The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1857-06-15
The Present Growth and Future Prospects OF
Evansville,

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and rapid growth Of our city, in the surest
way to wealth and permanent prosperity,
will surprise great many of our own citi-
Sens, who have been inclined to croak because
we have not kept pace with the mushroom
growth Of some of the towns on the Missis
sippi and Missouri. AS encouraging as the
enumeration of our correspondent is, it does
not embrace all the new manufacturing en-
terprises inst starting. Among other omis-
sions he has forgotten the Paper Mill, which
is nearly completed, built by two practical
men, who have made their own steam engine
and boiler, and manufactured all of their
own machines on the spot, without sending |
scarcely a dollar abroad.
f. Y. CARLILE, Eso.-Evansville has long /
given promise of being the commercial CAPT
tai of Indiana, but her recent coal deyelope-
ments, and late manufacturing tendencies,
are fast giving her an importance not to be
derived from mere commercial position.
With this new stimulus, Notwithstanding
years of drought, short crops, and unPrece-
dented interruption to Ohio navigation, fol-
lowed by great monetary pressure, under
which influences other prominent cities and
towns ON the Ohio have languished, Evans
Vile has grown in population, wealth, and
business, every successive year. 1t has not
been the magic growth of some of the Upper
Mississippi cities, but it has been q steady,
vigorous, healthy growth, which has no ex-
ample on the Ohio river between Cincinnati
and its mouth; and none on the Mississippi
between st. Louis and New Orleans, except
ing the city of Memphis. The opening of
the Memphis and Charleston Railroad has
done great things for Memphis, in making
her an intermediate depot for the travel and
traffic between the North and the South.
The opening of the Henderson and Nashville
Railroad, which has been rendered certain at
an early day, will give us an Evansville and
Charleston Railroad, and bring us within
Just the same number of miles of Charleston,
or Savannah, that Memphis now is. To the
completion of this great route, Evansville
looks with deeper interest than to that o..
any other public work in which she is inter
ested
But it is not to Railroads, however import
ant they may be to her, not to mere highways
Of travel or traffic passing through her, that
Evansville has to look for the chief source of
her prosperity and greatness. She must look
20 her future success chiefly to her workshops,
md manufactures, and size is already turn
ng her chief attention in the right direction.
In 1855, her manufactures of various kinds
were respectable, and begun to make a new
era in her history, but in 1855 her manufac-
turing power and force, in the starting OF
new establishments and in additions to old
ones, Just about doubled. During the pres
ent year, 1857, her machinery and manufac-
turing force will again double. Those who
have not inquired into this matter will think
am extravaganza, but they only have to in
quire to be satisfied.
Amongst the new establishments starting
this year, are n corn starch factory; small
rolling mill; two distilleries-one of them &
very extensive one-a mandatory of car
riage hubs, spokes, shafts, &C.; tan yard
and curriers' shop, by parties from New Jer-
sey, embracing the latest improvements. A
ship yard, embracing a very fine gang saw
mill; and the fine saw mill heretofore built
but only now fully finished, belonging t
Mayor Hewson. The demand for lumber
for both home aud abroad, has been in exces
of the supply formany months here, and con
tracts are being taken by our mills TO furnisl
large quantities Of lumber for the Uppe
Mississippi. Our position for procuring logs
and the disposal of lumber, is the very fines
on the Ohio. We have several small shingl
mills here, lately started. The old Egglesto
foundry and machine shop has just been rem
ovated by Messrs. Reitz, Haney & Co., and j
now one of the busiest looking concerns i
town. Messrs. Armstrong d Greek arc JUS
getting into their extensive new chair an
bedstead factory, and will do double thei
former business. The steam furniture facto
nv of Messrs. Wetzell & Co., is CONSTANT
extending its business. The manufacture {
tobacco, not yet very extensive, has very niue
increased the past year. We have a ne
book bindery, Mr.. Johnston's, which turn
out as neat work as any Banking House nee
ever use. Several Touring mills, put in opel
alton late last fall, have not yet been fill
employed for want of regular supply
wheat, which they will now soon realiz
The establishment of Kratz &c Holman, hs
added large copper and sheet iron shop
its foundry and machine shop. There is L
branch OF manufactures, out of the man
started here, which does not seem proSperou
And the causes are evident-to begin wit
real estate is low; fuel is very cheap, srna
coal delivered at to 4 cents and large at 0
10 cents per bushel, cord wood from 81 20 p
cord, by the quantity, to 81 SC delivered
small lots; the means of transportation goo
and cheap; the town healthy, and the IA
material in most lines close at hand.
Our commerce too has prospered and il
creased under oil disadvantages. For t
first time, our end of the long canal has be-
reliable all the season, and although too ear
yet for the through trade to have confden
in its stability, the local business at this Ell
has been highly prosperous, and has great
encouraged those engaged in it. Our bus
ness at the river wharf has been large, b
yond any preceding year, sure proof,
connection with short crops both West al
South, that the East and West Railroa
North of US have not damaged Evansville.
The wharfage collected at the Eyansvi
wharf in April, was considerably great
than in any previous month in our histor