Constantine republican. [volume] (Constantine, Mich.) 1836-1838, 1837-01-04
From the Rochester Republican.
LETTER FROM THE WEST.
UJ.L.I. NJ, rooc

been made in Mishawaka since spring.
All that could be done has been. The
scarcity of building materials and the diff
Guilty of obtaining workmen, has retarded
operations in a measure, but the sound of
the hammer and the saw, are heard in eve-
ry direction, from 'early dawn till late at
Gen." My predictions of last spring have
been fully verified, the horizon of our vii.
lage still brghtens with continued prosper.
ity-and why should we not look forward
in the fullest confidence to the realization
of our most sangune expectations. What
is there TO prevent Mishawaka from being
large and flourshing town-situated in
the midst of country whose fertility is
unsurpassed, and upon the beautiful St. Jo-
seph, which is here one hundred Yards wide.
on which fall Of nearly eleven feet is oh.
tanned by means of four feet dam, and
which is navigable for steamboats, hun
dred miles from its mouth; with inexhaus.-
ible beds of iron ore in IFS immediate vicin-
ity, and then the enterprise and capital al
ready embarked there, must inevitably make
it go ahead
We are truly in prosperous condition;
you see that | am writing to give you a
fair picture of Mishawaka. Nevertheless
it is due that should give you true
one, and would be sorry indeed TO raise
the expectation of any one so high, that
my description should fall short, and he
should be disappointed, upon visit; and
during the past summer some statements
have been put forth which will hardly stand
the test of examination, which is unfortu-
nate inasmuch as people visiting our town
with a view of locating will find their ex-
pectations raised too high from the inflated
accounts sent out, and overlook the real
advantages it actually does possess. They
will look in vain for the "Church," as per
reference on an imperfect map of Misha-
waka, published last spring. Even then
the "church" was only a schoo-house, a
modest, unpretending little building, such
as you see in isolated towns in New York,
where the urchin first learns his A G., and
which has since been turned into dwelling.
And il would require the aid of Aladdin's
lamp, or prophet 10 Smiths holy spcctacles
to see mills and factories upon the north
side Of the river. They may be there per-
haps; there is enough water TO put them
into operation but at present they exist
only in the eye of the speculator. No, no,
"tel the truth, and shame -" rusty
adage, but good one. Our town at tn $
time has in actual operation, an extensive
furnace, grist mill, "a noble building) cal
cuated for six run of stone, two of which
only are now running, and saw mill.
There is, r.early completed, another saw
mill, large forge for refining iron, trip
hammer shop, foundry and All engine and
finishing shop. These are upon the south
side of the river.
Most of the water power has passed
from the original proprietor to others, who,
it is understood, mean to improve it them-
selves. The village contains about six
hundred inhabitants, and has four dry goods
stores, two druggists, three physicians, one
copper smith, one large warehouse upon
the canal, near the lock, which keeps open
the navigation Of the river around the falls,
one ihreshing machine and finishing shop,
one wagon maker, one cooper, one cabi-
net maker, two blacksmiths, two shoema.
kers, and two public houses, one of which,
the Mishawaka Hotel" is unsurpassed in
the western country--a neat Methodist cha.
pei is building. and will 60 "into operation"
during the winter. The contract for the
bridge has been given cut and was to have
been completed the first of December, but
| am inclined to think it will not be. The
improvements upon the north side of the
river begin to show that the proprietors
Messrs. Battel and Lawrence, are up and
doing. They have contracted for the erec-
ton Of ten dwelling houses. four of which
are nearly done, and a large public house
with wings designed for stores. They
gave out contract for digging the race on
their side Of the river which is nearly CON-
pleted, and they have sold water power for
saw mill, which is to be erected next
season. One capital feature ia their plan
of selling lots is, they bind the purchaser
to build within given time. The true way
of doing good to the village. have seen
one Of their maps lately. College Green,
Court House Square, and the Rail Road
route, figure conspicuously.
|
The site for building is much peasanter on
the north than the south side, and if it is
ever built up, will surpass the south
in beauty so far as nature has done for il.
The canal connecting the Maumee river
and consequently Lake Erie with Lake
Michigan, passes through our village, which
is another solid advantage to us. And this
reminds me-our western country go heart
| in hand for some other communication with
Lake Erie than via the Lakes. When
goods 60 from New York to st. Louis in
sixteen to twenty days, it is sounded from
one end of the union to the other. But die
you ever see the delay Of from three to nine
months advertised, presume not there is
hardly merchant in the west, or person
expecting goods by way Of the Lakes bu
can tell you 1.-THE story Of their wrongs"
can point out hundred almost at glance
who are this moment suffering from ths
non arrival of goods and Of furniture, which
was shipped, or rather left in store to b
shipped, last spring and summer. A gen
tleman told me recently, that he shipped hi
furniture in New.York for the mouth o
the st. Joseph in July, in order to be SURF
to reach that port before the fall wind
should set in, and also, to be there as sooI
as himself Upon his arrival in Buffalo
late in October, he found his goods ther
and there they had been nearly three
months. Il is so late in the season that h,
probably will not see his furniture until mex
June or July, eleven or twelve months from