WOOD CO. REPORTER JOH.V !¥. BBUHDAGE, Editor. E. M. UAIN'ES. Cokrkspo.vmxg Editor. GRAND RAPIDS, WIS.: Wednesday Morning, April 21st, 1858. Up" Bmgli‘ copies of the Reporter mav be bud at tlihs Oilice, at Five Cents each. (Mice on the bluff, opposite Magnolia House. Now R. R. Route.—Great Change in the Commercial Interests of the Mississippi Valley. 1 he subject of Railroads and Rail road building may seem to be a very delicate subject in these times of no money and all extension j but the route which we wish to introduce seems to carry importance enough with it for all in the various branches of business now carried on in the Mississippi Valley and Central Wisconsin to see its practica bility and vast importance. The route which we propose is. from the most practical and convenient point on the M’ssissipj i River—say either from Dunleith or Prairie du Chien via New Lisbon—to the Wisconsin Pinery; being in distance from Dunleith to Grand Rapids about 135 miles, or from I Van ie du ( liieii to (hand Rapids about 110 miles, A road running on either of i!ie two lines would pass through one of the mo>{ fertile tracts of country of v . : h ''v isconsin can boast, and which, V tin road is built, must immediately be brought into cultivation. But this is a small interest when com pand with the great lumbering interest of the Wisconsin Pinery, carried on upon the V. isconsin River and its trib utaries, v hich, hi the aggregate, is about 125,000,000 feet annually, and worth in market, on an average, about BIS per M., equal in amount to $2,250,- 000, which constitutes a vast business, and w hich of necessity goes to the val ley of tlu- Mississippi to find a market. On account of the impracticability of freight ing goods and supplies from the Mississippi towns by any of the present established lines of transporta tion, the manufacturers of lumber are compelled to require cash for their lum ber, in order to meet their engagements and buy their goods and supplies either at Milwaukee, Chicago or New York houses, and principally New York, — which has created a vast and constant drain of the money that in reality and of right ought to belong to the valley of the Mississippi and Central Wiscon sin to New Vork, and there to be lock ed up lu vaults; thereby giving those Wall street sharpers (who are but little less than gamblers and robbers of west ern tho power to put the fi nancial screw s to the times whenever it is expedient for them to do so. Now, if a Railroad can be built on either of the proposed routes, it will form a transportation line from St. Lou is and all way towns on the Mississippi River, direct to the Finery; thereby enabling our lumbermen to sell for part cash, and the balance in short paper, goods or produce, and close up their business at one trip,, and save all costs of collections, as is now the custom. — Short paper drawn on good and respon sible firms, would meet with ready ex change for either goods or produce in any of the towns it is made, which would render it equivalent to cash to the manufacturer. The majority of all the lumber manufactured in the Central W isconsin 1 ‘incry, probably goes to the St. Louis market, which is nearly or quite as good a market to purchase goods and groceries as New York. Ex- C* “ ample; Fork could have been bought iu exchange for lumber in the Missis sippi towns, this last winter, for $12,50 per bbh, and the lumbermen would have turned their capital, which is worth not less than 25 per cent. But on ac count of the impracticability of trans porting tliis pmk from the Mississippi towns via Chicago and Milwaukee—a roundabout route to the Finery—they wire under the necessity of borrowing money at a ruinous rate of interest, to buv -aid pork in Milwaukee and Chi cago, lat the price of sls per bbl. Now , the interest of their money lying in stock, waiting to find a cash sale, which could have boon exchanged for the article desired, being about 25 per cent.; and the interest of the necessary money borrowed being 25 per cent.; and the difference in the price being $2.50 per bbh, (equal to per cent.) line, tradesmen from Prairie du Chien j to St. Louis, the farming interests of! lowa, Illinois and Missouri, and espe cially the wholesale dealers in goods of every nature, to meet the demands of Central Wisconsin, are all materially enhanced. There are also other inter ests that would be benetitted and en couraged by such an enterprise. For! instance, the mineral wealth of Wood' county and various other sections of j Central Wisconsin, which is principal ly iron, and which is found to exist to an extent that would warrant invest ment and pay remuneratively. Ample water-power, which is now lying idle, j to operate millions of business in the iron trade, and leave a balance to ope rate spindles enough to manufacture for the whole Northwest. The manu facture of iron, cotton and wool can be ! as easily done here as any other place in tlie United States, having an abun dance of iron and water-power on the immediate ground, and, by the assist ance of the proposed Railroad, cotton can be practicably brought from the Lower Mississippi, and the growing of! wool is constantly increasing in all our Northwest. The products of consump tion are already on the ground, and la bor will be as cheap here as any other section of the country. Our water power is not excelled by any, either in quality or quantity. With these few hints submitted, we pause, hoping that the reader will re flect and consider its importance. This project, once accomplished, will enrich not only Central Wisconsin, but even town on the Mississippi River, from Prairie du Chien to St. Louis and sur rounding country, and perform one of the mightiest revolutions in the com mercial interests of the Mississippi Valley. School Books. Grand Rapids, Apr. 20, 1858. Friend Brundage; — l wish through the columns of the Reporter , to inform the citizens of the town of Grand Rap ids that through the recommendation of the Town Superintendent of the schools, and by order of the several dis trict boards of said town, the following text-books have been adopted for the use of the public schools, to wit: Ray’s Series of Arithmetics. P'nmeo’s Series of Grammars. Mitchell’s Geography. McDulVey’s Readers and Speller. Parents are requested to furnish their children with the necessary books at the commencement of the schools, so that teachers need not suffer the incon venience of a change during the term. I understand that Messrs. Mosher & Foster, of this village, have a supply of the above books on hand, and are ready to supply those who may need them. J. H. Lang, Town Superintendent. Plover Herald Suspended. —We are pained to announce that the publi cation of the Plover Herald is suspen ded. When Judge Alban started the enterprise, he did so with the view of selling to some practical printer, and not with an anticipation of making money by it. His practice as a lawyer has been abridged by the newspaper connection, and he lias at last resolved to suspend until ho can sail to some printer. We know that some printers could make the concern pay; and we would recommend to any industrious, temperate printer the propriety of buy ing it. Town Election. —We would be pleased to receive the result in all our town. The following are the now ofll ! cers in Saratoga: Supervisors—J. C. Tattoo, Ch’n, J. Darling and Thos. Law. : Clerk—John Martin. Treasurer—J. R. Pattee. i Assessor—N. C. Abbott. Justices —John Ensign and N. Tcm | V le - Superintendent—J. C. Pattee. i Constables—W. M. Hodgkinson and Thos. Law. VW A hill has been introduced in i the Senate by Senator Hanchctt, pro i viding for the increase of rates for legal advertising. The press throughout the | State will be greatly obliged to Mr. Hanchctt for this attention to their long neglected interests. They should in form their representatives of the ridic lously low prices now fixed, and mark he man who will seek to do them in istice by opposing the bill. Let the ross speak a word in behalf of their igbts. No Joke. —Gov. Weller, of Califor ia, has recommended the appointment fa night watch to guard the State rcasury ichile the Legislature Is in ssion. It is said that an effort is being ade in Wall street to induce Gov. j ing to grant a pardon to Charles B. 1 untington, the lorger. mm All the mills in this section have i suraed. Much lumber remains in the ; oods, to bo rafted next season. The Circuit Court will com-1 ance a session in this village on Mon- ; y next. Lecompton in the House. The following intelligence of the ac-| • ® tion of the House on the Lecompton matter, will be read with interest. We have thought from the first, if this mat ter reached a committee of conference (which we concluded had been made impossible by the action of the House) j the administration would triumph and j Lecompton substantially would win.— 1 This vote lias a look in that direction, ! but nothing short of the final result will determine. House, April 14.—Mr. English, that he might not be misunderstood, said! that be was opposed to the Senate billl in its present shape, but notwithstand- 1 ing this he was willing to hear what the j Senate had to say, and was in favor of i the appointment of a Committee of I Conference; he could not see that any ( harm would result from it, and there- j fore he moved that the House agree to j a Committee of Conference on the sub-i jeet matter of the disagreeing votes, and that three members be appointed on the part of the House; on this prop osition be called for the previous ques tion. Wasbburne, of Me., raised the ques tion that it was not in order for Mr. English to make that motion. The blouse has adhered, and until it re-con sidors that action, it was not in order to make that motion. The Speaker