The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1858-07-22
Letter from The Upper lakes.
MAeqUerre, July 10, 1883.


there in the sports of The season, fishing, wokng
about townand idling away our time generally. the
latter is the most fashionable at the Sault, tho
former being left to the half-brecds and Indians
while the aristocraoy, (for they have the animal
horc) monopolize the checker playing, quoi.
pitching, &c. In my former letter, by mistake,
set down the falls at the Sault at from eight TO
niue Feet when In fact the riso is seventeen and a
half While at the Sault we had very cold wealth.
er, so much so @ TO require fire nearly oil the
time. We left there on Saturday last at eleven
o'clock A. NJ, on board the Northern Light, aud
arrived at this place (Marquotte) Sunday morning
at half past three o'clock, at which timo il was
fully day light The weather was cold and the
passage rough one, and | had the pleasure Of u
visit from my old friend, Sea Sickness. lie was
more refined in his manners than at our last meet.
ing, and consequently his treatment to me was
more gentle. We parted friends as usual he
promising to call and see me at tho next storm,
for which of'course was very thankful, as am
always happy to-sce my old acquaintanccs
The weather here both yesterday and to day
has been very fine. The evenings and mornings
are cool and wo have fire. but during tho day tho
sun shines out pleasantly and feels much like the
same thing il is with you, but by nc means SO op-
pressive. Indead the weather seems much moro
like our October weather than like that OF july.
Yesterday morning while waiting for breakfast |
icnrcd should have but poor impression OF this
place, for by some fatality TO us unexplained,
breakfast was delayed until nine o'cock-just
think Of hungry set of passengers who by sea
sickness had been cheated out of their supper,
whiting until nino o'clock the next morning for
breakfast. We made all sorts Of inquiries rs to
the cause Of the delay, but all in vain and as no
one could ascertain the cause, we imagined one
which was that the house was without provisions,
and that the landlord had arisen early in the
morning and gone hunting to provide the table
with venson for breakfast, while his boy had been
sent to the lake for fish. And rs TO how near we
were right, you can Judge us well as |, for VIC had
both fish and venison for breakfast; but how they
got there have been unable to ascertain, even by
the strictest inquiry.
Marquette is n small village OF seven or eight
hundred inhabitants, situated on n buy of the
about one hundred nnd sixty miles west of Sault
Ste. Marie, in latitude DC dog 30m. north The
town is surrouuded by u range of hills in shnpe
not unlike n horse shoe. The ground on which
the town ia built is rough and sandy and the soil
indcnting ittl5 or no degree OF fertility. Add to
the sterility Of tho soil tho fact that there is
scarcely month in tho year but they have rrosts,
and you have the requisite data to form un opin.
ion of tho truo value of tho lands in this vicinity
for farming purposes. Indoed, no one here claims
for it the title OF farming country There is
therefore nothing in tho immediate vicinity of
Marquette to build up n city, but one must not
Tor this reason conclude that il is not flourish
ing little place, for its mining interests are US ex-
tcnsive AS any in this much noted region
Thoro are three inoxhaustiblo iron mines within
sixteen or seventeen miles of Marquette now
opened and worked by as many companies Tho
ore is OF good quality, inexhaustbe, aud said
to he unsurpassed by any in the world The ore
is brought to this place by railroad, md from
hero, for want of coal TO work il. shipped TO
Cleveland and other ports on the lower lakes,
where conl can be more easily be had than at this
point. There nrc now eight or ten vessels loading
with this ore at the different docks in the harbor,
The want OF coal at this and the other ports on
Lake Superior is great draw back to the mining
interests of this region.
AS the farming interest Of the country will al
ways ho inferior aud subordinate to the mining,
the towns will improve while the country will re-
main comparatively wilderness Our farmers.
therefore, il they have ever thought OF this coun
try IA home, must turn their attention to the
fertile praries aud broad savannas farther to the
south Invest, while tho miner and iron monger with
thor pick and spade find active employment in
the hills skirng the shore of this semi frozen re-
gion. And hero they will find employment q.
wages which will we'll compensate them for their
labor and toll, while the country from the south
and east.w furnish them with provisions ut rea.
sonable rates.
The flour used at this point, as most Of the 9th
cr mining points on tho lake. is brought from
Cleveland, and the other ports on Lake Ere. and
now sold, for from $500 to rs so according 10
quality. And other provisions about in the same
proportion to prices At the ports on Lake
Eric Potatoes are row selling for seventy five
cents per bushol. From what has already been
said it may be inferred that ths season here IL
much later than IN Ohio, which is the case
There are u few gardens here, but there have been
no vegetables raised yet, excepting lettuce aud
few onions. The peas arc in blossom, aud pota
toes begin TO look as il there would be some
soon. All the vegetables used here this spring
and summer have boen brought from tho ports on
the lower lakes
There are no Touring mills here rs indeed there
S no uSo lor lheh' anu III all prooaolUty never
will be. There are number Of saw mills although
the lumber here is of an inferior quality and will
mover bear transportation, The country as have
said above, is mining country, and upon this oil
must rely who como here to do business,
The iron is the wealth of the country and all
other interests are aud indeed must be subsorvient
to this.
should be glad to add TO this description of
the iron mines which shall VISIT to morrow, but
the stermcr by which intend to send this will
leave hore before return.
We shall leave for Copper Harbor by the first
steamer up from which place you may expect to
hear hom me again.
Respectfully yours, A, C.
THE AMERICAN DIvgRs AT SgvAsTuPol-
ters have been received in this city, dated Sc
vOstopol, May 81, by which we learn that the
work of raising the Suuken Russian II ,et progress
ac rnniIlv AMI will In hla Sncraos w,