Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1846-11-18
COMMERCE OF THE WESTERN LAKES.

IN The House Of Representatives. We can
: only give few OF tie principal points,
but who are sutiicien, To show The won.
ueriul growth Of the orth>wcs,crn country
within the few past years
"Pr'or 10 the. year 1899, The whole
commerce west OF Detroit was confined,
almost exclusively, 20 The carry ng up pro-
VISIONS and goods for the Indian trade, and
bringing back, ~ return, the i'urs and other
matters collected by that trude for an east
ern market, and the freightng up of pro>
VISIONS and supplies for The troops a, The
: different ports. established around The uppe
lakes. All o: which furnished mi,ed
J business for Il few schooners
!, "The breakin. cut of The Black Hawk
war, IN 1882, first brought out knowledge
OF the richness of he soil. and salubrity Of
the climate, Of northern Illinois and ludi.
ana, and The Territory, Of W sconsin, and
exhioited the commanding position of Chi
cago, (h'therto an isolated place. for COM
merclal business. This war Icing closed
mat same season, and peace re- established
IN al those parts, strong emigration set
IN that direction the next year, and the rich
pralries OF that country began To gil with
vigorous, hardy, and enIerprising popu-
latIon; and from that time only, the short
period OF eight yeas, may il in truth be sad
that there has been any commerce ives, Of
Detroit
As early as The year 1919, the steam.
boat Waikiki the Water, fbrli md first
went on Lake Erie in the month ofAugus,.
1918, the only steamboat on these lakes.
made trip as far as Mackinac, 10 carry up
the American Fur Company's goods. and
annually repeated the sam. voyage. until
she was shpwrecked on The beach near
Buffalo, in The month of November, 1921.
Her place was then supplied by the steam
Hon: Superior, (now the ship SuperiorD
which came ont in 1922; this boat also
made similar voyages IN Mackinac, which
was then tie UHima Thule of western nav.
igalion.
" In 1896 or 1927, the majestic waters
oil Lake Michigan were Ii st powed by
sleam-a boat having that year made an
excursion with a pleasure party to Green
bay, These pleasure excursions we're
annually made, by two or three boats, un-
I'll the year 1882. This year the neces-
sites OF the government requiring the
transportation OF troops and supplies for the
Indian war then existing, steamboats, were
chartered by the government, aud made
their appearance at Chicago, then an open
road'stead, IN which they were exposed to
The tull sweep Of nouherIy storms, the
whole length of Lake Michigan; and even
at this day, the slight improvements made
at that place, in partially constructed
haroor, afford them but limited protcc-
ton.
at is well known that The steamboats,
navigating these waters have very frequent
~ consolidated their interests and made
returns Of all the earnings to one office,
where their accounts have been annually
lsettled
SIN 1888 the first association was
formed by the steamboat owners, and, as
was then engaged in commercial bsiness, [
was appointed secretary TO the company;
and, such, kept all the books and re-
&c we'd the return from each boat For my
own satisfaction kept an account of the
number Of passengers who passed over
the lakes. This year there were employed
III Steamboats,, which cost the sum Of
$500 600; they carried from Buffalo and
other ports on the lakes, that summer, 81
49, passengers. OF these, ~, $50 were
taken from Buffalo, bound west; the re
naming 1868 were oil landed at Buffalo,
excepting some few distributed at different
potts along the lake. There were made,
that season, three trips 10 The upper lakes
Two to Chicago and one 10 Green Bay;
| { r..
435 81; but how much Of This sum was
actually earned from business west Of De-
troit, cannot say, as | di! no:, as now
wish had done, make this distinction
by way of contrasting the time employed
in making trips TO Chicago IN tl.ose days
and the present, | will state hat one of
the boats left Buffalo ON The Odd Of June.
al 8 +. NJ. and returned on The 18th day
Of July, at 20 p. NJ The other left Buf.
talo the 2Oth Of July, nj F. NJ. and re-
turned August The / th.
. In 1894 the boats keIl up 'hc associ.
al on, which was composed Of Is boats,
costing $d0O,oo0, some new ones having
come out that season. The same mode OF
keeping and SET ling accounts WAS adopted,
With this exception; kept no account Of
the number of passengers. This year
tc0 trips were made 10 Green Bay, and
Three - Chicago. and the amount Of bust
ness done was 1921 Go; The creates; part
OF THIS sum was for business done west oC
Detroit, as The tips 10 Ch cago were mado
by boat running from that Place to Chi.
cago."
/ Mr. Barton was not connected with ihe
company after 1884 IT, lS40. During
, this season there were Is boats on tho
lakes, aud The business bone west of De-
! troit amounted 10 S20I S3S 62.
! In 1911 the Chicago and Green Bay
! boa's earned the sum OF S3OI 500 20.
- shall call your attention To the con-
mercial business done by sail craft or~ihe
same lakes.
Il estimate the number of sail vessels
owned on Lake Ere and the Upper Lakes
at $50, varying in size from 80 to $50
tons; the largest one being an old steam
! boat conqe ted into u sail craft. The
smaller sized ones are employed in wood,
! lumber, and stone business, and confne
thir operations principally TO rivers and
y