The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1857-02-19
[Corrsspondsnce OF the Jourpal]
PORTAGE CITY, wisconsin,


DEAR FRIENp:-I have often thought OF
your articles in the Louisiana papers, years
ago. and have thought how faithfully they
displayed the magic influences Of railroads
and the wonderful power OF Western enter
prise. have witnessed them in actual oper.
alton, and have been astonished at the mirac-
ulous results. We who have had obsrva- I
tons confined for so many years to the slower !
progress in the Southern States, feel as if we
had entered new world Of life and enter
prise when we get into these active and busy
regions Of the Northwest. Here we see
the iron arms of the railroad stretching over
country, that was five years ago. the habita-
ton Of the Indian, bringing TO US the intelli-
gent and respectable farmer and mechanic,
the wealthy merchant and banker, from the
Eastern States, with all their ideas of COM
fort and refnement-and their means of edu-
cation and religion-turning q wilderness in
one season, into the abode Of the civilization
luxury and even fashion and extravagance Of
the old and wealthy Eastern towns. ride
daily through region Of country, that. three
years ago, had never seen the smoke Of a civ
ilized habitation, but which is now filled with
intelligent farmers, and, at every few miles
on the route, villages are rapidly rising with
their bright painted cottages-thcir smart
stores-and tie sound Of the hammer in the
mechanics shop. make one forget that he is
SO close upon the footsteps Of the Indian. AS
the houses and spire Of neat village dissa-
, pear across the prairie behind me, those Of
another rise in the distance. before me as l jog
along through my days journey.
| have located myself at this place portage
City, and began business; for believe in six
months it will be great place. We are on
the summit level between Fox and Wisconsin
rivers, which are, you are aware, united by
canal Of three and a half iciles long. Ono
river, the Fox, flows into the Mississippi
the Wisconsin carries its waters as a tribute
to the great Lakes. often go up to the locks
; and standing on the wall. cast chip into the
canal on one side, and it floats away to the
; majestic Mississippi, and takes it course to
the sunny South" and warm waters of the
Mexican Gulf cast another on the other
side of me and it is borne away by the current
} to the great Lakes, and finally leaps with the
tumbling waters, the mighty cateract Of Mag
, ra and finds the ocean at last, in the frozen
attitudes Of the gulf Of the mighty st. Law
! renee.
often divide the water in my bucket, send
: ing one portion on its long Northwestern jour.
r ney and the other to visit the sugar fields and
/. orange groves Of the South, and then sit and
mediate on the varied and different scenes
the two portions Of the divided element will
n pass through. My heart goes with the South
f ern in It's long journey, recalling each stage
Of its progress. till set again in happy revere
u upon the Old Bluff at Natchez, where oft VIZ
have wandered together, anu sitting again
: with you, watching the fading landscape over
: the cotton fields of Vidalia, as the GLOWING
IL L. 4 al.
!. forgot for while my present Northern lat
itude. Have you fofgot-can the memor,
il ever fade of those happy evenings Of '46 wheI
y Pattison, Edwards, Forshey, and We, gathere,
= upon that lovely spot and forgot in unfiaggin
converse, the hours that tripped SO lightly an,
l. swiftly by? But from these reveries, | wax
10 up in far different scenes and in another eli
ir mate. am in what was but few years az
% the extreme Northern settlement of the Uniol
, on the verge Of civilization. Now, we hav
y" railroads approaching US from three or fou
m directions and in six months will have tn
ID ironh horse snorting through our streets On
is has nearly reached US from Milwaukee on il
rl way to La Crosse. Another is coming up Z
W us from Chicago and the South. 1t cost
nc now Sl,75 per TOO lbs for freight from New
G. York. when the railroad is finished and tn
IN Lakes are open so cents will cover all charge:
This will give new stimulus to emigration
Property is now selling here for sixty dol
We lars per front foot on the streets, and eve
lots still in the woods, one mile from the cen
he tire Of the town towards the proposed depo
:; range from S25 to $50 per foot and beior
next summer will be double that price. Lii,
ing is actually dearer here than in New o,
leans, yet money seems to be so easily mad,
e' and SO abundant that people don't stop
on count the expenses Of living. II you wish {
he make q rapid fortune come up here. Th
a. people and the country are going ahead in az
nd cordance with your ideas of progress. Pei
~ haps even you might find it difficult to kee
e IF pace in the race we are running, and would
rs compelled to fall back into the ranks of til
do 'old fogies"
ar We have another scheme on hand whic
m. has been undertaken by some wealthy mel
n. 1t is to deepen our present canal, connectin
IN the Fox and Wisconsin rivers, so as to adm
ira steamers drawing three and half and four fet
ot Of water, and to pass from the Lakes to tl
N. Mississippi river. The contract stipulat
n. that the work shall he done in two veal
-. from last November. When this is complete
e a. vessel or steamer leaving Buffalo, can bria
he her cargo to outdoors; or passing US can carr
;er freight to any point on the Mississippi rive
w or it's tributaries, without breaking bulk;
-. any inhabitants on the Upper Mississippi ca
"a. ship their productions through this canal [
"a Buffalo, or send it to Montreal or Quebec b
4. the steamers that pass our locks. We talk
-. importing our crockery. hardware and otht
no heavy goods direct from England via the
% Lawrence. A cut Of four feet only unites tn
"a waters of the Wisconsin. flowing South wit
NJ the waters of the Fox, flowing Northwest
NC In high freshets, before the country was Sc
. tied. their waters mingled and spread over tn
intervening prairie. Nature is so bountifl
here in all her provisions for the advancener
of man, it seems to me like the mctaphoric
al Garden Of Eden, in which he was commando
rit ITO pluck and eat" Men have only
rat stretch forth their hands here and they al
N filled with riches. But tire you with m
gossip. "When shall we three meet again!
"o | mean Forshey, you and Twill it be und,
ny the Masnolias and on the rich Bermuda C ,rp