The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1863-01-13


the Colleges now in the State, attaching
to them experimental farms, it would
perhaps be the best disposition Of it that
could be made. But if it should not be
large enough for such division which
apprehend will be the case, then l re-
commend that it be applied to the estab-
lishment of an Institution for Agricultu
raj and Military instruction, to which
the children of soldiers who shall die in
the service during this war, shall be ad-
mitted.
ATTORNEY GENERAL
On the 10th day of October, 1861, the
Hon. James G. Jones, Attorney General,
resigned and accepted a commission in
the military service | Immediately ap-
pointed the Hon. John z. Usher to fill
the vacancy, who served until the 18th
day of March, 1862, when he resign
ed, having been called to the Depart
ment of the Interior as Assistant Secre-
tary. The vacancy thus created | filed
by the appointment of Hon. John F.
Kibbet, who served until his successor
was elected and qualified These Off
GERS discharged their duties with ability.
WEALTH oE THE STATE.
The mineral resources of Indiana are
but imperfectly understood. Nearly one
fourth of the whole area of the State is a
coal-6eld, large part of which is of the
finest quality. Excellent iron ore is
found in vast quantities in many coun-
ties, and although but little worked as
yet, will be the source of great wealth
and prosperity in the future. Through
out the State, excepting a few small
localities the soil is rich and fertile:
capable of producing all the grains and
grasses in the greatest abundance. The
State abounds in fine timber and living
streams of water, and in every respect
presents the facilities for an easy aud
: profitable agriculture, while an album
dance of coal and water power furnishes
! the means of manufacturing on the larg-
est scale and cheapest terms From sur
veys, geological examinations, and every
source of knowledge open in reference
to the topography and soil of Indiana, l
think it safe to say that no State in the
Union having an equal number of square
miles has less land not susceptible of cul-
tivatlon. The State is traversed in every
direction by lines of Railroad well man.
aged and in successful operation In
1860 there was in the State 2, l25 miles
of Railroad in operation, the construc-
ton of which is estimated to have cost
so, 295, 14S; and it may not be'improper
to remark that all these roads were built
without the aid of grants Of land by the
Federal Government Yet these roads
do not furnish sufficient facilities for the
travelling public and the transportation
of the immense productions of the State
Some conception may be obtained of
the magnitude of these productions by
giving the statistics of a few leading
articles, as shown by the last census.
In 1860 there were produced in the
State
! 69,641, 59l bushels of corn.
1929, 100 bushels of wheat.
5,02S,755 bushels of oats.
1916, 1872 pounds of tobacco.
2,465, 264 pounds of wool.
1875, $50 bushels of Irish potatoes.
635, 322 tons of hay.
Although the population of Indiana
has doubled in the last twenty years, and
the general growth of the State in mate
rial wealth has been in like ratio, vet
we cannot doubt that the increase would
have been far greater but for the opera
ton of certain causes. In 1856 the State
III tr TT and reckless
prosecute it large sums of money were
required, and borrowed at heavy rates
of interest, and the bonds of the State
were in many cases squandered and
passed into circulation without any ade-
quate consideration having been receiv-
ed Many canals, railroads, and turn
pixies were surveyed and the construc-
ton commenced But, bad system in
the beginning, its prosecution was badly
managed, and the result was that in
1916 the State found itself in debt to the
amount of 81 100000, and not a single
work completed, the interest on the debt
unpaid, ard the credit of the State
utterly Frustrated. In the meantime
many of our citizens, seeing that the
money of the State had been squandered
while but little had been accomplished,
believing that public improvements had
been indefinitely postponed, that cloud
was resting upon her reputation, and an
ticipating high taxes for many years to
come, left the State and sought new
homes elsewhere The financial charac-
ter of the State abroad had suffered
greatly. Some supposed the State had
repudiAted her debts; others that she
was hopelessly bankrupt; and others
that to recover from her embarrassments
her people must be heavily taxed for
generations to come. By these notions,
and the general bad impressions prevail
ing, the current of emigration was turned
aside in great part, or swept over us to
States in the West
In 1916 an arrangement was made
with our creditors upon terms proposed
by themselves, by which nearly one-half
of the debt was liquidated by the transfer
of the Wabash and Erie Canal, and the
State resumed payment of the interest on
the other half, but it was not until many
years of faithful discharge of recnniary
| Obligations the credit of the State was
entirely restored
At the battle of Beuna Vista an event
occurred which exercised an important
and pernicious influence on the growth
ana prosperity OF Ine state L ne SeCUnu
Indiana Regiment, by the cowardice or
incompetency of single officer, was led
into false movement which resulted in