The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1883-01-16
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS GEOGRAPHY.

Southern Illinois embraces that portion
Of Illinois lying south of line drawn from
Alton, on the Mississippi river, Eastward
across the State. Its Eastern and Western
shores are washed respectively by the Ohio
and Mississippi rivers, which unite at Cairo,
its Southern extremity. Five other naviga.
BILE rivers-the Illinois, Missouri, Cumber.
land, Tennessee and the Wabash-empty
their waters upon its shores, 10000 miles of
navgable river channels, distributed in
convenient directions, contribute to its wei.
fare. From the head Of navigation on the
Allegheny, in the Northeast through the
Ohio and Mississippi rivers to the Gulf of
Mexico, in the South, is an unbroken steam
boat channel Of nearly $500 miles. The
Yellowstone, in the Northwest, with the
Missouri and Mississippi form channel Of
nearly equal length in another section of
our contineut-"equal to the longest line
that can be drawn in Europe whether from
Brest to Astrskan, or from Cape Matapsn
to North Cape" Southern Illinois is al
most in the center Of the United States Of
America, and is trsversed North and South,
East and West by grand trunk railways,
connecting the Great Lakes with the Gulf
OF Mexico, and the Atlantic with the Pa.
ciic Ocean.
Southern Illinois has greater variety Of
soil, and has raised greater variety Of
crops than any other known country. Its
grain is famous for its excellence. It's
-four took the premium at Worlds fair in
Paris in 1873 and is used by royal fami.
lies Its fruits embrace all the varieties
except tropical, and form one Of the great.
est industries of the section, II is no IN
common occurrence to see a fast express
train northward bound over the Illinois
Central railroad, laden with strawberries
alone which were grown in Southern Hi.
NOS; and the apples, peaches, pears, wild
goose plums, cherries, raspberres, sweet
and Irish potatoes, aud large variety Of
early vegetables must be seen to be real.
lied. Fruit gathered one day arrives in
Chicago lover 800 miles directly uorth--
the following morning before daybre,k in
as fresh condition as could be wished. The
markets are practically inexhaustibe for
chocely raised aud handled products Of
this region, as climate precludes their pro.
duction in the more northern and north.
western States and Territories, where halt
of the year is winter, and where wind In
pi,iess fury sweeps over bleak and treeless
plains, and where wood and coal are in
scanty and costly supply and twisted grass
or corn is relied upon for fuel.
Two.thirds OF Southern Illinois lands
are "timbered lands" known to be superior
to prairie lands for agrit ultura and hort.
cultural purposes The varieties OF timber
embrace oak lin several vareties), hickory,
poplar, gum, black walnut, cypress, beech,
hard and sof. maple, pecan, linn, pawpaw
and others--'n fact, all needed for mana.
featuring purposes, excepting pine and
hemlock, which do not grow here except
as Gu tivated
Southern Illinois contains a vast coal.
field. The vein varies in thickness from
four to nine feet, is bituminous IN quality,
and is equal to any mined west of the Al
leghanies. The shipments of this pro.
duct, and Of coke made from II are too
great for easy computation Lead in con-
siderable quantities has been mined in the
more southern counties and kaolne OF the
finest quality also, has been marketed
Near the town of Anna are extensive beds
of potter's clay from which is made, in
Anna, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit and
other cities, immense quantities Of as
choice ware as IS knoYn to the trade, for
common use. Large quantities of salt are
manufactured at St. Johns, where several
salt wells and extensive coal works exist
In many Of the counties bluegrass Is indi'
genous, and there is no reason what sto X,
as famous as that Of Kentucky, can not be
raised with profit
In conclusion, 1t Is asked the farmer, me-
chanic, manufacturer aud tho capitalist, 10
view of these natural advantages, can there
DO any doubt as to the wisdom sod safety
Of locating heer'