The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1857-04-02
VOLUME TX.
T1Iteaf p - For thu Journal.
Evansville-Her Commercial and Manufacturing
Resources.

ff4t-a-A For Journal.
Evansville Her Commercial and Manufacturing
.ss.s.,, as, Resources.
a.9s2s." prw.n- .rroRD.
The commercial advantages Of cities arise
from two main sources; viz, natural and arti-
ticial avenues Of trade. The larger the scope
of country that can be brought to concentrate
its barter, by these means, to any given point,
the greater commercial advantages that point
enjoys. Geographical position, therefore, de-
terInines, the natural commercial relations of
places, by the distribution of the natural ave-
nues Of trade, as rivers, lakes, seas, or other
navigable bodies Of water. Internal improve.
ments.. railroads, canals, plank, McAdamised
and other roads, compensate to certain ex-
tent for the lack, and add to the advantages,
of natural highways and elements OF trade;
but they never can compete with them econ
omically, for the capital invested in making
them, is a percentage drain from all the re-
sources of the country through which they
run. Besides, the capital invested must be
returned to its owners, in tolls or other as
scssments, and thereby add to the expense Of
trade. Hence q city supplied to the same ex-
tent, by artificial improvements only, COM
pared to one with the natural resources, must
occupy less favorable chance Of advancement
in commerce. Another fact which increases
the importance of natural thOroughiares Of
trade is, that they derive their existence from
the draining Of agricultural districts, and
therefore for the most part flow through the
very regions that require place of exchange
Tor their trade. This may be, but is not ne
cessarily, the case with roads and canals. To
occupy the best commercial relations, trading
points should possess both the natural, and
artificial thoroughfares. Evansville it is be-
lieved does possess in an eminent degree the
natural and artificial commercial relations
which mark her rs one Of the greatest future
emporums of trade. on the Ohio river. Ma
ture has so shaped the destiny Of Evansville
by making the location upon which she is
situated, the centre Of vast extent Of terri
tory, from which, through natural channels,
oil the objects Of commerce therein contain
ed, flow with the least possible expense to her,
that so long as her citizens keep pace with
the improvements Of the age, no circumstances
known to the experience Of man, can prevent
her from leading in the onward career OF
greatness which characterizes the great West,
any place between the Falls and mouth ol
the Ohio river. She is situated on this river
below all serious obstructions to navigation
The advantages of this circumstance need no,
be ,dwelt upon further than to say, that from
the excellent character of landing and wharves
every facility for commercial business may
be here commanded that arc available any.
where below US. AS this Ohio is the great
broadway into and through which, many o
the most important Of our Western streams
pour their treasures to the numerous places
along its shores. it becomes interesting
10 enquire into the points of embouchure o
= -. - a. i
ties they in1icate as desirable sites for cities
From Pittsbnrg to Cincinnati, there are thre,
rivers, Muskingum, Scioto and Kanawha
two ofwhich possess no importance naturally
for navigable purposes and but one, Kanawha
OF any size or extent of navigation. From
Cincinnati to Evansville. a distance of owe
three hundred miles, there is no river larg
enough for navigation, that emptes into tn
Ohio on the northern side, and but one, Ken
lucky, on the south, about fifty miles below
the first named place. Within few miles @
Evansville below, the Wabash empties in OF
the north side, while ten miles above, Greer
River joins it on the south side. Again n
. navigabe river puts into the Ohio, below tn
mouth of Wabash on the same side, Will
but two, the Cumberland ard Tennessee, fror
the south. They about one hundred an
twenty miles below Evansville. and flow fror
Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama. It vii
be seen that so far as trade is concerned. Ey
ansville is at the mouth Of both the Wabas
and Green rivers, she is the natural entrepo
For these, two of the most Important tributa
fies Of the Ohio, where the trade Of the vas
agricultural and valuable mineral district:
through which they pass, carry forward the
commercial transactions. These two rivers
!. the Wabash and Green rivers, flow from d
ferent and almost opposite directions, an
traverse regions of country Of divers an
varied products, mineral wealth and populs
ton. The Wabash meandering through Ii
Northwestern part Of the State of Indians
from the slopes Of the high grounds formin
the southern rim OF the great lake basin on ti
north, among plentious, beautiful and fert
prairies, in that part Of the State, and stretcl
ing its branches off many miles into llinoi
the grainery OF the West, is navigable four
FIVE hundred miles, and brings for sale and RI
shipment, It's immense products Of cor
wheat, pork, beef and many others. of Il
necessaries OF life to Evansville, as the mo
eligible commercial point. Emptying in
the Wabash is White River This beau,if
and to Indiana, important stream is formed
two main prongs. The Eastern fork com
from the Eastern part Of the State and flo,
parallel With, and upon an average Of fif
miles from the OHIO, while the Wester
passes down through the middle of the Sta
from North to South. 1t passes through
vast region Of rich and most fertile agricl
tural districts, inexhaustible forests OF t
very best boat and house building timber. a
immense deposites of iron and coal. The
rivers. the natural outlet for the productio
Of q district Of country measuring seve
hundred miles in diameter. centre their trs