New-York daily tribune., 1858-04-16
efeolsngstiOn and sestrment To ttSn s's' 'oe
Vbaite4 AtAtet

Among tbs fret se.t,tr, Of the tosllsb ne ~sie
tie Pjsriss, who took posse-.i)n of the e"r~'
sol Of Aas,ashu.et,s. They p-t;bed sPoa "s
roely lsnd,, which are scarcely surpassed n s'er-
ity By any sclls IN the unioD, while the udsi pro-
dsciive pori,s0s Of that stae have been estraed
only within TIE lss: half csn.lvy. The proeess ~hs
the same ib Sew.Ycrs. The usprodue;'ye hnd o.
Manhattan Island and the Aisser sIds oi the ePPt-
si.e shores chlsied early attention, vhiie tbs we'
and richie, once il The vicinity remain even 10 this
tine und,tined and uncultlra5ed. Following the
population, We find theE passing along The ce1T'e
OF tie HdJson 70 he valley Of the Moss~h ana
settling near the head cf .be stream ca hDAs .ta'
required but little clearing or drainage.
In New-Jor,ey, they occupied :he higher 'anas
toward the leads Of the Yve,s, While begleenng the
lower erounds iha. cannot dram themselves On
the banks Of the Delaware, We ind the QlaAef' ee-
ketiDs tho lighter rolls which produce the pine
while avoiding the richer and heavier ones OF ,hs
opposite thore Of Pennsylvania Every settler, TOO,
selects the higher and dryer parts Of his iarm ior
IN mediate cultivation, leaving the meadows, na1y
Of which remain even nov in state OF nat1fe'
while others have been drained within the last ie~
yesrs. The Swejes ,:tied LeE.s.own and Ci1i'-
:isns on the sandy soil OF Delaware. Crossing the
State toward the head Of Chesapeake Bay, Ne Ind
the little decsyIOg towns OF E!kton and Charies-
town further evidence Of he poverty OF the scils
ertt occupied. when fine meadow land, on what are
now TIE richest farms Of the state vas ssrn1Aht,
bu. held az vorhless. Penn fjliovs the swedes
4 -. - L. pJe tb. naia
twelve miles north Of the ate which he attcrward
chose for his city near the confluence of that RIVER
and the Schuyllll Tracing the course Of settlement
from this point find il extending along the ridge
between the two rivers, and avoiding at frat The
rich meadow land on .her banks. Even now We
everywhere NEE: farms on the h-sides, while she
lower lands are not Jet subjected 10 cul.i7aaon. AZ
we advance, the river banks are almost III state
Of nature, and i: s only at distance thst we hnd
farms which have been cultivated for halfa century.
The old road winds about among the hills, in order
70 suit the early settlers whilo the new nads keep
near the stream on the low and rich ,snds last
brought into cultivation fadeed This fact Inoy be
noticed with few exceptions, in every part of the
country. II is well stated BY NJ. Peshiae Smith,
one Of the most judicous popular writer's On foti-
cal Economy: "In the regions sufficiently advanced
TO admit the construction OF canals and railroads,
every one has it in his power 10 verify the f4c,, by
obterving the contrast in the aspect OF the lands
bordering their course, and those which line the
old highways. The latter viii generally be found
ascending every bill top which lies il the neighbor
hood of their general direction, when nothing
is saved in point of distance, by going over the hill
instead Of going round it. ID 10 usually found, in
deed, that the length Of railrosd connecting two
towns at any considerable distance from each o:her
is less than that of the old roads which formed the
route of travel before it was built; although the
former is necessarily under restrictions which pre-
vent attempts to save distance at the expense a
elevations in the grade much more than The ord-
nary carriage road. But the highway is lined with
cultivated fields, and with houses. II was made to
facilitate communication between them, its track
WON by the footsteps of men before it was ran out
by the surveyor, and ite Purro.es compelled 1t to
20 where population went, with small regard to the
abor which it's steep grades would impose upon the
,ea.ts Of draueht that were to toll over ii. The
abroad, on the contrary, is constructed BY en-.
sineers, whose problem i. is to reduce the power to
be expended in drawing heavy loads to a minimum,
regard being had both to distance and to s.eyaton.
It punses through swamps and forests, if to hide
tself from the habtations of men. They will grown
its edge IN due season. for the road h,s drained
the swamps, and LET in the sunlight TO the gloomy
depths of the woods out, upon the first opening Of
a railroad, we ordinarily are struck with the juIt-
position Of this work Of highest art wiA those of
Iudest nature.
The early settlers Of the West unifJrmly selected
the higher lands leaving the lower and richer ones
for their SUCCESSORS The immediate valleys Of
streams, though possessing the most fertile soil,
we're avoided, a, they still are, on account of the
,apger Of fever. We have evidence OF the same
fact in the Southern Atlantic States. The richest
lands in North Carolina TO the extent OF millions of
acres remain to this time uncleared and undsaned,
while labor is bestowed on the poorer soils, which
Weld but three, four or five busheL to the acre.
South Carolina, Georgia, florida, and Alabama,
have immense tracts of the finest meadow lands,
adapted to the highest cultivation, and waiting only
the growth of wealth and population.
The facts are everywhere the came, and, were 1t
possible 10 fnd au apparent exception, "oUu out
prove the rule For the same reason that tie settler
builds himself log house, 70 provide sEe!.er while
waiting until he have one OF stone he pegiHs cr
iiyation where he can use his pow. and thus avoid
the starvation the. would result from endeavong to
do so where he cannot; and whore .evers, followed
by death would be the Inevitable result o. tie st
tempt In every case on record, IN which settlements
have beer attempted on rich lands. they have either
failed totally OF their progress bss been slow aad il
has been only after repeated efforts that they nave
tbryep The reader who desires evidence Of this ac
and of the absolute necessity for commencing with