Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1868-06-12
Vermont Daily Transcript.
oar UesfcyN Correspondence.
FRIDAY, JUNE y, 1868.
TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA, !
June 3 1868.

the state, and Is otherwise important,
being a section of the Through Line be- "
tween ST. Louis and New York. The
road is elegantly equipped but is i'll rain :
or bad odor among railroad men on ac-
count of its refusal to poor rata with =
other roads connecting with 1t. 1t claims
and collects full local passenger and :
FREIGHT rates, on all business done over
the road. On this and most other rail-
roads in the State, the passenger rates
are four cents per mile for greater or
less distances and no discount. Notices
aro nosted in each car children over .
and under II years of age Will be charg-
ed half fare. Conductors will enforce
this ule.without dissemination. rms Is
poor encouragement to marriage, by par
ties intending to travel this way, ana
! for this reason or some other many peo-
pie are moving Wcst in canvass covered
wagons and camp by the way-side when
nightfall overtal<es them
Terre Haute is situated on the wa
bash river, in the western part OF the
State, at point little above where the
river divides the state from Illinois.
Steam fat boats ascend the river to this
place and IS miles higher up to Laiayet-
tie. / saw one of these line boats of this
city yesterday with its bow resting on
f the shore. Many Of your readers nave
| seen the Adirondac of Lake Cham-
plain. The architects of that vessel ana
not pattern from this one, this is not any
such boat. Fort Harrison prairie eX-
, tends. for a considerable distance above
y and below this place and is about flve
e miles wide on either side of the river.
e The soil is rich sandy loan with gray
t ell sub-soil. Occasionally large rock
l. NAV be seen, but like the prairie SOIL OF
= Illinois, the trees do not spring spon-
1t taneously from it in Very great num-
e bers. What | have seen of the prairie
< soil of Illinois is unlike this, as that is a
10 very dark loan and contains little or no
20 orU. 1t is with difficulty that the best
lie and highest polished steel plows are used
s. in may places in Illinois on account
to of clogging. No other plows could be
ut used Here too the cast steel pillow Is
e. universally used and generally turns tho
The old - National road crosses tht
Wabash at this place, which fact un
n. doubtedly had much to do in influence
VI ing the building of the city mere.
ID was intended by this great thorough
ed fare to connect ST. Louis with Washing
to ton. II was commenced in Maryland
ho was Mcadamized and completed, to neal
r. the east line of this State, and grade,
vo through Indiana to Vandalia, Illinois
Sections of the road We're Macadamizet
:" in this State and Illinois, in many
o. places upon the prairies by very cours
re gravel some eight inches deep, takel
ng from the low sub-sOil, in the absence
a of rocks. Before the work became com
pleted il was vetoed by Van iBuren, ant
was abandoned by the General Govern
he ment to the States. The road bears cyl
by dences of great expense and thorough
lg ness in construction in the eXtensiv
-. 10 cuts considerable fills and chiselet
Ill blocks of stone, even for the smalle
ly sluces. This road has been Of grea
10 benefit to this section of the State, an,
nv will slong endure as an evidence of tn
he liberality of the government in con
H. structing it.
Ms This beautiful city aided by these ia
~; ~. cilities and improvements, contain
-er about 20 900 inhabitants and is rapid,
ng increasing in population. Many iarg
at and elegant chseled stone, and bricl
gh hIool,s bo,,o rooon+I,, hoo,, a5doa ., ~,
Zee city The horse cars are drawn by tw
mules instead of one. The water
abundant and of good quality. Waite
Is; for bathing purposes is obtained at thu
Gu Terre Haute hotel, from an artesan wei
ge 1880 feet deep, and is found to be bene
IN fetal for various diseases. Considering
ng soil, location and surroundings thi
W.. o is the prettiest city | have seen il
in the west.
~ Some three or four miles back iron
ay the river at this point, heavy bluff
ed arise and run nearly parallel with tn
of river. The soil beyond the bluffs change
ew to red clay as general thing with som
Gu sand. The growth of timber here
10 natural and very heavy, indicatin
M strong land. There are no high hill
he nor field stone and but few lodges at re
ed mote points. The features of the cour
I ha try are not rough but rolling. Indian
mt as whole is a heavy timbered Stat
with but little under-brush. There is
thriftiness in the timber which we d
;ed not see in New England The forest
by are patronized by oak, maple, hickory
'ou beach and ash trees. There is also cor
eW siderable sycamore interspersed. Thi