70 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS, 



will be MgHy prized. Limestone, marble, freestone, flag, slate, 

 iron, and coal are all found here. The seams of coal vary from 

 two to nine feet in thickness. The Du Quoin coal is of a glossy 

 jet black, ignites rapidly, does not clinker, and yields a small 

 amount of ash. In chemical composition it closely resembles 

 the best steam coal of Ohio and Pennsylvania. It has many 

 properties which place it in the front rank of western coals, — 

 freedom from sulphur, — cleanliness when employed as a domes- 

 tic fuel, — ^firmness to bear distant transportation, — and readi- 

 ness in coking, yielding a large percentage of -Bxed. carbon. 



The distance of this part of the State from the great corn 

 market of Chicago, nearly 300 miles, has hitherto retarded its 

 settlement. But it is favourably placed for the cities of the 

 Mississippi, and is nearer to the ocean than Chicago. When 

 the line of railroad is completed throughout to New Orleans, 

 which it is expected to be within a year from this time, southern 

 Illinois will be brought within from 500 to 600 miles of sea- 

 going ships at New Orleans, which is little more than half the 

 distance by railway from Chicago to the Atlantic. And if the 

 market of Cuba, where little or no wheat is grown, should be 

 thrown open to America, a circumstance every year becoming 

 more probable, the flour of southern Illinois will form the main 

 supply of the Havannah market. These are considerations 

 worthy of being kept in view in forming an estimate of the 

 comparative value of different parts of the State. 



From Centralia I drove through the country, first south- 

 wards for about ten miles, and afterwards to the north between 

 twenty and thirty miles. The aspect of the country from the 

 road is very different from the impression one is apt to receive 

 in passing rapidly over it by railway. Instead of being very 

 uniform and flat, as a stranger is apt to think it, there is much 

 undulation ; so much indeed that I am inclined to think that 

 when the country shall be fully occupied, the various farms fenced, 



