The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-12-19
lcoRREsroNDErcE .rcs.,
DETROIT. fMrcu n. :, ,o.e


DETROIT, mich, } Dec. IL. 1856
Ine winter month has again come, though no,
which we are accustomed to h.ve ho,h 90 :, W
tai ana pnysical preparation made ere tbi, NJ
ice mas accumulated thus far and no snoyv mi;
"nnia .ne week past Our rivers aud lakes are as
open to navigation as at any period bnt ths hns;
ness has closed for the season and vessels are
ah iaid up During the fall, q succession oi
Vioient gales have proved unusually disastron. -
shipping on our lakes, where good harbors OF rs.
iuge are few Ia number
For month past we have enioved . uos. a
hsntiui calm after the wild and fearful potics,
agitation which has prevailed, and In no section
Win more violence than in the growing North
Ses. S he result Is probably more marked in this
osate tnan any other, involving q change of more
than Ah'ray thousand votes, together with the en-.
'ire control OF the State government and Congress-
sionaf representation. All parties, however. &C.
quiesce cheerfuliy in the verdict Of the m inri,y
both in State and national affairs as thew have n
tne past, and will in the future be it whs. 1t NAV
Inc business community and the home circles
rejoice at truce to the strife which go long en
crossed every thought, and almos. every moment
OF the voting citizens. The speaking Of our cam.
psgns Is altogether parte and does not call forth
the forensic talents, like some of those mastery
hand to hand contests in the Old Dominion. This
renders them mewhat tame and dull
The affairs Of our State were never so prospe.
rous as at present. Business Of every kind is
fourishilg, and the population is being rapidly In
creased by steady immigration of intelligeHt
and industrious citizens. From the vote this fall
the population of the State is computed at more
than seven hundred thousand-that of this city Is
| 65 600
We have now In progress two railroads, of great
Importance to our ci!y-one westward to Lake
Michigan at point opposite Milwaukee; the other
to connect with the Ohio railroads east south and
| west at Toledo Both are expected to be in ope.
ration the coming year
| The rich depostes of iron upon Lake Superior,
have caused the erection of two blast furnaces and
one rolling MILL for railroad and other irop at this
| point. to supply home demand for this particular
| quality of metal Experiments have demonsra
| ted that 1t has 10 equal in tenacity. The new
Collins steamer Adriatc has over four hundred
tons of it in her braces and fastenings. Thus far
| the demand has been beyond the present power of
| supply, and at prices much higher than the kinds
heretofore reekored the best and the trade Is not
| yet fairly opened to the world
few days since upon invitation of the Grand
| Trunk Railway Company, we took a trip to Mon
tresl to celebrate the opening Of their line west
| ward, TO Toronto The route lay from this place
| over the Great Western Railroad via Lont on,
| Paris. and Hamilton to Toronto, at the head of
Lake Ontario 223 miles; thence by the Grand Trunk
Railway, along the North shore of Lake Ontario
and the river st Lawrence, 333 miles to Montreal;
which distance Is made in less than twenty three
| hours. Most Of the country to Toronto Is very
fine for agricultural purposes, and has made rapid
advances In population and wealth, within q few
years past Towns and villages springing up,
| and several railways crossing the Great Western,
| or branches of it, have contributed materially to
this development. At its present rate Of progress
the Province will soon overtake Its Yankee neigh
| bors Of the States Loudon is busy, inland CITY
| on the characterization is the headquarters Of
the Great Western Railway Company and does a
| large business, both by rail and Lake. Toronto
derives most OF its consequence from good har.
| bor and the location of government College and
Parliament House, it being the Western capital Of
Canada. The railroad from this to Montreal
| passes most Of the way in sight of the Lake or
| river, and through many towns, but Of no enter
prise, and little consequence, except Kingston the
former capital, and a strong military post, where
| the Penitsntiary is located. AS we approach our
| journeys end every thing changes from English
to French, till reach the city and find ourselves
surrounded by French houses, French streets,
French ponies and carts, French courts, French
converts and founding hospitals, French language
| and French people.
| Every thing you see and hear reminds yo1 OF
the settlement by the French JesHits in 1885, and
| its long continuance under French rule, ingomuch
that the language Of the natives became mingled
| and confoundedinto patois or Montreal French"
| as ii is called. The pleadings in the courts are
| still carried on In French.
| Montreal has now about rs 900 inhabitants 1t
s at the head OF navigation by sea going vessels,
and situated upon large island at the foot of the
many sGults, or rapids of the ST. Lawrence, which
are now PISSED by canals The quays and
docks Of blue ganite, are very extensive and cons
venient. The buildings nearly all ofst me- with
metallic roofs and nearly touch across the narrow,
crooked streets. There is little or no FORM! or
comeliness to the city its buildings, almost eve
rything appearing rather accidental than designed
Few of the streets more than % or 80 feet in
width, scarcely allowing the passage OF two vehicles,
beside foot passengers upon the side walks, whica
are but two or three feet wide. The Rue Nore
Dame" is the longest and chief business street,
and Is of this character 1t is doubtful il the sun
ever reaches the pavement in some streets, which
would tend to sickness were not the air very cool
and braciug
Much of the pride Of the city is in its numerous
costly churches, convents, and hospitals-Cathoic
of course-the grand Cathedral, il we believe the
| largest IT America, having seats for $4,000 per
sons. Its twin towers of granite upon the front
corners, are near 300 feet high, and afford q tne
view of the city and surrounding scenery.
The double sets of windows to the houses, with
| . space OF air between, suggests to you the
rigor Of the climate, and the long winters, which
have to be provided against.
just behind the city and within Its limits rises
| the Royal Mount or, Mount Royal, from which the
city s named nearly circular and about 600 feet
| high, supposed to be an extinct volcano. broad
macadSmiled avenue affords delightful drive Of
nine miles around it, and q zig zag road leads to
the city of the dead" on Its top, completely hid
| den from view below. About half way up on Its
face is the water reservoir for the city, followed
| out of the solid rock and imperishable. This is
new, and was inaugurated during visit. In
front of the city the river is two miles across and
| very rapid, and over this the Grand Trunk Com
pany are building tubular iron Drioge Tor their
| road, called the Victoria Bridge" probably the
largest In the world of the kind 1t is to be sup
ported upon twenty four piers of granite 60 feet
| above the water, with . centre span of 500 feet
| for the passage of boats. The solid contents Of
| these piers and the abutments will be 100000
cubit feet, involving the use Of $50 900 tons of
stone, and 500 of iron. From these figures may
be seen what strength is required to resist the
pressure Of the water and ice that comes down in
the spring foods. The tube of Iron which forms
the bridge be 10 feet wide and l9 feet high at
the ends, at the centre % feet high, and weighing
600 toie. The cost is estimated at e7,oOoooo,
and 1t is to be completed in 1859. But eight ct
the piers are as yet finished 1t will DO Work
worthy visit Like the Railway, It's built oy
funds from Great Britain, and Is managed there.
The railway is a grand work for the country
rather than for the stockholders It's length, wnen
completed will be upwards of loo miles. e9o Oh
which are now in operation. The main line VIII
connect with the Halifax Railway, $50 miles De,
l,w Quebec, and end at Port Saruia at the FOOT OF
Lake Huron, opposite one of our own raiiroads,
forming the longest direct line In the world IL Is
very well built of the broad or six foot gusge ana
is expected to cost 500 600 000 Ithss not yet been
four years In building.
The celebration was fine affair, considering tne
fact that the Canadians are not experienced ~
public displays as much as the Americans. may