The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-12-02
lHE DAILY DISPATCH
correspondence of the ni.,.,.h

DETROIT, Mich, Nov. 25tb. 1857.
MR. ,, DisPATcH This present writing find.
US sui lingering upon the lhreshoId of s,;n,sr
YET ciinglng TO the departing form of sobar 49,
tonp' IN his robes OF brown, neither eniov;na
tne comparative comfort of one nor the r.si
pleasnres OF the other. For some time past
we nave had only succession or combination
ct these particulars-snow, rain and nua
MS mas, however, been accompanied by high
~. ,nus: "nich have proved very disastrous to
.he shlpping on our lakes, and also DESTROYED
,iaoy iiSes. Inc weather now is tolerabiy
'al! ahd navigation business active. In nv
q. you make me state the receipts of -four '
tae VI. central K. R. at 7 or 800 bbls. Der day,
II should be multiplied by ten, making il thou.
Sa"as, as the first would be a small load for a
'ms'e ran. In fact, walk through our
warehouses and along the docks won 4 Lead
one to discredit any enumeration.
ne case OF the Lennon slaves exci,es some
nolice mere, and feeling that, under the pre-.
tence OF law, the law of right as between sister
States has been violated. In the condemnation
which you may justly beslow upon Northern
views and acts, all should not be embraced -
Legal injustice is TO be deprecated, but perhaps
as things are, may not be prevented.
The Voice of tine Fugitive" a little sheet
pubiished by BIbb, runaway, on the other
SIDE OF the river, says that business is flourish
iing' he having met 26 of the oppressed in ten
Gays. L was over day or two since, and found
them thick enough. An old man, bonn at
Lynchburg, told me that he had tried it enough
10 Know that they were better off where they
came IRON, and if his old master was alive,
would only ask to be back home with him.
lie SAID great part of them would say the
same.
In speaking Of Detroit, it will be recollected
.nat II was the first place settled IN the great
Noltn"est' ~ dating back TO the year I0|0. 1hs
hrst inhabitants were French, and under the
patronage of the Jesuits, who were then estab-
iIshing missions in almost all parts of the new
world They followed all the main water
courses, selecting the best sites and apporllon.
ing the soil. Every farm must have its water
front ior the procuring of fish in Lent. They
were accordingly narrow and deep, say q
acres or 20 rods wide running back three miles.
This is the case with the whole banks of this
river and Lake ST. Clair. TIE city is built on
such farms, while those above and below are
still occupied in that inc0nvenient shape.
The river is % miles long. has an average
breadth of 1-1O miles, and depth of six faith.
oms or IS feet-sufficient to float the largest
ships-while its banks are pretty high, and sol.
id even to the channel. At this point its course
is nearly West, the city lying on the North
and about 30 feet above its surface. The ori.
ginal town was below the present one, and was
very crowded, for the purpose of being sur.
rounded with q stockade, which the violence Of
the times rendered necessary. In 1905 it was
destroyedby fire, and Gen. Hull being appoint
ed governor, laid out the city upon its present
site, and on broad and regular plane. The
streets are from so TO 900 feet in width, the
principal avenues being the latter. The city
now occupies three thouasnd three hundred
and sixty-eight acres, and is spreading over il.
boundaries in all directions. Some classical
notions entered into the plar, as we have a
large Campus Martius" and Grand Circus
as f0ci from which streets radiatc, as well as
great government roads through the country
to important points, as Chicago, Lakes Michi.
gan and Huron, and to Ohio.
The buildings in the business portions are
generally ofa substantial character, and many
of them, for elegance, would vie with the best
of the Empire City, saving always "Stewart's'
and one or two other marble palaces. The
lack of stone for streets and buildings is hard
to be supplied, but for most purposes in the
latter, iron is used. The lands for IL or Is
miles back from this chain of lakes and rivers
is very fiat and clayey, affording not a stone;
most of those used come from Ohio or islands
in Lake Erie.
The city is supplied with water from an iron
tank or reservoir sixty feet in diameter and
twenty feet deep, supported Dy o DICK Ouiiding
az feet high. This stands by the river, and is
filled by powerful steam pumps constantly in
operation. The expense has been OYER $lS1, )
900.
The soil of this section being pure clay, wa.
ter remains upon the level surface, and renders
draining very necessary, and, at the same time,
very difficult; some of the sewers being twenty
feet deep.
Gen. Cass coming to this city in early days,
secured large farm in the old French shape,
which, by its location, makes him immensely
rich. He lives in a very unpretendng manner,
and is highly respected by the citizens gener.
ally. as also throughout the State.
Of our rail and plank roads may speak on
q Fl ting occasion. 1t is Thanksgiving to-day,
and between attention to churches and turlies,
there is little outdoor business, therefore so
long letter. You're, c.