, 1861-03-04

Tn +bs w. Wv M heort m of thn preat Va1iev i,,d,.,%
hotv,e.., ~ rrt;c aud tts Tro1ic 3ha sttn,s.
t;r md Tho RocSv Mountains les Tho Ssotp n
Tr1Yxots The yonnr Hereniss of The West,
touching faks Ettc1:fgtn on the north and the
lower Ohio on the south, with tbs tne1eatie
Mississipni washing her entira Hestern border
and lie Wabash sEirtine her for more thaI1 i
half its length On the east Her growth dur
inn the last decade has been really more rapid
and considerable than that Of cny other State,
population bv d 1arser pereeutnge than hers,
We believe her REPRESENTATION III Congress will
1e incrensei under the Cpnsns nf 1S61 nv four
Members; md we think no other State will
gain so many: Her population has all but
doubled during the last tecele, having risen
from some 900.0OO to about |. .7O0OW
O her Stated have each some necnliaritv in
which Il rnov fairly claim nrecofence Mich
|, frop mud tttfeitontin arc hnth far halter tim.
bere1. having m abundance df t1Ine. whereas
IlIinofs has mt a stick. Pennsvlynni6, fjr-
Vn;a and Missouri ara ric},er IN Tni,eraIs. Tnw,
ssud s Kansas have naore rndnlot;nr snr15ac.a'
and are i've think1 better watercd OHIO lies
nearer n Tia eeahnnrf. New Enp1ani las her
manufactures and New York her foreien com-
merce. hnt in averare depth aud ricbness Of
soil-in capacity to pioduce grain and grass,
meat end Vegetables: Illinois is probably the
Inst an1onr he States: md stlrpassed by no
equal area upon the face of the globe:
Originally. scarcity and imperfect distribu-
lion of tifnbcr. with detective facilities for
transportation and travel, we're her great draw
backs. ProbabIy three.fourths Of her suiiace
were prairie when. settlement commenced;
while her timber was for lie most part stunted
and cnariy by reason Of the high winds con.
stanflv wreichlI.g eud. the fierce fires fre-
auentIy scorchipg it. She had no eveTafeeus
| Of consequence, and very few trees from
| which decent boards could be sawed. Many
| prairies wera len to twenty miles vide
,r,~. 4t...t.- l., raxk.v I'm, s...>
muck which formed the soil was powdered into
| dust by d1outh, or solden into 1nire by rain.
| The moment the prairie sod {Sas cpt through,
| the wheels Of eacl, loaded vehicle sank through
| half Of each year nearly to the hub: aud thus
| not ouly buildipi. materials saltaud groceries,
but fencing aud fuel We're to be cartel for long
Distances load of wheat being DRAWN is
Chicago, and the proceeds converted into q
load OF bonrds for tencing-the journey out
and back often consuming q week. Many o
load ofproducc thus marketed has seen nearly
or quite its price absorbed in the inevitable ex-
pensc Of tue hcjourney out and in. This impelled
the State to engage premature]y in tho con-
] etruction of cana1s, which involved her heavily
i'll debt without very materially improving her
access to markets. Railroads followed ia due
season, and did her good service, while, being
constructed mainly by private enterprize;
whatever advantage accrued to the public was
So much clear gain. STILL extensive areas OF
her soil must have remained unimproyed, IN.
inhabited for ayes but for the construction of
the Illinois Central Railroad. That great
work. 1nuuidcent1y endowed with wild lands
by Congress, starts from Chicago in the
Northeast and Dunleith in the North.
west ofthe State, and converging to junction
near the centre, runs thence BY single line to
Cairo in the extreme South, at the junction of
tue Ohio with the Mississippi, the work hay
iyy thus total length Of over sir hundred
miles. And, though not run as the profit of
thn sforEh<t11nre Irnnli havn dictotot1 ;ta
course is precisely such Us best couduced to
n, o,.j x.-.,,x1. A.. c4.L