over-ruled the point of order. | Mr, Garnett, of Va., wished to make lan explanation of his vote; objections ; made. Mr. English repeated that he had I made the motion in accordance with general usage in ail parliamentary bod ies. The demand for the previous ques tion was seconded, when the House pro ceeded to vote on Mr, English’s motion for a Committee of Conference. The vote stood yeas 108, nays 108, a tic. The Chair then voted in the affirma tive, so Mr. English’s proposition was agreed to. The announcement of the vote was greeted with applause in the galleries. A New Work on Horticulture. — ! The Garden : Anew pocket manual of j practical Horticulture; or, How to Cul j tivate kitchen Vegetables, Fruits, Flow | ers, and Ornamental Trees and Shrubs. Fowler A Wells, 308 Broadway, New York. Price, in paper, 30 cts.; cloth, 50 cents. No one who owns or rents a square rod of ground can afford to be without this best of all garden manuals. It is an eminently popular and practical work—so clear and simple in style, that everybody can understand it; so con venient in form and size that it can be carried in the pocket; and so low in price that all can buy it; while, at the same time, it is thorough, comprehen sive, and perfectly reliable. It tolls how to cultivate everything belonging to the garden ; how to plant trees; how to choose the best varieties of fruits; how to prime, graft, bud, destroy in sects, preserve fruits and vegetables, and save seeds: and it not only tells the reader what to do, but ichg it should be done, thus giving him anew interest in everything. The chapter on the Flower Garden is just what the ladies are wanting. Adapted to all sections— the South as well as the North. It will be found worth a hundred times its cost to any one in a single season. We copy the following from the Wausau TU'sconsin, as an illustration of the enterprise of business men in this Pinery: F. A. Hoffman’s new store in this vil lage has been constructed and put in operation in an unusually short space of time, for any season of the year. It is 72 feet long by 24 foot wide—with 25 feet posts, and basement the size of the whole building. The average thick ness of timber is twelve inches. About 1500 feet of square timber, and from 50,000 to 60,000 feet of lumber (board measure) have been used in its con struction. The cellar or basement was commenced to be dug on the fourth day of February last, and was finished on the 25th of the same month, on which day the carpenter work was commenced, and the inside work fin ished ready for the shelves on the 18th day of March. Since that time the shelves have been finished, the goods removed in, the tin shop in the second story put in full operation, so that from the time of commencement only nine weeks have elapsed. A Good Suggestion. —The N. Y. Post suggests that Jones, of lowa, the “Senatorial dummy,” who voted for the Nebraska bill in 1854, and has lately voted for Lecompton, being of too lit tle mental capacity for any public sta tion, should, on retirement to private life, receive from the Secretary of War, “some beef or corn contract for the Utah army.” • ■ ■■ 11' The editor of the Reporter has been | presented with two cabbage heads. No ' marked improvement visible, however,! in the editorial department of the pa- j per as yet.— Madison Journal. The Dutch schoolmaster of the Jour -, nal can appreciate no inspiration save j that which comes from lager and sour- j krout! NSV The Conservator says that the • family of J. C. Loyd, of Neenah, were poisoned by eating wild parsnips, on Tuesday last. A little son died in con sequence, but by timely remedies the: wife and daughter were saved, and are now considered out of danger. l@r*The New Orleans Crescent thinks Missouri will become a free State in ten vears. The Death Bed of Benton. Washington, April 6. Col. Benton is dying. His disease, cancer of the bowels, made such pro gress that he cannot survive much long er. He suffers extreme pain, and is exhausted almost to the last degree of physical prostration. But his mind is as clear and powerful as ever, and the high resolute, Roman spirit of the old statesman, struggles with indomitable energy and fortitude against sickness and weakness and the awful presence of the king of terrors. He died in har ness, working to the last for his coun try and mankind. An old and intimate friend from Missouri called upon him this morning. Benton was in bed, scarcely able to mot‘e4iand or foot, and not able to speak much above a whis per. But he was hard at work, closing up his Abridgement of th* Debates of Congress, which he has brought down to 1850, to the passage of thj Compro mise measures. He was dictating the closing chapter of the work. His daughter, Mrs. Jones, sitting leside the bed, received it, sentence by sentence, whispered in her ear and repeated it aloud to her husband, who wrote it down. It was