, 1860-12-05

It is worthy Of remark TINT the State OF Hi
nois alone has proved tn be tho means by
which Providence has aycrtcd the evils of fam-
inc In England, as well as in portions Of our
Southern Statcs. Thirty years ago her fertile
rrairiea were remote, aud the accounts OF their
descriptions Of the banks Of the Nile Stories
Of Indian warfare still fingered about tic re-
gion, and Cooper's poetic tale Of the g. Prai-
fiee,' in that day, gaze to the life Of the hardy
pioneers IN cir Of romance. Iu 1880, only 157.-
i'll people had gathered in the southern part
Of tile State. During tue ten subsequent years
the northern prairics were opened up, and the
State rapidly advanced; but, unhappily, af1cr
lncurring debt Of nearly fifteen millions, It
failed to pay its interest, and sunk in July,
1641, into what seemed 10 be hopeless insol-
ycucy TIC Governor, in Ills message, called
there was not sufficient means at the command
If the Executive to procure letters from the
Post cnirc."
For eight years the people struggled on
without market for their produce, or schools
for their children. In 1913 the people rotcd
for the new Constitution, providing. tar Of
two mills to pay the principal, aud Of one md
half mills to pay the interest on the public
dctt- This paved tic 7ray for the Introduction
Of private capital for the completion of the
call1lg and the construction Of railways.
Ono million Of people have since passed into
the State, and one hundred millions Of dollars
have bcen expended in her railways. -Four
thousand scycn hundred and thirty-six miles
Of road Euow terminate 1T Chicago, uf which
two thousand eight hundred miles are within
tic State limits. These great highways were
bnilt to carry of the surplus Of the prairies.
In, 1855 Mr. Kohl, speaking Of Illinois. CON-
parcs it i'll shape to a grain sack, rent in the
middle by its river, and bursting out with
grain Mt both ends
$ft11r S1a nf
the Royal Agricultural Society OF England,
analysing four samples Of prairie soil, said,
'+tllc most noticeable feature in the analysis
| Is their very large quantity Of fnitrogcn-nearly
| twice as much as the most fertile soil Of Great
Britain; in each case, taking the soil at al nv
cragc depth Of ten iuclles, au acre Of the pr.l-
| rie soil contains upwards Of three tons uf nj
| trogen, and as heavy crop Of wheat with it's
] straw conta;ns about lifty-two pounds Of nitro
gen, there is thus natural store OF ammonia in
| this soil sufficient for more than hundred
| wheat crops"
| The statements OF scientific men, and the
| prudence Of the Investments of capital in Hin
ois, are this year triumphantis sindicatcd.
/ She has stcrped from the eleventh 10 the fourth
| state III tho Union in numerical force, hut she
stands oft rre-cmincntly the first in rank as to
| the value Of her agricultural products. The
supply and price Of grain at Chicago now con.
trolthc markets Of New York, Liverpool and
Paris. Chicago sends abroad this year -, ,000L
coo bushels of wheat, II, 600 Goo bushels Of corn
100000 barcls Hour tor s. 500, ,000 busheis,) and
:;,000, ,Oo0 bushels Of OTIS, rye and barley, an az
t srcgatc Of 81, 500, 900 bushe1s-about nine hun
tired thousand tons.
The lake navigation has now nearly closed
and Is estimated that at least Is 200 900 bush
els Of wheat must remain oScT In the lands o
| tue farmcr The mammoth corn crop Of 1eG{
stands untouched, and II there fs q demand tol
it in the spring q, ,00, 900 Of bushels, or oil.
fifth Of the crop, can readily be spared fo'
sale.
/ In the memorable year Of 1877 the famine il
Ireland called fer the surplus Of this country
there was then no Illinois to supply the wan
Of Great britain; souc - 500, 900 bushels Q
| grain aud flour were received iu the Unites
| tn1 export Of Chicago In the year 1847, Of dou
ind grain of all classes, we're 2 :,l3 col b1shels
lust Il, 600 Goo bushels less thEn her prcscn
contribution:
Chicago, however, is not The sole outlet 9
| Illinois this year, Tor nearly ono huu1reu stcs
1ncrS are engaged on tic Illinois aud MississiI
ri rivers takingto the South the grain, bee
pork, potatoes, flour, bacon, &c, produce
uponthc densely populated banks Of those n,
eTs. The shipments from Quincy, fforn Pcori
and from Cairo exceed one hundred thousan
! Naples, Lacoli, Merclocia, send from Is go
$4,000 ions cach, and COX, 600 tons from al otl
cr points is regarded .s u very low cstimat'
I These, with the shipments from Chicago, max
: 1,5p0, 600 tons Of surplus products sent OF
| i single year. The southern markets Of S
| Louis and New Orleans are the permaner
customers Of the great Northwest, which hs
! this year shown to the world its inexhauEtib]
! | powers ofrroductlon: