The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1865-08-30
What Makes an Inland County Rich and
Prosperous.


r 5ln lie Grand Rapids E2g.e.
II any one will take the trouble TO study
the census statistics Of the United States
Or indeed Of any country-he will lind the
seli-eyideut cause that mas created large
cities and eich populous counties everywhere
u lie Manufacturing advantages combined
with transit facilities, or transit facilities
alone. The great cities Of all modern coun-
tries owe their greatness 10 transit facilities
Commerce builds up prosperity and popu-
latlOn; and commerce Arrays seeks those
points that have the easiest, cheapest and
quickest communication with the rest Of the
world. II any body were asked what makes
New York the metropolis Of America, in
stead Of BOltmOre or Philadelphia. or Chi
caCO. or Cincinnati he would at once re-
ply that her noble harb0r her system OF rail-
road canal and river transit have built up
her greatness. Commerce and wealth cen
ter IN New York simply and only because
II IL easter and cheaper 10 20 there than -
any other point.
Philadelphia. Baltimore, Boston, Mobile
New Orleans, Chicago, Cincinnati. Buffalo
Detroit, and various other large commercial
cities owe their greatness 10 similar causes
They all have fine harbOIs, easy OF access,
and they all have wide and far-reaching
communications with distant markets by
water and by rail. The combined adyanta-
yes Of water and railroad communication
have built them up as great commercial
towns, without much aid from manufac-
tures.
But, II We look at another class Of large.
prosperous and growing towns. which have
not the advantage of both water and rail-
road communications. we shall find as all
iuyariabe rule that manufactures and rail-
roads have built them up.
There are large number OF towns in the
Republic having no more natural advanta-
gcs than Grand Rapids-sOme Of them not
half 20 layishly provided by nature-which
have far exceeded Us in growth and wealth
In every one OF them We lind, first, a good
at least Il well-impTOyed-water power :
second, a convenient and far-reachihg sys-
TEN OF railroads. Very few OF them have i
navigable river, like ours, or the near yicin-
clnlty Of a nayIgable chain vi lakes 10 aid
them. Look at some notable instances.
Lowell, Mass, had population, in / 500,
vi 50, 81 persons. Lowell is now seaport
All her manufactures depend upon railroads
for transportation. Yet Lowell is immen-
sely rich. Her wealth consists In mag
nncent water-pOwer. naturally not of much
account, but made eXhaustless by art
There is not a farm in Middlesex county, OF
which Lowell is the Chief town, which will
not readily sell Tor 81, 600 per acre.
Columbus, Ohio, has but one advantage
over this city, that OF being State capitol
Her population in lsG0, was Is, 55s. Col
umbus has no water navigation. Al her
prosperity is solely due 10 railroad facilities
and manuiactures-m0stly 10 her railroads.
Indianapolis, Indiana IS another wholly
inland city. II is not even near any great
lake, sea or river. erpopulation in 1860
was 1851, and her growth is exceedingly
rapid. In 1850 her population was only 8,
334-very little more than ours. She Ows
her extraordinary growth solely 70 aer sys-
TEN Of railroads.
Rochester New York : s.~-I,or- tia
best example 81 what a water-pOwer and d
system OF railroads can do for an il inland
place. The population Of Rochester, il
1890, was Y, 2O4-an increase Of III, sol in
ten years. We DEFY any person 10 point
out any natural advantages possessed by
Rochester her natural waterfall -
that is at all to be compared with the natu-
raj advantages Of this city and county.
But, ifnature has given Rochester a splen-
did water-pOwer. nature hasgiyen little tC
/ Schenectady, Troy, Worcester Syracuse,
Reading, Elmira, Cambridge, Manchester
Nashville. New Haven and Montgomery
These cities have been built by enterpris,
in procuring railroad transit and in building
up manufactures; and there is DO reason
why the same enterprise, exerte0 in th,
same directions, will not enable this city
county TO speedily eclipse most Of them il
wealth and population.