then read ovei to Col. Benton, and received his coireetions, made with as much particularity as if it were the maiden work ofsoue young author. Resting a few minutes from his task, Col. Benton entered into conversation with his Missouri friend. He told him that in reviewing the eventsotlßso, he was glad to find that the animosities of the past had died out in his heart, and he was not only ready but to do justice to his former rivals :,ud oppo nents. He spoke with much feeling of Mr. Clay, to whose merits and services he had awarded the highest praise in what he was writing about the Com promise period of 1850. He dwelt par ticularly on the service, the great ser vice, Mr. Clay had rendered to the Re public at that time by baffling and put ting down the traitorous secessionists of the South, who were seeking to destroy the Union, and plunge the country in to civil war for their own selfish and ambitious purposes. The inspiration of this theme fired the languid blood re-animated for a mo ment the failing frame of the dying pa triot. In energetic whispers, he told his visitor that the same men who had sought to destroy the Republic in 1850, were at the bottom of this accursed Le compton business. Among the great est of his consolations in dying was the consciousness that the House of Repre sentatives had baffled these treasonable schemers, and put the heels of the peo ple on the necks of the traitors. Few events in our history, had given so much satisfaction as the defeat of Lecompton. He warmly praised the intrepid and in corruptible Douglas Democrats, who had resisted the power and the wiles of a corrupt administration. In taking leave of his friend, Col. Benton said that, although there was much in his life ho regretted, he could honestly feel proud on his death-bed of his devotion to his country, in whose service ho htvJ never been faithless u negligent.— Correspondence of the N. Y. Tribune. Preparations to Bring out the Ostend Manifesto. Mr, Slidell’s speech in the Senate yesterday is the key to the indecent haste Avhich the President has been exhibiting since his inauguration to get the Kansas question out of Congress. He wishes to bring forward the Ostend programme. He thinksjhere is healing in Cuba and Cen tral America for all the bruises and scratches he has received in the Kan sas epilepsy. Hence the claim set up by all the Administration press so clam orously that the late vote on Critten den’s amendment is equivalent to a dictation by Congress that it will not accept the dogma of “no more Slave States.” Of this tor the want of better material, the Administration party is making its nest in which Ostend eggs arc to be hatched. Fillibustcrism is to take the place of Kansas as a source of agitation, and before another session of Congress is over, we shall be required to make war upon Cuba to preserve the U nion, as we have before been re quired to submit to the Fugitive Slave Law, the Kansas Nebraska bill, the re peal of the Missouri Compromise, and the Lecompton Constitution, for the same ostensible purpose, Mr, Buchan an thinks that the acquisition of Cuba, if he can accomplish it, will bind the South to him with hooks of steel, and recover some of his lost strength in the commercial cities of the North, enough, at least, to re-elect him President; hence his recklessness about the means of getting Kansas out of Congress; hence the construction in favor of more slave states, placed upon the late vote on the Crittenden amendment, and hence Sen ator Slidell’s speech. More Secret Societies. — I The Dem i ocrats of Xew York City, have a se ! cret orginization connected with the Tammany Hall, called “Foresters,” and the X. Y. Tribune gives a long and somewhat minute description of a for midable new secret political organiza tion there somewhat resembling the old Know Nothing party, called the Young Men's American General Committee, composed of active and influential men, already numbering many thousand names. The Tribune says: the object of their organization is entirely politi cal, and calculated to operate largely in the next Presidential election. It is understood that the organization is not limited to the City of Xew York, but extends quite generally over the country. Calhoun Read Out. —The Rich mond South has read Leeompton Cal houn out of the Democratic party, for agreeing to give the certificates of elec tion to the Free State men. We won der where Calhoun will go?—there certainly is no other party that will have him. Fulfilment of Prophecy.