River
road for Albany, via the Great Central Line for
Buffalo, we were compelled to cross the angry
Lake, and, not feeling satisfied with what we
had experienced, we journeyed down from To-
ledo to Fort Wayne, Ind, a distance I04 miles,
on the Wabash and Erie Canal. This latter
place is very important growing town, and the
people, for while, remained satisfied to reach
the lake in from twenty-four to forty-eight hours
but a new spirit infused into them, and they are
actively engaged in building railway, east, to
Crestline, l3l miles into Ohio, connecting with
other roads from the East, and survey is, we
understand, going forward for road to Tole-
do, somewhere in the vicinity of the canal. At
first it would seem that it would not pay,-lo-
cally it would not at present. but the travel is i'm
mense, and considering how cheap road can
be constructed, we think it must soon become
for it cannot stop here, but must
find its way to Lafayette and end at ST. Louis.
We speak of these localities from personal
observation, but the remarks are applicable to
the West generally, where villages are spring
ing up under the influence of the surplus emf |
grafton, which must overflow from the Atlantic |
cities, and it is indeed surprising how able and
robust men can hang about this city, drinking |
the very dregs of poverty, when such rich field
for independent labor is open at the West.
Scientific American.
IN