The emigrant aid journal of Minnesota. [volume] (Nininger City, Minn. Terr. [i.e. Minn.]) 1856-1858, 1857-08-15

nODuldttHE tCScItS III ''tff ~ " H''N "AE'N"
law.
In addition to this mysterious impulse, men turn, IN
our own country, from the densely populated states OF
the East in obedience to interests which are explicab'c
and apparent.
Boundless fields are open to them virgin soils invite;
Il country, beautiful as any upon which the sun shines,
displays its interrupted beauties and limitiess resources
to all who can appreciate.
Uither flock the men of small means but daring souls,
who have determined to carve for themselves an honor
able fortune. A benign government offers to them a
property at much less than its value, when we consider
the natural enhancement consequent upon the quadru-
ping of the quantity Of gold. Although Ignorant OF
the cause, they ali feel and know that that which five
wears ago cost one dollar and twenty-five cents, is now
worth three dollars an acre.
This single consideration enables us to understand
much of the rapid rise in the value of western proper
ty. 1t starts from below its value and must make a
rapid stride toward it's real valne. These same consi-
rations also affect the prices OF city property.
Men, who forget tie increase Of gold and the aston
isIing influx OF population into our western States, can
not comprehend the amazing enhancement Ill value OF
western property. They Judge all things by the standard
Of the past, and measure all things by the standard of
eastern progress. No doubt there is much unjustifiable
speculation in the West, and no doubt these vaticina-
tons are correct in reference to many town sites of spe-
culators yet the bursting of many such air bubbles
proves nothing as to those seats of trade which geogra-
phical position and natural causes point out as future
centres OF commerce.
We will instance St. Paul. 1t is the head of navi-
cation on the Mississippi aud thus connected with rivers
which afford IN the aggregate twenty thousand miles OF
navigable water. TO the north OF this navigation there
lie six hundred miles of arabic land, which, even to the
SeIk;rk settlement in the Rritish nnsSnssinna nrna"nnS
fndian corn 10 the westward extends q fertile country
which for more than a Thousand miles is capable OF sup
porting ii dense population
Wisconsin ana Minuesota contain the great body Of
timber, and almost the only timber in the West, and so
to say, are the timber granary Of the Mississippi States;
all this must rebound 70 the advantage OF st. Paul and
assist in its growth. All produce going into TINS I'M.
nense territory from the South, or taken away from
the North or Vest for Il southern market must pass
through St. Paul, the head of navigation. The early
period at which Lake Pepin is frozen over and the late
period at which the ice is broken may divert Il large
trade in certain seasons to some point below the Lake,
possibly Teepeotah, which is opposite a formidable bar
in the river. However this may be, the tendency OF
our %algumenti is simply to show that IN this immediate
neighborhooJ a great city must arise.
Water communicates is VIGOROUSLY cheaper than
land. This fact is the secret OF the unexampled growth
of a Cincinnati, a Louisville, St. Louis and a Chicago.
Hitherto Chicago has been tho w~esternmost point from
which a great trade could depart and reach. The
sluggish Chicago river aud the navigation OF the lakes,
assisted by a necessary consequence Of Railways, have
been the cause that this city has afforded an unexampled
career of growth and prosperity. Hence has been dis
tributel the merchandise of the East it has been a cen
ter from which eastern goods, coming over the inland seas,
have radiated to the varlons points already settled IN
the njaut West. We repeat, Chicago has been the Ill
innate limit to which eastern and European trade could
reach by water communication. From these causes It's
rapid rise.
But since the completion OF the canal around the
Sault Ste. Marie, u navigation Is extended many nun
dreds of miles farther into the heart of the American
continent, and the westcrninost extremity OF Lake SUI
De,ior is nearly the same distance from Erie, Oswego,
Montreal, Quebec and the Ocean, as is Chicago. Since
the completion of the canals and the opening of an un-
INTERRUPTED navigation to the Ocean, the minds OF men
have been turned in q different direction which we can
understand by the following item OF news:
"CtIcAGo AND EAvEnrooI"-A barque of 300 tups
burden, capable Of taking 10000 bushels Of grain, and
intended as the first OF IA line to run from Chicago to
Liyernool. was launched at Chicago on the 4th. She
was expected to be ready to sail by the 10th INST, and
will take a cargo Of pipe-stavcs, and return with a cargo
Of non and crockery for Western merchants. This
yessc! is named the {. J. Kershaw and is built for a
fast s~ailer.- STATES.
The necessities Of inter European and American trade
haze called up a direct communication between the cen
tire of our continent and the great marts OF European
commerce; Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Bal
timore have developed by reason OF their position as
Intermediates between the old world and the Harvest
of the new
Il is the trade Of the West that has made them what
thev are Their networks of Railroads and their efforts
70 absorb western trade have been directed in accordance
with these IDEAS. They have levied a tax upon the
agricultural products and the merchandise which has
passed through these tell houses of commerce. The
taxes which they have levied and the commissions
they have distracted have been the basis of their
metropolitan growth. 4,
But as water seeks its level, trade has now found
its natural channel, and Chicago is the first to feel
this result of the unalterable laws of commerce. To
avoid the oncrous exactions Of New York tranship-
ments and the commissions of New York merchants
and because Of the ruinous cost of transportation by
land, ships must ply between the centre OF the CONT
ncnt and Europe But Chicago is not the western
most limit of water-navigation and can be the dis
tributinc point of only a small area. Goods intended
for districts west of this, will seek the heart of the
western hemisphere and avail themselves, to the ut
most limit, of this easy mode of transportation. The
sails which swe!lel to the breeze which blew over Al
bion's shores or the luxuriant plains of Italy must
carry unaisturbed cargoes to Superior City Or Fond
du-Lac.
Here then it would seem the great city of the Anne
rican continent should be located and the great centre
of commercial interchange find its site. But the winds
from the lake are hyperborean; the soil is sterile the
country is unfruitful ard the near back ground Is a
marsh. The great heart metropolis cannot be founded
anywhere around the extremity Of Lake Superior
The proper position must be sought inland and upon