Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1856-12-13
LETTER FROM ILLINOIS,


ten to the editor of the Clarksburg Register,
by Col. Ben. Wilson, of Clarksburg, who
has recently returned from visit to Hi
nois:
CuIeAeo, H., Nov. 9Th, 1856
| Cot. CecPfR ~ have speilt several DAYS
in this rapidly growing commercial metrop-
oils, on My return homo from Iowa it is,
indeed, a FIST. place--exhibiting 'feore encr-
gy, enterprise and industry ram | have
ever seen Twenty Eve years $50, the town
could have beer nnrchusod fer s., 500; now,
TT contains population q oFerone hundred
thousand souls, and possesses more wealth
than any city of its size in the I. States
Already il has the largest grain market ard
t,the second lumber lserket u the saalt, 81,
yields . Larger Post 0fioe revenue than,any
other city in tl.e Union-New York, Phiia-
delphia and Baltimore not excepted. It +
situate at the Western terminus Of nearly g
thousand miles of Lake connection, and is
the concentrating point for nearly all the
Important railroads that are 50 extensively
ramifea throughout the vast end fertile
country north, west and east of it. 1t IS
therefore on the line of traEel FROM the East
to the West, and the point of trans 3ipmcnt
for the exports and imports of that great
Northwestern portion Of the country. In
dependent of all other considerations, these
alone must increase and ever perpetuate is
greatness. Grain is always being shipped
in large quantities from this point to Lon
don direct, By way Of the Lakes and st.
Lawrence, for 10 cents per LOG pounds.
Heretofore the value of the We.ieln lands
has been regulated by the home demand foE
the products of the soil now, that an ave
nue. is opened to the markets Of the world
that brings the far West into fair COMPETE
ton with the Atlantic States, what Is % BE
tie increase estimate placed upon her ter
rtory, time alone can show. | am informed
that over one hundred different trains OF
cars arrive at and depart from this place
daily. The tide of emigration is without a
parallel. The Western bound cars present
"a grand stampede of human souls, rushing
to the great West to participate in the har-
vest of this country of Undesirable produc-
tivcness while the Eastern boVnd trains
present 'beggarly account OF empty seats,
With HeTc dUu tHeFc II 1fdNtlltF.
The public and private buildings are Of
The most fashionable and costly character.
The city is well laid off. lighted with Gas, and
presents neat and imposing appearance.
Since the 1st of Jan, 1856 there have been
constructed and 'coinpldfod >effhls.si,e enrp9-
rate limits of the city. 8 so houses III fusi
is greater now than it has ever been. Rent
are high-too high j: ore Of he. first class
stores in Clarksbusg wf1ld rent here fer
twenty-five hundred dollars year. 1t ~
hours in the day and every part Of the
city can seen a constant rush OF business
STEAMBOATS, and ears constantly arriving
I md ticpasting-- omniB6sses, carriages, drays
and hacks crowdng streets and ohstruetina
passways-2, 40 is the slowest time known
in this place; Merchants, Steehsnis, Bank
kers, Brokers, Lawyers and Doctors are
crowded with business, presenting perfect
beehive of business, each sneculatne upor
the other, and all deriving their Substance
from the man Of toll it may be said OF
them, in the language of an Irish poet;
''Some Hcas have othcr.feas 70 bite EN-,
And thus tiey go on, od isfuitea,."
I.haveseen but one man drunk in thc
city and he was on a flying visit to the
wateh-house, with police attendant under
each arm Here business exists to an al
most unlimited extent, and money changes
hands daily--not by the hundred or then
sand. bit by the million During the last
spring vacant lot of niety feet front sold
for ninety thousand dollars. It has since
been sold for one hundred and eighty thou
sand, and has house 'upon it areaily COM
plcte1 hy the recent purchaser. that vii cost
one hundred thousand more When WIS.,
tied here in June last | could have purchas-
ed house and lot in the rear part Of the
city for eight thousand five hundred dollars
it has since been sold for fifteen thousand
cash | am informed that h speeulatorre-
Gently employed young attorney to ines
tigatc the title of some city lots, which was
dore, and a purchase of them made for a
nominal sum, shat will yield nett profit of
two hundred and ffty,thonsand dollars. -
The attorney and client differed, about the
fee, when the former instituted a suit, and
recovered nineteen thousand dollars for Iii,
professional services. Might not stick a
pin here, and step2 9'ut another instance
y distinguished statesman Of this city, whose
name is intimately connected with the re-
cent history and best Interest OF the country,
purchased some property few years since,
adjoining the city, for eleven Thousand dol
lars; since that time railroad has been
constructed across 1.-THE COMPANY paying
him twenty-five thousand dollars damages
he has since sold a fragment Of that proper
ty for ninety thousand dollars and yet re-
tains the most desirable portion tof Tecada-
toe.
4 railroad company. recently procured
the assessment Of damages to the owner ola
twenty acre lot for the passage Of heir rail-
road through 1.-THE commissioners ONLY al
lowed him forty thousand dollars dam
ages, from which he appealed. The sub
iect matter. was referred to asabitrators,
who have since allowed han over fifty
thousand dollars.
mention these as few Of the Instances
thatare constantly arising, to show you soine-
thing of the business importance Of .shia
place. .s.v
The State of Illinois has moe Grille
lands susceptible of civilizations and, losI
that IS untillable than any other State in the
Union, and has the capacity to sustain Il
larger population than amy her sister States.
A lone lis .bor,IarS aud ,uithin itS En,;tS 90,