The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-02-03
surveyed most of ther routes, or having access


to the notes of the survey, were enable to
assure the committee that the estimate ap-
pended and marked c." is reliable as far
as regards quantities the prices of the
various kinds OF work and material, of course
remain subject to the fluctuations of the
the market. The committee add one re-
mark in regard to freight ON railroad iron.
1t will be brought without breaking bulk
to Lake Superior, from the factory at tide
water, on either coast O. the Atlantic. The
difference, S. per ton, amounts to an item,
that counts in favor of the northern terminus
of this road.
The second item of instructions, " the
present elements of traffic for railway to
Lake Superior" is subject which the CON-
mittee deemed it their duty to approach and
consider with extreme caution. The ap"
pended schedule marked D." will be briefly
reviewed. Exports. The mean distance
from the agricultural district to Lake Su-
perior is 200 miles from the same to Lake
Michigan is 3l2 miles the difference Ql2
miles, being in favor of Lake Superior, it
is assumed that one-half of the surplus pro-
duce of the State would seek market over
the shorter route.
The second item in the schedule, 1900
head of cattle) is the number imported to
Lake Superior in 1859. Sugar, molasses
and coffee would find their way up this route.
The quantity is estimated for 10000 in
habitants. The number of passengers from
North to South is estimated by various
modes The number of steamboat arrivals
at st. Paul for 1858, is 1868, each boat
bringing from fifty to five hundred pas.
sengers. The mean number of passengers
per 100 miles on the Ohio railways in 1858
as $4,000. The passenger travel in the
State of New York in 1855, was 1876 miles
to each man, woman and child in the State;
this ratio multiplied by the population of
Minnesota, would be an amount too large
for present credulity. This route, being a
through and connecting one, deserves con-
sdcration due to its paramount Importance
over route penetrating country, and OBJ.
tanning only local traffic. The fact that
it opens communication without competiti-
ton btween the two largest inland routes
in the world, is guarantee that the estimate
is too low.
The number of passengers from Lake
Superior to the Mississippi, is set down at
one half the number who passed the Sault
Ste. Marie Canal in 1858. "The second
class, or Emigrant passengers" is an item
that can be considered in more than one
point of view. The chain of lakes brings
them to this route by the cheapest mode of
transit known, and to the geographical
centre of North America. This route once
opened, will be the "Immigration Agent"
that will induce the son of Europe to look
upon Minnesota first he lands first on
Minnesota soil, and before reaching the line
of any other State, the rich and fertile land,
in connection with other evidences of our
States merits, are arguments which prevail,
and hence he becomes resident of Mime
sofa. The chain Of lakes brings to this
route the Western home-seekng son of
Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Canada,
Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, New
York, Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania,
with all his stock, utensils, machinery and
goods at a mean cost for himself of ten
dollars, and two dollars per ton for his
freight.
The railway system of Canada is com
pleted from Halifax and Portland, Maine,
the first entreports of North America, to
Lake Huron, where the traveller and emf
grant takes water craft. 1t is the interest
of the British and Canadian owners of these
railways to be our "Emigrant Agents."
The miner from Wales, the farmer from the
British Isles, Germany, Sweden and all
Europe will be guided by the employees on
those roads, towards their own British
possessions through Lake Superior, and this
railway will draw without competition the
emigration over the Canada roads.
The demand of the Mississippi and Gulf
States for copper is set down at one-half the
product of the mines One thousand tons
of iron in all its forms for the use of the
people is too low to require comment.
Salt at Oswego ranges at from 81 to
$l.25 per barrel freight to Lake Superior
terminus of this road, ten cents; rail to the
Mississippi, sixty cents, giving US salt in st.
Paul at $l8O per barrel.
The official reports of the Chicago and
Fond du Lac WISCONSIN, Railroad Com
pany, show the carriage of one million feet
of pine lumber per month, for September
and October, 1859.
The mills now open in operation in the
pine region of the Saint Louis river, cut
100000 feet B. M. annually, and sell at
$3.50 per NJ, the railway charges from the
mills to the farmers district will be 81 per
M, thus the farmer gets the pine lumber
for his fences, dwellings and barns at $ll.50
per M.
Cedar post for fencing and dimension
timber. This route passes through the
forests Of cedar, pine and Tamarac, reaching
them in mean distance of rs miles from
the Mississippi. A cord of such posts
contains $50 posts) is worth So per cord,
and railway freight So per cord, delivers to
the farmer the posts at about ~ cents
each, post that does not decay in fifty
years.
MERoHAND1zr.-Twenty thousand inhab-
itants of Lake Superior import 5000 tons.
Two hundred thousand inhabitants require
10000 tons. The present freight from
New York or Philadelphia, is $3.50 per one
hundred pounds, or $50 per ton-equal to
81 100000. The same 10000 tons are
brought from New York to Lake Superior
for 81 per ton, and the proposed road
brings the same to the Mississippi for 81
per ton, making So; amount, $4S0,0O0.