Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-07-21
interesting stn,i.,ic..

Inc Cnicago 1rtouhe mas the tolloWlng:
ave lave long been familiar with the
dimensions Of our State in miles, stretch
ing north and south, east and west. But
how many Of US have come to the full be-
lief Of the truth, that il some Sampson
should pick up the State of Illinois and
set il down in New England, in would
completely shut out the day, and cover
up the nine States-New Hampshire,
Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts,, Rhode
Island. Connecticut, New Jersey, Mary
land and Delaware, for these States con
bined contain but 1885 square miles,
while Illinois contains 56,4o4 square
miles. But this said, and we have not
told half the truth. The tillable or plough
land Of Illinois is more than three times as
much as all those States, according TO the
statistics Of the Secretary Of the Interior
at Washington.
ITS RAPID SETTLEMENT.
.,Thirty-four years after the Declaration
of American independence, in 1910, 1lli-
nois was occupied almost entirely by In
dams, with here and there an American
family. Twenty years later, in 1880, it
contained a population OF l57,446. In
twenty years more, in 1850, its population
was S5l,47O, and in fifteen years more,
in 1866, it had 2,l4S,l7S, having gained
in the last fifteen years 1896, 70S. This
is 500, 900 more than the gam Of any other
State in the country in the last fifteen
years, and $780, 900 more than any other
Of our States ever gained in the same
length Of time. Its increase during the
Ave years of war has been 436,226, and
that, too, when Illinois sent 25S, 900 men
to the army. This addition to the popu-
lation of our State in five years is more
than the entire population Of California
with all Its gold fields. 1t is, in respect
to population, like adding a new Califor-
MIA to Illinois every five years. In eigh-
teen years Illinois has built over 5000
miles of railroad. It has 1900 miles OF
nayigable waters almost surrounding II,
and entirely crossing it; while we may
see by a reference TO the map that the
railways and rivers of the whole country
point TO Illinois as a center, as inevitably
as the spokes of 4 wheel cente in the hub.
In no other place in u country, or in
the world, are new towns, villages and
cities ~springing up with such amazing
rapidly, and in no other place on which
the sun shines are the foundations Of soci-
ETY. beng laid for the first time as firmly
as in Illinois.
RESOURCES OF THE STATE.
I'm many of the older and Eastern
States it requires years TO pick away the
stones and make a farm. Here vast prai-
ries invite immediate occupancy and Gull
ture. Farmers on the rocky New Eng
land shore scarcely believe US when we
tell them that = out West We may walk
for miles and miles together, and not fed
a stone big enough to throw at a bird.
But it is Il fact, and the nature Of our soil,
yielding abundant harvests, is a
We have also a great variety Of climate,
reaching farther north than Boston and
farther south than Richmond. Our rivers
furnish water power for the largest manu-
features. Coal mines are abundant, and
found over three-fourths of Illinois. The
coal mines of England embrace territory
of 24O square miles, enabling its people to
accomplish as much work by machinery
as 100000, 900 of men could accomplish
BY hand So says auckland. Illinois
has double the extent Of coal fields.
These immense resources, Astounding over
, State Of such extent. with such soil and
climate and commercial advantages, fore
the purpose Of God in the destiny
tho State l