The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-10


of Jan. 1, 1897, is yellow with age,
IlTI9I1 but its paper is still firm and its
- printing admirable, black and
distinct and perfect. to the last quaint
long s. The seven inclosed maps are mar
wells OF fine steel engraving, such as one
would not find in modern map.
One finds surprising statements on every
page of the old book. 1t is marvellous to
see how much they knew then and how
little they understood the significance of
their knowledge. One is impressed more
and more as one studies the book, with
the great Transforming power of railroads.
On the old maps every tiny water course is
laid down with precision and care. In the
text, every little stream that would carry
a canoe, every water route, every portage,
is described as a feature of the utmost
Importance. No present-day geography
contains a map of the West Indies that
would bear comparison for completeness
and accuracy. Any spot that could be
reached by water was so important!
New York, at that time the second city
in the country in population, is described
as one mile wide. and on the East river
side. two miles long, was esteemed the
most eligible situation for commerce in the
United States. 1t imports most of the
goods consumed between line thirty miles
east of the Connecticut river and twenty
miles west of the Hudson, strip 100 miles
wide, extending north TO Canada Think
of that nowi And it commanded the trade
of half OF the State of New Jersey, too,
The coast line Of the United States at
that time only the Atlantic, and
stopped at the southern end of Georgia,
Spain still owning east and west Florida.
which tG Ss covered all =, the s9lf
siSSippi, OF course, all belonged to Spain
Indiana, at that time. a territory in
Virginia, lying between Pennsylvania and
the Little Kanawha, and containing three
and one-half million acres. 1t had been
coded by certain Indian tribes to number
OF private gentlemen, as reparation for
destroying the property of said gentlemen,
| to the amount of GS5000.
The present State of Indiana was an I'M
named part of the great Northwest Terri
tory, but is laid down on the map with
about its present boundaries as the III State
| That portion of its lands to which the In
dian title had been eXtinguished, Congress
had named Knox county. There were five
| counties in the Northwest Territory
| organized with the proper civil and mill
| tary officers" Settlement of the region had
been delayed on account of Indian troubles.
| which had been finally settled. it was
| hoped, by General Wayne's treaty in 1885
1t is significant, however, that all the
towns in Indiana at that time were forts
| Fort Wayne. Fort Adams. Fort Aniatawan
| Mosquito Fort, Fort jefferson. Fort St.
J Clair and Fort Vincents (Vincennes) The
| White river figures the east fork of the
| Wabash. The Wabash is a beautiful navi-
| gable river possible for bateaux and barges
! drawing three feet of water. 412 miles, to
| Oniatawan, and for large canoes 1877 miles
| further" where carry of nine miles Qn
| high water connected with the Miami
| thence with the great lakes and the world
| THE land on this river is remarkably fer
/ tile. y silver mine has been discovered
about twenty-eight miles above Oniatawan.
| on the north bank of the Wabash The
! copper mine on this river is perhaps the
richest vein of native copper in the bowels
| of the whole earth"
Fort Vincents was erected in 1877, to repel
| incursions of the Wabash Indians. at has
| four small brass cannon and is garrisoned
| by a major and two companies The town
raise Indian corn and wheat. and tobacco
| of extraordinary good quality" Hemp
| grows wild. All through this region the
| settlers make all the wine they can use
| of wild grapes. 1t is said to be of excel
| lent quality, lacking only age to make il
| equal TO the best wines of Europe,
Indiana is described as being particularly
| adapted to the culture of rice, and also
| an excellent country for raising cotton The
| beautiful forests on the White and Wabash
| rivers are well described. with a pretty
| accurate list of the principal trees OF these
THE sugar maple is the most valuable. BY
| reserving ten trees, every family can sup
/ ply themselves with excellent sugar in per
\ petuty," each tree will produce ten
| pounds of sugar year, and the labor is
| trifiing.
That the forests could ever disappear and
timber become scarce and precious. or thai
| any family could be luxurious and ex-
| travagant as TO use more than a hundred
| pounds OF sugar in a year. were probably
! equally inconsiderable ideas in 1896