The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1863-07-03
TRANSIENT LETTERS.

Having business that called nae to Gin
cinnati on Monday, it may not prove
uninteresting to the readers of the Jour-
nal to jot down a few items that came
under my observation. l do not wish,
however, to inveigle them into reading
prosy letter under the impression that
they will find an item or two of exciting
war news, and therefore, frankly an
n1unce in the ontset that nothing of the
kind will they discover in this epistle.
In the Summer and Fall of 1861, when
our young men, by hundreds and thou
sands were enlisting to crush an infa-
nous and causeleSs reb elton, croakers
in abundance were found predicting
short crops and much suffering in conse-
quence, because of the great scarcity of
laborers. These predictions have
proven entirely groundless. Last year
the crops were fine, and this year they
are better than ever known. 1 men,
toned in my other letter that the ap-
pearance of the fields in the Southwest
ern and Western portions of the State
indicated an unusual yield, and found
the same to be true of Southeastern In
diana. Every "clearing" seems to be
under cultivation, and l did not any,
where witness any indication that farm
ers were short of hands, except now and
then the presence of few women in the
fields. The wheat harvest has just COM
menced in the counties through which
the Indianap polls and Cincinnati Road
passes, and was informed at all points
that the yield would exceed in quantity
and quality that of any previous year.
The corn is not so uniformly good. Why
this is, your correspondent is not pre-
pared to state. At one point a field of
corn, though apparently carefully cu1ti-
vated would look sickly, as though the
corn was struggling hard for an exist
ence, while just beside it another field
would contain corn from one to two feet
high and of beautiful dark green color,
that indicated an abundant harvest.
Generally, however, the crop of corn will
be found equal to previous years, unless
some accident befalls it between this and
auumu.
Hay, we fear, has not been cultivated
to an extent commensurate with the
wants of our vast armies for forage 1t
proved last season the most profitable
farm product to which farmers directed
their attention, and l hope its cultiva-
ton has not been neglected this season
to the extent our observations would in
duce US to believe.
Upon the success of our crops depends,
in large degree, the success of our
armies. If it is ascertained that labor,
hitherto performed alone by hand, can
as successfully be done by machinery
the young men who have, thus far, been
prevented from volunteering because
they did not see how the farms could be
worked without them, will at once enlist
and add their strength and courage in
the great work of crushing the rebellion
| 1t has never yet been dreamed of-the
amount of farm labor that can be per-
formed by machinery, and this war, if it
accomplishes no other good, will have
| contributed largely to the mechanism
| that saves human mind and muscle
The rapid growth of the various towns
and villages between Indianapolis and
| Cincinnati affords a clear conception of
the progress our State is making. An
| increase of the number and size of the
towns, conveys to our mind an idea OF
the increase in the number and size OF
cultivated farms as well as of the in
crease of population and wealth. We
have travelled through no portion of the
State that shows more marked improve
ment in this particular than southeast
ern Indiana. Years ago, when the old
Michigan dirt and corduroy road was the
great avenue of commerce between In
dianapolis and the Queen City, and
large four, FIVE and six horse wagons
the only means of transportation, We
made several trips to Cincinnati, anc
therefore can more fully realize thu
gigantic strides that part of our State il
taking in the onward march of improve
ment. Shelbyville, Greensburg, Rush
vile, Connersville, Brookville and Laur
enceburg were then mere villages-the,
now arrvgate to themselves the import
ance ana consequence OI citIeS, anu no
without reason Sothe of them are dig
nifed with large manufacturing estah
lishments, extensive warehouses and
heavy commerce, and ali the. centres @
finely cultivated, rapidly Smprovin
and thickly populated country
Cincinnati is the index of shis grow
ing prosperity, or rather it is the resel
voir into which streams offwealth ram
fying the country, pour their accumuls
tons. 1t is the great hive of industr
to and from which thousands of huma
bees are increasingly voyAging, Will
other thousands are as busilS employe
within, seldom journeying outside il
limits or breathing the pure air of tn
country. 1t has ever been a mystery t
your correspondent why SO many thor
sand of human beings with ordinary il
telligence are willing to exc out mise
able existence amid the filth and stenc
of large cities, when there are so man
thousands of broad acres longing to civ
freely of their fairness to those who see
it. 1t is true wealth, luxury and REIN