Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1870-12-08
TENNESSEE THURSDAY DECEMBER s 1870

IenneSsee-that hlll-begirt Switzerland OF
America, yet l must confess that L am
much attached to my new one, IN the great
and growing West There is an air of GO
aheadatiyeness, pervading everything here
that accords well with my ideas of progress
sion. Aud no where in all the broad ex-
panse of the West, is there to be found a
more pleasant and productive locality,
than the great Miami Valley. from whence
[ write you to-day The soil is of dark
sandy loan, and produces vegetation al
most spontaneously. The population is
chiefly emigrants from the Southern and
| Eastern States, with their descendants,
and having grown wealthy by systematic
and intelligent labor, there is ease and
comfort visible every where. 1t takes a
person coming from any of the Southern
States. long time to become accustomed
to the new order of things in the Vest
Here almost every thing is done by ma
chinery. Wheat is sown by machinery.
and harvested by the same means. Corn IS
| planted and cultivated in the same man
ner. In fact machinery has attained such
perfection in the West, that labor has de-
generated into mere passtine. 1t Is al
most impossible for the initiated to con-
ceive of the vast difference in the mode of
labor West and South Here labor Is IN
telhgent and thinks while it acts, every
thing is done on philosophical principlse
Energy builds, while steam and electricity
drives the machinery. During the past
seven years | have been in almost every
State and i erritory embraced in the wide
ex x2anding area of the West. and this spirit
of progression seems to invade them ALL
[ can account for it but on one principle.
Most men who come West, do SO to better
their fortunes. They at once begin to
school themselves in economy and indus
try. They are. in a measure, compelled
to do this, for in the West there is no half
way ground" \ man must either fall IN
with the army of progression, or be tram
pied under foot. Recently [ made visit
to Cheyenne, and Salt Lake City, over the
Union Pacific Railroad, and even in those
remote Western climes the same principles
are at work. What was once laid down
in our school maps as the Great Ameri-
can Desert" Is now made to bloom and
bring forth fruit copiously. In places
where vegetation could not exist owing to
the alkali contained in the soil, neutral
izers have been used. and now the desert
is made to bloom and pour its wealth into
the lap of the nations treasury. The West
undoubtedly owes much of her progress
to the Free School System inauguratcd by
all her States. Education is not confined
here, to the favored few. but is wide spread
81, thot at
tracts the eye of stranger on entering j
Western town or village, is an imposing |
union school building, or the tall spires of
the different Churches-sure indications of |
morality and intelligence Vice cannot !
thrive with Intelligence, and free school
houses does away with the necessity of
jails.
New Carlisle, from whence [ write, is !
one of those wealthy and refined towns so |
common in the Southern part of Ohio. 1t |
is Situated twelve miles South West of |
Springfield, in Clark county, and contains |
a population of nearly two thousand. \
now rail ROAD is prospecting, to run through |
this place. When completed the citizens
are predicting great things for their city,
and [ think they have good reasons for the
''litith that is in them," for certainly no
village in the State or union can boast a
more fertile surrounding country-and the
country makes the town. ....
Until quite recently we have had glori-
ous fall weather; but few days ago, "a
change came over the spirit of our Dreams"
and from luxuriating in almost summer
warmth, we suddenly found OURSELVES shak-
ing hands with the ''Ice King" while he
blew wintry blast in our faces Even at
the present writing every one is able to
Thackary when he sings:
- "Winter is here,
Winds whistle shrill, icy and cold"
Over-coats and gloves are in great demand,
while rusty stoves are being brought forth
from hidden hooks and carpenters are
busy preparing for the long seige of .'Old
Winter"
Crops are unusually good in the West
this year, and the pleasant Fall has en-
abled farmers to gather their entire corn
crop. 1t does not require the foresight of
a prophet to see that the people of the
West will be pretty well ''corned," for the
next year to come Politically, every thing
is quiet since the recent Fall elections
The war in Europe has ceased to elicit
more than passing thought in the minds
of the people. Every body, with the ex-
ception of the Germans. seems to think
that sit is no funeral of THEIRS" and have
lost interest i'll it; yet the general impress
sion is, that Prussia will prove zone too
many" for aristocratic France
w III NJTH