The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1859-08-02
Grand Rapitis and Grand Haven.

tho working of the law and ordinances relating TO
trading and street improvements in the sister
CITY of the Grand River Valley, on Thursday al
,ernoon His Honor ii. III. Smith, Mayor, and
Aldermen Burr and Pinckney, left for the Rapids,
accompanied by the editorial Eve OF the he
puLican, to see to it that they conducted them
selves as becomes the credit and good name of
the virgin corporation.
After pleasant ride TO st. Johns, and quiet
evening, passed in sauntering about that young
city, the Excursion train" took up our party at
10 o'clock, and landed US at Grand Rapids at
A. NJ.
| An early lookout next morning showed us the
CITY of Grand Rapids, to three OF our party FOR
the first time The outlook from the National
Hotel i not the most favorable point of obserya-
ton. The street is somewhat narrow, aud the
buildings, especially upon the end of the hill, old
and diminutiye. Compensation for this defect Is
made bv several fine bricl, blocks below on either
side.
Monroe street is paved with bouieFs, and has
wide plank sidewalks The cariidgeway is about
| fifty feet in width
The principal thoroughiare and business street
is Canal, which is now undergoing the process OF
excavation, preparatory to being filed up with
sand, to receive the paving. There are some
thirty brick stores going up in different parts OF
H.. 10y, ...l -rnhr az u" lilo houses, tou6h
not a very large number for the size OF the
| place.
Business is fair, but partakes OF the dullncss
which is prevalent at this season of the year.
The wool clip las been large; and tine wheat
crop, now beginning To be offered ia market, was
never better nor more abundant.
IL will be recollected that handsome portion
of Grand Rapids lies on the west side OF the
River. This fact has occas;oned the building OF
three noble bridges, the property OF three seye-
raj companies, at convenient points, making the
access from side to side easy. These bridges
have cost from SO, 900 to S2",oo", and all OF
them pay fair and Increasing interest.
By the poiiencss of Nr. Avery, MIR. Footc
and Amos Eathhun the party visited the "Old
Milf plaster-bcd, on the east side of the river,
about three miles from the city This Is the
bed longest worked, and OF Late years known a
| Morgan and Avcry's pastcr-hed, now worked by
Saell Wood and A. Thompson. II has "a mill
with two run of stone, Tor grinding plaster, and
the simplest and best pumping apparatus imagin-
able. The former owners had expended three
thousand dollars in pump experiments, but could
find nothing reliable to keep the bed clear of
water. An old California miner come along one
L., a (, ,l.l
vceabe pump. lie made a long box OF boards
nailed some blocks upon strap, elevator fashion,
run his strap over pulley on the end Of ycr-
teal shaft or tumbling-rod connected with the
mill-gearing, and in couple of DAYS had it at
work, fully answering the purpose.
At this place saw not only the mode Of
blasting, qu,rryinc, breaking up and grinding
plaster, hut also It's effects upon the soil. Upon
the tract Of land connected with this plaster-bcd
is sixty acres of corn, upon which has been sOwn
sixteen tons of plaster, or nearly five hundred
pounds to the acre. The result of this liberal
application of plaster Is, that while other corn
fields, near by, were cured up by drvness. this
field was rank, dark green, strong, healthy, and
well set with ears. A handsOmer or more uni
form field of corn cannot be found. Returning
to the city we took across the river, and down
the west bank to the Eagle Mills' plasterbed,
which is a very different affair from that above
mentioned. " is a more recent work than the
other, and a much heavier investment, though
hardly as profitable. Everything about it is kept
in the neatcst condition, and much attention is
evidently paid TO neatness.
1t is at this plasterb bed where the large build
ing slabs are sawed out, Il pile of which, suili-
cient to finish large house, now lie ready in the
yard. These slabs were designed for house in
kenOsha, but for some reason were not used
They are two and a half inches thick, three feet
and a half long by eighteen inches in width.
Several store-fronts on Canal street of this mate
RIAL are 10 be seen.
In contrast to the "Old Mill' bed the Eagle
-'o.i.s all "..,i~' sivGiiI. Inc descent opens
with three stately and ponderoas arches, hand
someiy cut from the plaster rock, ana sustained
by gigantic pillars, worked from, the solid cyp-
sum. Entering, lantern in hand, Won are struck
by column of icy air, coming from the bowel-
of the earth. The darkness was intensified by =
thick sulpherous smoke, arising from blasts which
had just been let eff in the mine and which
roared through the great cavcrns like the echo
of Hendick Hudson's bowls, among the height
of the kaat-skils
The extent of the excavation is two hundred
feet by two hundred and fifty; the height is
about fifteen feet; and the roof overhead is hor-
izontal and even, sustained at proper Intervals
by gypsum columns and occasionally by mon
strous oak supports. Sixty feet of rock and
earth is left overhead for support. The supply !
of plaster-rock is apparently inexhaustible
There is mill connected with this bed called
the Eagle MIL" which is neat and splendid
affair, said to have cost 500, 600. 1t is driven
by an hundred horse power engine, propelled by
three five foot boilers, both highly finished, and
has attached TO il all the necessary machinery
for preparing plaster in all forms, both for aCri-
culture and the arts.
The farmers of Michigan have an inestimable !
blessing in these plaster-bcds which they should |
not be slow TO avail themselves of: but il IS |
strange TO observe that the farmers of Kent i'm |
the vicinity of the beds where the article only |
costs them So per ton and the transportation, /
nothing out of pocket, make but little use of this
great fertilizer. So perverse is human nature. 1
There are three other smaller plaster works. with