The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1873-09-12
Letter from Indiana.


EDITOR REPrBLIcAS-You will please once
more allow me the Use of your columns to say
something more In regard to the growth and
prosperity Of the city Of indianapolis. The great
west has furnished many instances of thc rapid
growth of cities, such as Cincinnati, Chicago
and st. Louis. Their prosperity can be easily
accounted for; their water facilities, rs natural
lines Of communication, made them what they
are. Their advantages made them the centers
Of trade for great areas Of country. Cincinnati
controlling the trade and Of the South
and middle States; st. Louis the South and
Southwest; Chicago that Of the great west.
They therefore, with such great advantages,
grew up to he very large cities indianapolis
center Of Indiana, with scarcely sufficient water
power to run the smallest machinery; she could
not command mandatory in that way, she was
channel very difficult. Indianapolis, prior to
1870, could barely claim to be . city, ut least Of
any note whatever. She had . population Of
tories was moi then Using rom so manx chim.
neys rs IL Is now. She had then the appearance
Of too much newness, and could but strike the
visitor as being incomplete, whereas now TO look
upon her she seems to be a city whose future, as
a great commercial and manufacturing city few
will more than equal. The commercial trade of
INDIANAPOLIS Is very rapidly increasing every
year. Her wholesale trade, rs reported to the
Board Of Trade in gross, In 1870 was So, 969, l02;
In ISL Gal ISL ,657, and In 1872, SO, IA 80, an
increase In two years OF about thirty-ive per
cent: This year not yet being reported; yet 1t
can be safely calculated will be in q greater ratio
from all indications We see; some have calcula-
ted the current year will bring il up TO 81. ooo,-
tured articles Of indianapolis in proportion to
the above. one can form some opinion ~ 70
businesses done In the ''HOosier Capital" Now
LET us return to the real estate transactions. In
1872 that amounted in the aggregate to Gig, S3G,
$50. The present year, current, up TO August
the sd, they amount to the enormous sum OF
90, 465 .S39. %, and 1t Is estimated that the re-
naming four months will swell the above amount
to 1856 900, 900. Now let us look at the amount Of
taxable property indianapolis has assessed, real
and personal, this year, and also its increase
in 1871 to ST 9a9. 10; in 1872 tn s34, 100, 81, and
In 1873 10 s64 600 ,000; an increase In three years
of S3s ,000, 600. And permit me to say these are
those returned by the owners to the Assessor.
Ny predictions are that II will amount to $780,
GOO. 600 by the next year. would ask, with the
above figures, where 10 there a city on this con-
finent whose property has enhanced so much In
value In so short q time. vOlaire once said of
Paris that she was q ''KingdOm within herself -
] will not say so much for Indianapolis, yet I
do say that she Is ut this time making some Of the
most gigantic strides towards building herself up
70 be a great city. She has now under WAY a
Belt railroad that will be completed this fall TINT
will %encircle the city, Of thirteen miles In cir
curnfcrance; after that is completed the trans
fering Of freight through the city, along and
across some of her main streets will be done away
with, from one line of railroad to another. The
different freight depots will be then put along the
side of the belt track, which will greatly cxpe-
dite the transfer and removing of through freight
and the great obstruction OF the streets so much
terprise and industry have put their shoulders to
the wheel and made Indianapolis what she Is to-
day. They have looked neither TO the right nor
to the eitfor help, but have gone To work with
. will depending upon their own energy and re-
sources, never yielding to adversely or want and
by SO doing have given her a name far and wide
which Is TO be envied by many others even Of
much greater population. Icouid write more of
the prosperity Of indianapolis, but will let this
suffice for the present. Hoping that my letter
will be read by many If not all OF the people Of
may do some good toward putting more energy
in your people, as well rs they are building up
your country now, and as the people of Indian
apolis have built themselves up o great city your
people, seeing their good works." will not
fall In well doing. Yours truly, &c,
W. ii. LANCASTER.