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

popuating deserts in obedience to nexplicable
law
In addition to this mysterious impulse, turn, in
country from the densely populated states OF
the East in obedience to interests which expcabe
and apparent.
Boundess fields open to them virgin soils invite
a country, beautiful any upon which the Shines
displays uncorrupted beauties and mtess
to all who appreciate.
Hither flock the of small means but daring souls
who have determined to for themselves honor
able fortune benign government offers to them a
property much less than its value when consider
the natural enhancement consequent upon the quadru
ping of the quantity of gold. Although ignorant OF
the cause, they all feel and know that that which five
years ago dollar and twenty-five cents, is
worth three dollars
This single consideration enables 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 value. These cons
rations also affect the prices of city property.
Men, who forget the increase Of gold and the aston
ishng influx OF population into our western States, can
not comprehend the amazing enhancement in value OF
western property They judge all things by the standard
Of the past, and all things by the standard OF
eastern progress No doubt there much unjustifable
speculation in the West, and no doubt these vatcina-
tons correct in reference to many town sites of spe
culaors yet the bursting of many such air bubbles
proves nothing to those seats OF trade which geogra
phical position and natural point out future
centres OF
We will instance St. Paul. 1t is the head of navi-
cation the Mississippi and thus connected with rivers
which afford in the aggregate twenty thousand miles of
nayigabe water 70 the north of this navigation there
lie six hundred miles of arabic land which, to the
Selkirk settlement In tho British nnssassinns r.Aaans
indian corn To the westward extends fertile country
which for than thousand miles is capable of sup
porting dense popuahon kta.se..
Wisconsin and Minnesota contain the great body of
TIMBER and almost the only timber in the West and
say, the timber granary of the Mississippi States;
all this must rebound to the advantage of ST. Paul and
assist in its growth All produce going into this inn
mense territory from the South, or taken away from
the North West for southern market must pass
through St. Paul. the head of navigation. The early
period which Lake Pepn is frozen and the late
period at which the ice is broken may divert large
trade in certain to point below the Lake.
possibly Teepeotah, which is opposite formidable bar
in the river. However this may be, the tendency Of
argument is simply to show that in this immediate
neighborhood great city must arise.
Water communication is notoriousy cheaper than
land This fact is the secret of the unexamped growth
of Cincinnati, Louisville, ST. Louis and Chicago.
Hitherto Chicago has been thu westernmost point from
which great trade could depart and reach. The
sluggish Chicago river and the navigation OF the lakes
assisted by necessary consequence of Railways, have
been the cause that this city has afforded unexamped
career of growth and prosperity. Hence has been dis
tribued the merchandise of the East it has been cen
from which eastern goods coming the inland seas
have radated the varions points already settled in
the giant West. We repeat, Chicago has been the u
innate limit to which and European trade could
| reach by water communication. From these causes Its
rapid rise
But since the completion Of the canal around the
Saut Ste Marie, navig CATION is extended many hun
dreds of miles farther into the heart of the American
continent and the wesernmos extremity of Lake Su
peror is nearly the same distance from Erie, Oswego
! Mo- and he
the completion of the canals and the opening of an un
interrupted navigation the Ocean, the minds OF men
have been turned in different direction which
understand by the following item of news:
"CuIcAGo AND IhvEnpooL.-A barque of 800 tuns
burden, capable of taking 10000 bushels of grain, and
intended the first OF line to run from Chicago TO
Lyerpoo was launched at Chicago the 4th She
was expected to be ready sail by the 10th inst, and
will take cargo Of ppestaves and return with cargo
of iron and crockery for Western merchants This
vessel is named the c. J. Kershaw and is built for
fast sailer-iStates. =
The necessities of inter European and American trade
have called up direct communication between the GEN.
tire of our continent and the great marts of European
commerce Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Bal
tmore have deyeloped by reason of their position
Intermediates between the old world and the farwest
of the
It is the trade of the West that has made them what
thew are Their networks of Railroads and their efforts
absorb western trade have been drecteu III accorunce
with these ideas. They have levied tax upon the
agricultural products and the merchandise which has
passed through these toll houses of commerce. The
taxes which they have levied and the commissions
they have absracted have been the basis of their
metropolitan growth
But as water seeks its level, trade has now found
its natural channel, and Chicago is the first to feel
this result of the unalerable laws of commerce. To
avoid the onerous exactions of New York tranship
ments and the commissions of New York merchants
and because Of the rupous cost of transportation by
land ships must ply between the centre OF the conti-
nent and Europe But Chicago is not the western
most limit of water-navigation and can be the dis
tributing point Of only small 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 swelled the breeze which blew AL
bions shores or the uxuriant plains of Italy must
carry undsturbed cargoes to Superior City or Fond
ldu-Lac.
Here then it would seem the great city of the Ame
can continent should be located and the great centre
Of commercial interchange fndt site But the winds
from the lake hyperborean the soil is serile the
country is unfruitful ard the back ground IS
marsh The great heart metropolis cannot be founded
anywhere around the extremity Of Lake Superior
The proper position must be sought inland and upon