Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1852-01-20
esg- We publish on our fourth page of this


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~ We publish on our fourth page of this
weeks issue, an interesting article on the in
creasing prosperity Of the West, from the Chi
cago journal. A stranger at first sight and
thought, would pronounce this highly wrought
picture, but it is certainly short of truthful re-
atty, glowing as the picture is drawn. 1t would
not appear like a truthful picture to one Of the
intelligent, observing officers of SCOTS army,
that traversed the plains and prairies from Chi
cago westward in the year 1882, in the pursuit
of Black Hawk and his band. Should one of
these gentlemen, now, after the lapse Of short
score of years, return to take view Of the pla-
ces where he expected momentarily fight with
a band Of the then wild men Of northern Illinois,
called the Sacs and Foxes, he would only know
the country by its outlines and general features
Such visitor would exclaim, not even one half
has been told me. The Journal will be obi
ged to try again.
We recollect we'll the picture drawn in an off
hand, unexpected extempore speech, made by
his Honor the late THEoPHILUs w. SMITH, at
the breaking ground of the Illinois and Michi.
gan canal, at Center Port, in July 1885. His
Honor being called from the crowd to address
the audience present, and after making few
preliminary remarks, dashed off in happy man.
ner in describing the great Northwest Terri
ritory, as it was fifty years previous to that time
In his retrospective view, he wildly painted the
rise and progress, amidst difficulties and dam
gers to its then prosperous state. He then al
lowed himself to float Off in 4 graceful, happy
manner into fifty years prospective view of
the region of Chicago and its environs. He
said "at the end of fifty years from this time,
you that are then living, can take position up
on one of yonder eminences, and from there
look down upon the great city of Chicago and
count It's hundred and one lofty domes and
spires, and upon this wild country now sur
rounding the city and count its cattle, not by
hundreds, but by thousands and tens of thou
sands, with its waving fields of grain of every
variety of hue, with this great work which we
have this day commenced, then teenling and
bearing to the full extent of its capacity, into
the lap and gamers of your beautiful city; ev-
every variety of produce from the sunny South
and the tropics, with your railways verging from
the common and natural centre of your then
great city, toward every point of compass ex-
cept across the pure, blue, limpid waters Of your
great lake, which will then be whitened by
thousands of sail floating uponit its bosom, bear
ing into your city then of = population Of one
million, the products of every cline upon the
face of this beautiful globe of ours"
Such was the picture drawn by Judge SMITH,
seventeen years since. Who among the living
of the present day, doubts the complete fulfill
ment of this vision or prophecy? If there are
any such, he or she should have been born and
lived out their time two hundred years since,
when it was customary to grind their corn meal
and rye -four with mortar and pestlc, and
when the fabrics Of which their clothing was
made were all worked by hand from their natu-
raj state, without the aid of machinery. Steam
and lightning are working wonders without
number, under the skill and guidance of man.
The mind of man is not prolific enough to tru-
ly imagine and foretel what this great old
NORTHWEST country of ours will be fifty years
hence. The Chicago Journal man can only try.
Suppose you do, sir
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