The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1860-08-13
letter from Illinois.

OhAMFAlNN idtS ~ GSt = 1 DtlA4st ~ . +
EDITOR JoURNAL.-As this is a wet mora
ing and consequently duh one, 1 will tell
i you something about the present and pros
pective condition of our town ard country.
Five years ago, first visited Urbana,
which is at the edge Of the timber, common
ly known as the Big Grove, containing ~
600 acres of fine timber. At that time, Ur-
bana contained about 500 inhabitants; now
it has about 1900. Our town then was
just laid out, and had to walk through the
prairie grass where our principal streets are
Low. That was IN August, 50. In June,
| ST, emigrated here from Gibson County OF
your State. Since that time I have been
connected with the grain and produce bust
ness and possibly it viii be of interest to
Illinois in regard to the crop of SO and 60.
There was rather light crop OF wheat
last year, though a good crop OF corn; at
least fair crop.aWe have ive grain houses
here. The shipments of wheat out OF the
crop of SO from this place are about I50,-
600 bushels, and of corn about 100000.
Chicago is our principal market; sometimes
the East The price OF grain were fair du-
ring the season. Good red winter wheat
brought an average OF about 80 cents, and
spring wheat 10 cents. Corn averaged 33
cents. This year We had less land soWn ID
wheat, though more bushels OF wheat were
raised. There is a great deal Of our wheat
that will make 20 bushels per acre, and
some even as high as 80 bushels Wheat
- f4.-f.1.
Farmers. Red wheat is now worth % and
SO cents spring . cents. There is about
an equal amount of spring and winter
wheat raised here As for tAe growing
crop of corn, it is unprecedented. There is
very large breadth planted, and the best
prospect | ever saw III any country and
the rain last night will be sufficient 10
mature the most of the corn, II being very
early. The best judges say there is Il large
portion of the crop that will make bush
els to the acre, and some even 90. There
also is a large am cunt of cattle and hogs
raised and fed in this Champaign and ad-
joining counties, that Is shipped at this point.
Summing the prospects all together think
our part Of the couatry is receiving a reas-
enable degree OF prosperity.
We have lately Incorporated our town,
formerly called West Urbana, aud we now
have a city corporation and call it Cham
paign, after the name OF the county. We
are growing very fast for an inland town,
only five years old. We have now about
800 inhabitants There Is almost every
variety of stores, and some very good dry
goods and grocery establishments for an in
land town like ours. We have six church
eS and another one building that will be an
ornament to the place. We have the Hi
nois Central Railroad running through our
midst, with eight regular trains each
day and sometimes extras, with large en-
gine house and machine and repair shops,
that keep quite a number Of men employed
Perhaps you would like to hear some
thing of our politics. This county will
give Republican majority Of about 500
out of $500 voters. W e had a ratification
meeting August Ist. There was great
deal of enthusiasm for Lincoln. There was
procession of carriages and wagons about one
mile long. Judge Trumbull addressed the
meeting in patriotic and eloquent speech (
There were at least 5000 person present,
and there was a general good time. We
think here that Honest Old Abe is sure OF
the White House for a home for a few years.
and in fact when such conservative Ameri-
cans as | am, can vote for Lincoln, ! have
not the slightest doubt that he will get a
shower of votes down in the Pocket Of In
diana (that land where | spent some of the
happiest moments of my lfe). w. c. B.