COMMON ROADS. 283 



In the valley of the Mississippi, the sun of our prosperity 

 has risen and will assuredly continue to ascend until he shines 

 in all his meridian splendor. The seat of the last, the great- 

 est, the most glorious, wealthy and powerful empire in the 

 world, must be located in the Mississippi valley. The hand 

 of time which will strike out of existence other empires, and 

 sink them into oblivion, shall only roll up the curtain which 

 hangs before them, and show the world all the splendors of 

 this. We must have patience, and wait a short period, and 

 " this day of small things'''^ shall be forgotten, or remembered 

 only with pride and exultation at the then contrast. Let us 

 elevate our views, discard all narrow ones, all low aims, 

 and prepare for the destiny which awaits us, as well as our 

 posterity, forever. 



COMMON ROADS AND HIGHWAYS. 



Many of these are very good during about eight months 

 in the year. From Columbus to Chillicothe is such a road, 

 but it needs more bridges across the streams, and should be 

 thrown up in the form of a turnpike, so that no water would 

 stand on it. The difficulty of procuring stone to cover it, is 

 a misfortune, which at present we cannot remedy. We have 

 not in this region any good hard limestone near us. In this 

 respect the Miami country enjoys a privilege which we do not 

 possess. Our country is alluvial and all the stone we have 

 fit for the purpose is in the beds of our streams brought to us 

 from near their head waters. These pebbles will one day be 

 used by those who come after us. All our common roads are 

 not what they should be, and what we hope they will be at a fu- 

 ture day. Every man in the state is taxed annually, two days 

 work on our roads. We have a small amount from the United 

 States on the sales of their lands, and a tax on our property, in 

 aid of our poll tax, appropriated yearly for road purposes. More 

 labor is necessary to be beneficially expended on our roads. 

 The best common roads are now, perhaps, in New Connecticut. 



