Wabash express. [volume] (Terre-Haute, Vigo Co[unty], Ind.) 1841-186?, 1859-02-16
LETTER FROM cmcAGo.-No. 10

gave some statistics. relating chiefly TO our
grain trade. and proposed 20 refer TO the sub
ject sgsin. IL may have occurred To some that
these staienelts are Of no general importance. (
or at least, that limited extent Of country 4
Only 10 interested ia them. This Is a great !
error Ii is as necessary that the intelligent
farmer or trader should be intimate With the !
p.oductive aud commercial statistics Of his
country, as thai the merchant should be famil-
lar with his ledger So far as trade is concern
ed commercial centres oniy can furnish this
information; hut tie whole country ought TO
be in possession Of the facts gathered in these
localities The country too ought to have its
systers Of statistics. and it is amazing to see
the profound doze it is taking over matter
80 vital 10 its own we'll being. The man who
raises crop Of wheat knows very well that
It's productive value depends much less upon
the quantity he raises than upon the quantity
and quality Of his neighbors' crops. II he
has been successful while every one around
him has met with disaster. he Is well aware
that be can control the market TO a great ex
tent This is plain common sense that every
Iody understands Now, be has particular
knowledge, but he wants general knowledge;
for, although his crop may be good and those
around him bad, the know ledge Of these facts
will furnish him but imperfect ground Of
/ Judgment: and he must look abroad as far as
there are those engaged in the same pursuit
who are yet near enough Ito affect his market
Statistics the nations ledger We make
out balance sheet once in ten years. aud even
this coufers incalculable benefits. We study
our census tables, compare results, and the
aggregates of population. prediction and in
telligence show how, as nation, we stand
with the rest of tie world, and how we stand,
as community Of nations, among ourselves.
However valuable such an exhibit is To the
political economist aud 10 the economical poll
tieian, Cf such being can be foaud.) it does
not answer the purpose Of every day life
Even should the world appoint clerk aud
empires and kingdoms have periodical reck
cnngs with each other we should be no bet
ter off. What is wanted is specific knowiedse
Of facts that will affect US aud in time TO be oil
service.
Your correspondent as a member Of the
E State Board of Agriculture. was one Of a com
, mittee 10 press this matter upon the attention
Of the Legislature at the session Of lS57, and
what do you tbink was the result? There
J were lawyers, doctors and me chants in the
= Legislature, who could be induced to act; and
there were a few notle minded farmers also
J who did all they could to BRING forward and
perfect a bill to provide for gathering aud pub
/ fishing the productive statistics Of the Safe
but the great majority OF the farmers. he rep
reseniatives Of the class most Of all concerned
could not be persuaded to do any thing. ]
learn from the statistics Of Ohio the average
value of her horses, cattle, hogs, sheep. DC.
the product per acre al corn, wheat, rye, oats,
barley. potatoes. hay what particular locali-
ties excel ia the different products; and what
ever else is de irahle to be known in the pre-
misses Illinois. Michigan. Iowa. and Wis
consin are following in the steps Of Ohio
What j. Indiana doing?
Well, guess have said enough on that
subject. so | will skinner down." with fea
t, figures on -four.
Here, asa.n, as in respect 10 grain. an adj
vance is observable over The operations Of The
previous year. During 1855, the receipts Of
flo IT at this port were 524 .9l5 barrels. against
800 .95l in 1851. The shipments were 436
2Sl barrels. against 80 CAS- the previous year.
This is = respectable advance as to quantity.
but much greater advance relatively has beei
made in the manufacture. both in respect to
quality aud quantity Nine mills. four Of
which have been in operation from five to sew
en- months only, have manufactured 40. 403
barrels. So much for the figures.
The season has thus far bees favorable; the
mercury ranging rather below the average
temperature for winter. Excepting few days
in November. have had no sleiging to
speak Of. Two or three days Of last week
sleighs were out and bells were jiugling; but
it required lively imagination TO conceive
, that it was sleighing. with snow two inches
at the best, aud that soon worn out. A fair
crop of ice has been got in. but none to spare
for neighbors south
perceive tina; the Ulysseans have taken in
hand to supply your city with intellectual
food Good for the juniors. Bayard Taylor
is in the west. aud will lecture here TO morrow
night Perhaps they might secure his servi-
ces. but am no; advised Of his movements
Lectures here have been feature Of the
season. We have had divers celebrities.
among whom, Horace Greeley. o. A. Brown
son. Dr. Burchard. Father Chiniqui Mr. SUN
ner. aud Fred Douglass. may be mentioned
| was less favorably impressed with Greeley
than I expected-leclure fair TO middling.-
Brownson did as much a. could be expected
OF him. with his subject. which was Roman
Catholicism not opposed 10 religious lbsri
and social progress" pretty steep hill to
climb. Il may interest you to learn how tina,
feat was sought 10 be accomplished The lee
trrcr promised, very prudcuily. that he had
not undertaken 70 sho- that Romanism wa.
prOmotive Of religious liberty and social pro
gress. but only that il was .ot Lindrance to
them. That was certainly discreet. The ar
gument was briefly stated. no argument a, all
hu, review Of the history Of civilization,
from which 1t was sought 10 be shown that du
ring the period. Of admitted progress Roman
ism had been the popular OF State religion ia
the countries Of Europe aud Spanish Amer
ca. You will readily conceive that the evi
dences. familiar even to superficial readers %
history. that this progress has ben achieved
IA sFite Of the church, aud by a CONSTANT war
A