Kanawha Valley star. [volume] (Charleston, Va. [W. Va.]) 1856-1861, 1857-08-11

I'm the West. III the ".
IN 1916, 1870 lao
Y 1850, 1855 zoo
Aggregate, 437 ooo
Thus il is seen that. off The Chg whole WIG nnm-
IL 4 steamboats, built In those three
ve.rs Il .the whole United States, two
,h;ras were builtcn,the Western waters.
II. 1886 there we're i43 steamboats,,
carrying $4,000 tons, navigating the
Western waters. In the iye years pre-
ceding 1850, there we're pilt1ooo steam
boats, Of which 700 were built on thei
Western rivers. And tits beloved that
the estimate Of 1000 Steamboats, OF
these Western rivers for this year, carry
ing two hundred thousand tons, vii faiII
below the reality. III
nHere, then We may say win Dr.
MosErrE IN lis admirable volume on the
West, eve see one element of the growth
81 Western commerce q commerce
whose magnitude must, ~ an early day.
surpass any thing the world ''lT III has ever yet
seen ct commercial development.
While the West is thus marching on
with gigantic strides 70 wealth. ana Pow
er, and pouring her counttifesssmilion Of
exports Oh the Atlantic cities to1find q
market IN distant chimes. she comes no
pauper, but like a pampered customer she
receives IL return q large supply Of all
The products Of the world. She is 1 large
consumer, as well as producer, and Is
now doing her own importing from for
eipn countries. And as an instance Of
this. and of its rapid increase, take for
Instances the imports into Cincinnati thiF-
II years since, and compare them with
what they we're i've years egg, WE have
not .he,5. statistictics fos the present year #
zoos 1848.
Coffee. sl98, 600 $1,000. 900
Sugar. 10000 62s, ooo
sn;ees. IL. 100000 sd, 900
! Aggregate, s47a,ooo 81, o. 900
And Yet this is but a single point in
THE valley-but one city, and that not the
first among many On these Western wa
tiers.
ISuch is the rising west which demands
a great highway to the ocean, and such
the commerce that seeks an outlet md q.
market. I
The Modest rivers are sometimes forcei
to make long and circuitous detours round
vast ranges Of mountains ere they can.
pour the waters Of 4 thousand tributaries
into tile great deep. Yet # you but
open d channel direct through that noun
tain range, in spite Of argument and OPP
position to the contrary, that river, ODE
Edient to the laws Of nature, will take the
direct route, till earth, trees androcks are
worn away, and nothing left To- check its
majestic flow.
And if Virginia, with finest seaport
On the continent, with the shortest and
most direct route to it, by the easiest
grades and smallest curves, will only
open this great channel Of water com
munication between the waters Of the
Chesapeak and Ohio. Will not THU
western trade and travel, obedient To tht
laws Of trade, as certainly flow and reioy
along that channel, a. did the waters 9
that river through the mountain pass.
Could any one doubt that suchachanne
would soon become the road 70 Wealtl
and the highway Of n%ations. And il 50
why should not the press and the peopl
give it their attention. It il worthy tn
patriotic efforts Of an, and has stronge
claims on Us than the bootless question
whether 4 scataesoper TO Kansas, who's
most patriotic act 10 his native. country
lin many instances, no doubt, was il hi
J leaving it will decide in Ills own min
whether lie will hold slaves out there 3
not Yet the State has been forgotten,
The anxiety manifested for tho TERRITORY
The Convention lately held at Old Point
and. headed by President Tyler and othe
! distinguished men 81 Virginia. wa
rood start in the right direction. Th
Railroad Celebration Al Jackson river g
the R5th inst, isanother goodsign. IAN
lii Is high time Kanawha should wake Y
! from her deep sleep and go to work.
Wa nYk1;ch n ano4har e0luinn II motto