— Old Buck prophecied that he would put the Leeompton swindle through Congress, in sixty days, or “bust” The "sixty days are up—Leeompton is floored— and old Buck is busted! Ovr Governor. —ln this tiny, when the rule seems to have become pretty general that the higher the position the more corruption, we cannot but speak a few words in praise of Governor Ran dall. Whatever of abuse, ridicule and bit terness the opposition may have hurled at Mr. Randall, one thing is certain— his independent, fearless course since his official duties began, has effectually closed their mouths, and they are will ing to admit with us, that Gov. Ran dall comes nearer to what is right than any of his predecessors. His message, (admitted by all to be the ablest docu ment of the kind ever delivered from the Capitol of this State), told of a pol icy, which, so far as he has been able to execute and control, has been faith fully carried out. Most of all do we admire him for the determined, manly spirit of independence he has shown in not letting “cliques’’ rule his actions, or control his decisions. And we cannot withhold our admiration of his success, as we view his impartial, faithful and honest course, calculated, as it is, not only to do great credit to himself, but prove of incalculable benefit to our State. Much was expected from Mr. Randall by his friends, and most truly has he answered them. Happy is Wis consin in her present Governor.—lia cine Advocate. The Advocate speaks the general sentiment of the press and people of Wisconsin in this just praise of Gov. Randall. Our State has never yet had an Executive who gave such gen eral satisfaction, or who so entirely en joyed the confidence of men of all po litical parties.— Sen ti n cl. The La Crosse Road— Another Change in the Directory.— Stephen Chirk has resigned his place as Presi dent to the La Crosse Company, and N. P. Stanton lias been elected in his stead. Mr. Clark says, as the cause of Ids resignation, that a due “attention to my private affairs, renders it quite impossible for me to give proper atten tion to the concerns of the Company.” He thinks his connection with the man agement has not been wholly unproduc tive of results favorable to the interests of the stockholders, and congratulates the company that the completion of the road to Tat Crosse is placed beyond a reasonable cont ingency. E. H. Goodrich has also resigned his place as a Director, and Jacob IT. Shear of Albany, elected in his place. A. C. Garrison of the Market Rank, Troy, has been elected to the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of Byron Kilbourn. The New York Express, from which the above is obtained, adds: “No official notice has been given the company of the change of time in holding the annual election. A meet ing of stockholders will be held at Al bany in a few days, which will be ad journed at Now York, to consult with stock and stockholders here, and agree upon a ticket for the deferred election, should the company receive notice of any change in the day, and agree upon the names of parties to whom proxies shall be sent. With good manage ment, such n& the present Board, arc* capable of securing to the road, there will remain a profit for the stock.” —*£*- •o John Mitchell. —The people of Knoxville, Tenn., support two queer specimens of humanity and editors ot newspapers —Parson Brownlow and John Mitchell. In a late number of his paper, the latter—the “exiled patriot” —says: I am a moderate man, and confine my views for the present to the dissolu tion of the Union—revival of the Afri can trade —Americanization of Cuba, Central America, Mexico and the West India Islands—and establishment of a potent Southern Confederation, based on Slavery; that’s all; as for the conquest of the Northern States, I would defer that; though, indeed, Mr. Spratt, of Charleston, whom I acknowl edge as pastor and master (boss) in American politics, has no doubt that slavery will ultimately prevail in those at present too benighted communities and save them from anarchy, otherwise coming upon them like an armed man. County Seat of Adams Co. — A bill passed the Legislature and become a law, providing for referring the ques-| tion of the removal of the county seat of Adams county, from Quincy to i Friendship, to the people of the county at the annual election next fall. We believe it is generally thought that the i majority of the voters will favor the move. Friendship is anew town, on the little Roch a Crec, nearly central of the county, has a good mill, about a dozen or fifteen houses; intelligent and industrious inhabitants, and a pros pect of a good growth if it gets the county seat. —Kitbonrn City Mirror. Gov. "Wise an Emancipationist.— It is stated by the Washington corres pondent of the Xew York Times , that the opposition of Gov. Wise, of Virgin ia, to the Leeompton swindle, is attrib utable to the tact that he has within the last year become a proselyte to the Emancipation movement, which has for some time past been rapidly gaining friends and advocates in the northern line of Slave States. It is stated that Gov. Wise is a strong supporter and advocate of Eli Thayer’s white labor colonization scheme, which he regards as the only hope for the “Old Domin ion.” —-a>