The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1867-12-06
By A RESIDENT SUCKER.

lie IOiOWlER diDusiiR anu Interesting
document, was handed to Us by friend
who desired to see it in print. We are in
formed that the questions were copied cer-
6dtiDt from printed circular, signed by
Charles Lowell, Esq, of Ellsworth, Maine,
which was sent to several of the Postmas-
tiers in Illinois, in 1889, for the purpose OF
obtaining Information in regard to that
country. A copy Of this circular, falling
10y chance into the hands of a wag at jack
sonville, he returned it to Mr. Lowell, with
the an. wers annexed as given below. Mr..
l.. being, we presume, little pleased with
the character of the answers, refused to
take the document out of the Postofhce,
aud 1t subsequently passed into other hands.
We have been much amused with the re-
plies of the jacksonville wag. They COZ
tain the most admirable burlesque upon
Westeru life that We have ever seen. Here
IL the letter of enquiry:
ELLSWORTH. Maine Dec, 1920
DEAR SIR A number OF individuals
in this vicinity think Of eugrating to the
West in l8d0-znd we have northern Hi
nois, Iowa and Wisconsin in view, particu-
larry Illinois. Having never been there,
and wishing some accurate information re-
,pecting the country-its advantageous
present condition and future prospects, and
having no personal acquaintance in your
vicinity, | take the liberty to address this
communication to you and respectfully re-
quest as early and full reply to the follow
ing interrogatories, as your knowledge,
time and circumstances will permit:
Here follow thirty two long interroga
tories
REPLY
DEAR SIR Your letter, dated Els
worthy Postmaster, has been received, and
as he is Otherwise engaged, he has request
cd me to answer the Undergraduates con
tanned in your letter, which | will endeav-
or TO do, to the best of my abilities, end,
in so doing, shall conlne myself to this
county, as my knowledge Of other places
referred to III your letter, is not extensive
enough to give you any positive informa-
lion respecting them, and | suppose you
will receive from persons in those places
the requisite information. In answer to
your first question as to our internal i'm
provcments:
J. Question. What progress has been
made In your internal lmprovements-wh
canals or railroads are now completed, or
nearly so-are they progressing; have
funds been secured to prosecute them or
will they be abandoned what will be the
final legislative action upon the subject?
Anslrer. As to our canal, which is the
Illinois and Michigan canal. it is in state
OF progress, and as this is the only canal
We shall ever want in this State, We are
determined to flush it. From the manner
OF Its construction, and the state Of money
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it will, with the aid of Providence Irish, J
he finished IN the course OF ten years with
out costing the State anything, except a
trlfe, say ten millions. Our other internal
improvements are railroads, which were to
be constructed by the State, and for that
purpose we borrowed eleven millions of
dollars, and expended about four, and in
ali probability the works, or most of them
will be abandoned Although about one
fourth of the whole, 800 miles is under
contract, and it would not cost more to
finish them than to pay the contract, yet
now think it ~policy 10 abandon the i'm
provements 1t depends good deal, how
ever, on the success of the Exploring Ex-
petition sent out by Congress, under the
command of Lieut.. Wilkes.
- w nat has ICGu uUIlt 10 remove
the distinctions to navigation at the sever
al rapids of the Mississippi and Rock river?
DO steamboats, ply regularly, or occasionally
On the latter; and if so, of what size. and
to what point do they usually ascend ?
What Is the width and depth at Rockport
A.-Io question two, | will state that all
that has been done to remove the obstruc.
ton in the Mississippi River is, that great
deal OF money has been spent by the United
States TO the great profit of the contractors.
and Tor the benefit OF the aforesaid Irish /;
and as for Rock River, it is not nor can it
be navlgable stream for but two or three
months IN year, and as for Rockport do
not know where it is
!. Q.-N hat Is the present population,
business and prospects of Jacksonville ?
How Is Springfield, Naples, Rushville,
eardstown, Lewiston, Macomb, Albany,
Decatur, &c, &c.
A.--To question three. jacksonville
contains about three thousand inhabitants.
and Is getting along pretty well, thank
you Springfield has since the seat Of gov
eminent was located there, become decided
~ Immoral and my opinion is, that it is
gong to the d. as fast as possible. being
greatly pulled up with pride, and overrun
there and this no doubt operates as check
upon its Bahy!onish destiny. As to Ma
pies from all accounts its inhabitants are all
drunk or dead, as no one has been seen
from there since the Christmas sprees COM
menced
Rushville is completely up since the Leg
lslature refused TO let them have a branch
OF the railroad, and it is thought that it will
Ole natural death. However it is Doubt
full. Beardstown is in the same condition
that Naples is. | may here observe that
the inhabitants OF river towns are, to a
certain extent, ampLiblous, and it is prob
able that they are 1ow in LIQUID state.
Lewiston and Macomb, are little dried up
towns and not worthy OF attention. Al
bany is like Rookport, it has just stcpped
out. i would advise you not to 60 TO De-
catnr, as | once came near being steamed
"a death there, and | am also credibIy in
formed that there is nothing 20 drink in the
place.
4. Q.--What is the character of the soil
Its price, when held by private individ-
ual neutrality-suspicious. to the acre-,be
value OF that produce at home and at mar
ket ? What can good lands generally be
purchased tor within , mile to , or ,
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