Steam Mills

We would call the attention of our friends, and more particularly the business men of our city, to the subject of steam mills-We are aware that great and extensive improvements have been made in our town, in a few months past-and we take great pleasure in saying that no city or town in the western country, has surpassed this, in rapidity of growth or increase of wealth-it has in the short space of a little over two years, been changed from a thinly settled neighborhood, of some fifteen or twenty families, into a densely populated city of near ten thousand inhabitants, and its population daily increasing.

To supply the wants of this community, requires a vast quantity of flour, meal, &c. the most of which, is brought from a distance; consequently a large amount of money goes from our midst into the hands of manufactors [manufactories] and dealers, abroad, a thing we should avoid as much as possible, as it is bad policy to depend upon our neighbors for our home consumptions [consumption's], when we have every facility, and ample means for manufacturing them for ourselves.

We have men in our city, of abundant capital to build permanent and extensive steam mills, sufficient to more than supply the wants of our citizens; an object greatly to be desired, as we are credibly informed that the proprietors of one mill in Warsaw, acknowledge the average receipt of fifty dollars per day, from this place; which is not the only mill patronized by our citizens, by any means.

The most of the small towns on the Upper Mississippi, have from one to two and three steam mills, which appear to be doing a good business. Now if those places can support from one to two and three mills, certainly, our city can amply support one. Not only our ability to do, but our wants actually require the services of one, or more, first rate mills, and we hope to see our business men awake on this subject.