The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1855-08-25
superior.

attracting the attention of tourists from all
parts Of the Union. Among many others who
have recently been up there, we find Mr..
SCRIPTS, Of the Chicago Democratic Press, a
great portion of whose interesting account we
give place in our columns. The letter is
rather long, but it will repay careful peru
sal :
Edi toral Correspond Of the Democratic Press.
Head Of Lake Superior-IHe .Ne,o To,on of
Saper'or-A great North Western Com.
merctdl Emporium-Site of the To,cn-
State Of the HarJor, Sc.-Road to Saint
Paui-Prcjeeted Raiiroads-.Minine Pros
Copper, Coal, Slate and Lead
On BOARD STEAMER SUPERIOR.
- Lake hyperion, off st. Louis Bay, JuIv "a ,sss (
have been to the ultima thule of nv North.
westward journeying. remained there a dav
and half and now that the PROV of our gal
liant steamer is turned homeward, sit down
to tell OF what saw and heard. We reached
the new town of Superior, on the Bay of Saint
Louis. yesterday. This town has sprung into
existence within the last year, and exciting not
little interest throughout the country. 1t is
said, with how much truth know not that it
numbers among its proprietors the President
of the United States his Private Secretary.
one member of the Cabinet, thirteen members
of Congress, and sundry other dign;tares.
besides several cnterprising gentlemen who
do not hold official station. The cOncentra-
ton of so many influential politicians in the
effort to build up town, may, and doubtless
will, have some degree of temporal influence
upon its destiny but after all, lis permanent
prosperity must depend wholly upon other
causes. 1t is commerce, with her landmarks
agriculture, manufactures, are all that build up
and make prosperous cities in this country.
Whether Presidents and Cabinets are at the
head of this new city, or whether plain Mr.
Smith or Mr.. Jones occupies that position,
can make no difference in its ultimate destiny
If it have the essential conditions requisite to
the building up of great commercial empo-
| rum, nothing can prevent its growth. If il
have not those conditions. it will not be in the
power of great names and high official station
to make city of it. The matter of proprie-
torship. therefore. is one of but little interest.
1t is generally conceded that great city must
| in time be built up at or near the western eX-
| IRENE OF Lake SUPERIOR city that shall hold
a relation to the country west and northwest
| of j. similar to that which Chicago, at the
head of Lake Michigan, holds to the country
| commercially connected. Whether Superior
| is to be that city or not is question which
that it is. Many others concur with them in
this belief and it cannot be denied that there
are good reasons on which to predicate such
IAN opinion. For myself confess to too lmi
ted knowledge of the character of the coun
try. Of the claims of other points which will
contest the question of supremacy with Supe-
ror, of the relative facilities of approach from
the interior and the lake, of the relative ad
vantagcs of harbor, and other etcctcras upon
which the whole matter must finally hinge, to
vcnturc an opinion. And indeed such was no
part of my object in visiting this region.
desire neither TO write Up nor to write down
any place. but to give such information res
pccting all as will be of interest to The read
ers of the Press.
The town of Superior, as before stated, is
situated upon the Bay of st. Louis, at the
head of Lake Superior. It's present pOpua
ton is between five and six hundred / was
told there were about seventy-ive buildings
Il ready erected, and that everal others would
be put up during the season. This is certainly
a very extraordinary growth for so short o
period. There are several stores in the place.
The proprictors have erected a hotel which is
not quite completed. though it is occupied, al
a cost of $4,000 The site of the town is on
high ground rising some forty feet above the
bay. Only q small portion of it has been
cleared of the dense forest which covers il. and
bnt few of the streets aud avenues have
been opened. The proprictOrs have laid it out
upon liberal scale. making handsome rescr-
vations for public buildings, school houses
churches aud parks.
The surface formation is of red clay, almost
the color of the Chicago bricks, and this clay
surface extends along the coast of the lake and
bay for several miles, and about six miles into
the interior. where it is terminated by the high
grounds constituting the Lake Superior coast
range. This .esion { fred clay, am told, has
a fiat surface throughout its extent, and much
Oft is of a swampy character. The Bay OF ST.
Lou is about ii miles in length and from two
to three miles wide. Ii is formed by the en-
largemcDt of the st. Louis River. 4 narrow
spit of land, perhaps not more than half mile
wide in any place, jutting out from the Mime
sofa side, separates the bay n ON the lake. The
entrance to the bay is between the point of this
strip Of land and the main shore and is less
than half mile wide. In going in we found
but eight and hall feet of water at the en-,
trance. The water is shOal for some distance
into the lake, and | am told the channel fire
quently shifts. The water in the bay is not as
deep generally as is desirable for a good har-
Dor. These arc difficulties, however, which
our friends at Superior believe they can easily
overcome. At the foot of the bay flows in the
Nemadji, or as it is called here. the cleft hand
River" This river is the southern boundary
of the town. and am told has Il depth of from
twelve to fifteen feet of water for a distance OF
three miles up. / found some who believe that
the chief business at the place will eventually
be done on the banks of this river. The ST.
Louis River is navigablc for small crafts TWEEN
ty miles above the town of Superior, where &c
cur the falls. The propeller Mnnbattcn has
been as high up as this.
A road is being opened from Superior to st.
Paul on the Mississippi. The chOpping and
grubbng is already completed with the excep-
ton of about twenty miles. This section, it
is expected. will be opened by November next
The road will then be passable while the ice and
snow of winter lasts. but it cannot be used for
a summer road until the streams and swamps
which it crosses shall have been brdgcd Con
grcss appropriated $4,000 for the opening of
this road. This sum will about pay for chop
ping and grubbing. A much larger amount
will be requisite TO finish it. The Superior peo-
pie talk confidently of speedy railroad connec- |
tons. One of these projected roads is to St. |
Paul, and another is connection with the |
Chicago system at some point further south.
2 Nothing has been done in The ncighborhood
Of Superior in the way OF mining, but the Gu
preferous range is here, and there is every rea-
son to suppose it is quite as rich in mineral
treasure as at Ontonagon and on Kewcenaw
Point. On the Minnesota side this range comes
quite down to the lake coast, sloping back gra-
iually, am told, for a distance of five miles IN
is extreme ell walton. Numerous parties have
,cen prospecting for copper on that side the
present season, and rumor has it that thew
ave found fine surface shows and n1merons
ich veins. 1t is supposnd that comparies will