The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-03-03
MY COUNTRY
'TISOF THEE
ByS. J. FULLWOOD

ILLINOIS -,,...,s "a.
When we speak of Illinois, our
minds M M e d rate ~ turn TO
thoughts of that great midwest
tern metropolis, Chicago, eo-ordi-
mating industrial center between
the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.
Volumes could be and have been
written on this great city, but VIC
are concerned with Illinois as
state in this article. 900. y.
We are informed that Illinois IS
the third largest state in popula-
tion in the union. 1t lies geo.
graphically, in the east north cen
tral group. 1t is bounded on the
no,tb by Wisconsin, on the east
bv Indiana and Lake Michigan, on
the south by Kentucky and Mis-
souri,. and on the west by Iowa
and Missouri. e,. IS
Illinois measures two and one,
half inches in diameter: 1t is gold
in color. and has fifty prongss
around the edge Of it. Seal OF
the State of Illinois is emblaz-
oned between the outer and inner
rim of the circle. august 26th.
1918" is found at the bottom OF
the seal. The center shows pic
ture of the great American Eagle,
which is holding banner in its
beak. On the banner is the state
motto: state Sovereignty Ma
tional Union" The eagle is rest
inc partially on stone and par
tially on the emblem Of our coun-
try; while in the background can
be seen the rising sun.
The Illinois state flower is the
violet. The motto has already
been expressed. The nickname for
the state is Sucker State" The
state capital is located in Spring
field. go, :,
The major crop of Illinois is
corn, with other such important
crops as soybeans, wheat and fruit
in the order named. The levelness
of the land in Illinois permits uses
of machinery for farming, thus al
lowing for the production OF farm
products on a large scale.
The major mineral Of the state
Is coal. This coal industry, which
is located for the most part in the
southern portion Of the state, is
to a large degree responsible Tor
the vast amount Of manufactur-
inp done in the commonwealth.
And other minerals which are OF
importance in the mineral re-
sources of the state are: petro-
leum, flour SPAR glass and glass
sand. a.,
Transportation is important in
Illinois. It is said that Chicago is
the largest railroad center in the
world. Practically every major
line travelling east and west, north
and south, has q terminal in this
great city. All persons travelling
through Chicago from the east to
the, west, must change trains, as
no line runs straight through the
city. The river transportation IS
MANY miles long. Three rivers,
the Mississippi, the Ohio and the
Wabash, carry the bulk OF the
interstate river transportation
into Illinois. The Illinois river is
almost totally intra-state, and is
connected with Lake Michigan by
n canal. 1.-THE first standard tow
of. barges reached Chicago from
New Orleans. in 1885," Illinois,
second only to Texas, has over
1000 miles of Z railway il mes.
Then the, lake traffic which pours
into Chicago from other points,
produces a great volume of bust
ness. The, greatest single product
brought into Chicago by lake :trap-
el is iron ore. This comes from
Minnesota, Wisconsin and michi-
gan. From Chicago this ore is
taken to the plants of the United
States Steel Corporation at Gary
Indiana. ,..,.' '..a ,
Illinois has many leading in
dustries. Steel mills, furnaces.
foundries, machine shops, electric
machinery, automobile plants, rail-
road shops, agricultural imple-
ments, printing and, publishing,
and clothing manufactures, con-
sist Of the leading ones. There
are lO,740 establishments of man.