New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-06-18
Lake SuperiOr i'm 1852.
Correspondence Of The n. Y. Tribune.
EAGLE HARBoR L. Sup, Friday, June 4, y

| quest send few lettings OF my Journey 10 the
| Copper regions. left New.York in an evening
train of the N. Y. & Erie, the Colossus of Rail-
roads, and found myself at Dunkirk about eighteen
| hours thereafter. Taking berth on the steamer
Niagara, had pleasant trip to Cleveland. Here
was detained six or eight hours, for boat to
Detroit. Finally in the evening, l went on board
the steamer Detroit, small craft crowded with
| passengers, and coaxed what sleep could out of
| bench in the saloon. At Detroit, was again
obliged to wait three days for boat to the Sawt.
So had an opportunity to take very deliberate
look at that ancient city, which found very much
improved and enlarged" since my last visit, eley-
en- years ago; though still lacking the go-ahead
| appearance of many other Western towns. A
large amount Of the real estate of the city is held
by the old French settlers or their descendants,
class who are decidedly opposed to all such cost
ly innovations as paved Streets tagged sidewalks,
gas lights, pure fresh water &C. but the spirit of
the Universal Yankee Nation has so far obtained
the mastery at last as to commence the introduce
| ton of those improvements which should have
been thought of ten or fifteen years ago. Detroit,
however, will ultimately, from its very position,
grow into large city, in spite of the stage-coach
pace of its inhabitants. Among the decided i'm
provements Of the city, and one which very
much needed, is the Biddlc House, large first
class hotel, recently erected on the site Of the
old American, which is said to have been the scene
of Hulrs dsglacefnl surrender Of Detroit to our
| former enemy over the river.
On Saturday afternoon, the Doth of May, en-
barked in the good stesmer London, Capt. Robin
son, headed in the direction of Copperdom. A
few pufs Of the engine brought us through the
| Detroit River into Lake st. Clair, small, shall
low body Of water, having the appearance of sort
of overflow or spreading out Of the river. On
either shore of the Detroit fine farming country
| the Canada side having the advantage in beauty
and perhaps in iertility-certainy in the number
of windmls. The farms on that side arc small,
and, like a Dutch landscape, each one seems in
complete without windmill. The London pulled
on through Lake st. Clair and the deep, narrow
river of the same name, till we reached Lake HUI
ron, having passed several small towns devoted
principally to the fish and lumber trade. Steam
ing up the west coast of the noble Huron Mon
day morning found us at the Island of Mackinaw
On this island is a very ancient settlement, with
a few very ancient and rickety buildings situated
under the bluff along the edge of the water, and
called village. On the hill behind the village Is
| a United States Garrison, whose shabby aud dap-
idated condition barmonizes beautifully with the
ancient village aforesaid, The population here
consists of French, Indians, halfbreeds, and few
Yankee traders. Occupation, fishing, hunting
cutting wood, manufacturing Indian curosities
and antiquities to order, aud loafng on the docks
| A. 1 a..
this place is becoming quite celebrated sum.
mer resort
After discharging and taking in freight and pas
seugers, among the latter large number of work
ing and beef cattle Intended for the Copper Mines
| the London pushed on toward the south by way
of the Bruce Mines, On the Canada side, passing
an infinite number of small and beautifully green
Islands and sundry sunken reefs viii IN are not so
beautiful, particularly to seamen. The Bruce
Mines Co. have sunk large number of shafts and
ESQ COO sterling or their vein, an are not vet in
sight Of a dividend Their lode does not Weld ma
tive copper like those on Lake Superior, bat COP
per ore. learned from Mr.. Pilgrim, the cashier
of the Company, that they are employing about
eco hands, and that the lode is improving as they
go down. As the boat arrived just before dark,
had no opportunity to see much of the di ygings
The settlement consists only of those coarscted
with the mines, few Indians and Half breeds. and
burly Englshman, who perfOrmcs the ard Ious
duties Of Collector Of Customs, Postmaster, &c.
Among the official acts which he performed during
our stay, was the granting Of permit to our "a.
loon-keeper TO sell, duty tree, plug Of Virginia
Sweet Leaf to Coriishman, who was smoking
very short-s;ommed pipe. The inhabitants
seemed to regard the steamer with a
degree of curiosity AID interest second
only to that which excited by IT,. first n -
pearance of Fu!ton's steambosA at Albahy, in 1907
or that Of the Roscius, the ksst ocean steamer
seen in the Bay Of New-Yorl raany yeas later.
The London was probahythe FIRST steamer yhich
had touched at the Bruce Mines siGce the opening
Of NAVIGATION.
We reached the SAINT Just IN time to get passage
Oh the Baltimore, which was ared up 20. Onions
gon ana intermediate ports This little town
to'. wary 81 presents the Appearance of thrift and
activity considerable quantities of conner had
reached the place and some had been sent fo,r,rJ
A small steamer built in Cleveland ana ;n,anS.;;
to Ply on the ontonagon, was being hauled over
the rapids The Baltimore is 6ve-hupdreJ.t,,
steamer, which was hauled round the f,Ih. doria.,
the past winter, and is the only padd,..vheol
steamer on the Lake. She has excellent and am.
pie accommodations FOR passengers, and is CON.
handed by Capt. wilson, one Of the most agreea-
bic gentlemen | have met in the West
When all were on board the B. headed for White
Fish Point, whence she ran along the south shore