New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-07-30
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.

Correspondence Of The y. 7. Tribune.
GRAND RAPIDS, Tuesday, July 81, 1855.
have bad occasion in a westward tour to So
iourn a week at this place. The resources of
the place are little known East, aud it may be
interesting to some Of your readers who are
casting longing eye westward TO hear some
thing Of it. The city Of Grand Rapids lies on
the Grand RiTtr some 30 miles from Lake
Michigan and 80 miles north Of Kalamazoo, and
contains about 1000 inhabitants. 1t takes its
name from the rapids, as they are called, in the
river. These rapids are about one mile in length,
and are a gentle descent, over a limestone bed,
in oil Of some twenty feet; and as the river is
good width (abOut 30 rods with pleRty of water,
there is one of the finest mill-seats in the cOun-
try It's greatest admirers say it is destined TO be
a second Rochester. The fall here is not so great
as there but the supply of water is better, and the
sites on either side of the river are the finest for
building mills dam Of four feet in hight all that
is needed to throw the water either way into
feeders for the mills. Already the Improvement is
mhde on one side Of the river, and there are about
a dozen mills in operatOn-manulactores, saw
mills grstmills and tanneries. This vaterpower
located in the midst of fine farming country
cCnsider the great thing Of the place.
Then this City lies IN the heart of great pine
lumber country The logs are RATED down the
river, and here they are sawed and prepared for
market And these mills are saw-mlls indeed;
many of them have two sets OF hands, and run
twenty. four hours, saving forty thousand feet Of
lumber per day. The lumber is taken by way
of the river and lake to the different ports South,
chiefly TO Chicago Tie demand for the article is
brisk, and some OF the mills last Summer had large
orders ahead.
Then again there are extensive plaster beds here.
Grand Rapids plaster is largely dealt in at Chicago
and is widely known throughout the southern part
of Michigan aud northern part of Indiana and ILL
nos larger quantities are got out each year TO
supply the demand, but iii the latter part OF each
Winter the supply runs short. This plaster IS
said to be superior to plaster of Paris for hard
finish; it is also extensively prepared for stucco-
work.
And then again. as though Providence had pro-
,;ded for every want of this young Western city,
.lere is plenty Of building and limestone rglt on
a.. a. -, The bed of tho river at the rapids Is
nnre me.stone. whi,h oil course EXTENDS Oh ei'u'i
SIDE of the stream but as yet TINS stone is easiest
obtained right from the bed of the river The water
is in most places only fifteen inches IN depth, and
the seams run so that it is easily pred up in slabs
from four TO eight inches in width The lime
stone is burned on the ground, aud ready for use
in the vicinity or to seLd away. Through the
valley in which the city is situated, and which is
about one and halfmiles in width, runs strip OF
exceedingly stony land. This gives rough and
uninyiting appearance to part OF the place ana Is
repusiye to strangers; but this is one OF the re-
sources of the pace-eyery stone Will be needed
for building purposes, and they are all there at
hand. What would many Western city give
TO have such prize lying in her midst
The majority of the land about here is timber
land. and needs some patience and hard labor to
clear il up and prepare it for farming but 1t VIII
richly paw for the labor and trouble.
And last of ALL this place is very healthy. There
being no river bottom or flowed land just here
there is very little sickness 50 that the great bug
bear that has deferred 30 many from settling In
the great West does not apply to this city. Per
sons travelling westward with view to
locating in a thriving place will do well to
Z" call and see before purchasing elsewhere The
outlets from this place are by stages daily over
plank road to the Michigan Central Railroad at
kalamazoo, or by steamer to the mouth OF the
river. and propeller on the lake to Chicago Inc
Detroit and Milwaukee Railroad is rapidly being
built, which will pass through this place C.. F. I.