Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1842-01-13
COMMERCE. OF TIE LAKES.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE COURIER:

II TO THE EDITOR OF THE COURIER:
II A friend in Buffalo has been 80 kind
us To send ne report, made To Capt.
w. &. Williams, of the Corps Of Topo-
graphical Engineers, by J. l.. Barton,
Esq, on The amount Of the commercial
business done upon the great Western
Lakes, from which have selected the
following facts, as have believed they
would be interesting 10 people of this
State, from their immediate connection
with the grand Western Railroad, which
has recently been completed TO the ter
mini Of the Erie Canal and Erie Railroad,
IN the city Of Albany.
Prior TO the year 1892, the whole com.
merce west of Detroit was confined al
most exclusively To the transportation of
the provisions aud goods for the Indians,
and bringing back in return the iurs col
lected by the company engaged in that
trade, and supplies for the .roops at the
military posts OF Mackinac, Grccn Bay,
and the Sault Of St Mary, all of which
only employed "A few small schooncrs.
The first steamboat that hoaied on
Lake Erie was the Walk -n- the ater,
which was built in 1921 aud having been
wrecked, was replaced by the Superior,
III 1882. those boats made semi annual
trips 10 Mackinac, which was then the
ultima Mule OF western navigation.
10 1927, The waters Of Lake Michigan,
lor the first time, were navigaied by a
steamboat. one having that year made
an excursion, with party of pleasure, to
Green Bay. Such annual excursions
were repeated antil 1889, when steam
boats were employed for transporting
troops to Chicago, for prosecuting the
Black Hawk war. Before that time no
boat had ascended Lake Michigan south
of Green Bay, and Chicago was then
merely military post, around which |
small village had been formed, by perl
sons engaged in trade with the Indians. /
In 1888 there were eleven steamboats,
owned on Lake Erie, which cost $500,
600, and transported from and to Buffalo,
during that year, 6 ,485 passengers, for
which, and the freight and merchandise,
about $3.50, 900 were received but du-
ring that season only three trips were
made TO the Lakes above Detroit, and |
the time employed was from twenty one
TO twenty-five days and now the voyage
10 and from Chicago is performed in from
e ight 10 ten days
In the year l34l, there were employ
&c on Lakes Erie, Huron and Michigan,
'orty-eigh ght steamers, which varied in
size from 100 to $50 tons, and cost So,
200, 700. During the season those stea-
ners made 525 trips from Buffalo to the
'arious ports on the Lakes, seventy of
which were to Chicago. The distance
hey run has been estimated at $4,000
niles.
Besides the steamers, there are on the
upper Lakes $50 sail Of sloops, schoo-
,ers, brigs and ships, ranging from ihir-
y to $50 tons, whose aggregate cost was
5 100000.
The commerce on Lake Ontario,
which by means Of the Welland Canal
$ extended to Lake Michigan, has rap
dly increased for it appears that 1895
'chooners and 972 scows and boats pass.
ID through that canal during the last year.
Thus, within the short period Of only
en- years, the vessels on the great Lakes
lave been so increased from two or three
teamboats aud few schOoners, and the
rade 50 much augmented, that the whole
'mount of frei ght and passage money
'arned has been estimated at S 100000
or the past year. II
Very respectfully yours, ID.