, 1861-04-06
Growth Of Wesfarn Gamma,

| 1Io~aa OF western Commerce..
Ihe transactions made in years past BY the
leading business men still among Us afford the
most striking evidence Of the wonderful prog
Eess OF the commerce ofthe West. These facts
| Will, In fen generations more, furnish mate.
rlais for q historical work of absorbing inter
| est Take the following Incidents.
EARLY the present week, Solomon sturees.
Esq, and Capt. e. B. Ward Of Detroit, were
riding about the city, canvassing the advanta,
ges Of the different localities for certain pro
posed extensive factories, whose tall chimneys
1t Is hoped may send heavenuard dark clouds
Tor many generations to come. In the course
OF. conversation Mr. sturges mentioned the
fact, that he had loaded On her return trip
from New York the first sail vessel that ever
passed from tie lakes through the Erie Canal
to New Ycrk. Capt. Ward heard him quietly
and then told his part Of the story. That YES
sci he, when boy, assisted bis Uncle, Capt
sam Ward, then farmer at Newport On the
i s.. Clair river, in Michigan to build. It was
Capt. Wards first adventure In navigation.
When finished he loaded the vessel with pot
ash, furs, gun.stocks, deer's horns and perhaps
some other minor products of the region. He
'Fatsed the dax on his farm and hiss thrifty
wife" spun and wove it into cloth to make the
sails for the :" ship, ? though in sooth that was
rather a large name for the little schooner,
Capt. Ward provided ht1naelf with lines for
towing on the canal, took down his own horses. :
with oats from his; own bins to feed them and
thus made hts way I'd the Hudson, when again
rearing bis mast and spreading his sails Ia due
time he arrived safe1yt ii New York. - 4
when the cargo waa disposed Of the little
schooner was chartered for: the1return trim bT 4
=, Buckingham & Co., Mr., sturges being the
"Co." and being himself In New York, at
tending to the business She was loaded in !
part With nerchand1xe in New'Yo7k and her
cargo WAS completed with salt at Syracuse.
She delivered It sally at Portland, now San |
d dusky SKY city, whence the goods were carted by !
teams to Aanesyt1le, Ohio. As the Erie'canal
Waa completed in 1926, the incident occurred |
probably III 1926 or "a. :.,:'
ff&s little schooner was the commencement |
Of the immense feet Of vessels and steamers /
by which Capt san. Wsrd for ycara controlled
me vast commerce Of the lakes. On Its return !
be found himself worth about 5000, Ill told.
Lis esfase was worth nearly half million. |
caps. z. 3. Ward was for many years his part
nef aud bnAaness manager, aud had the /
sgggaclty to dispose Of most :of his steamboat /
Interest Just before thP comp letiono Of our great
y Easte1n hallway lines ruined the passenger +
travel upon the lakes He however has still
large vessel and propeller interest, mud ~ +
stated III an item day or Two since, he and
": sturgee hare formed 81 extensive freight r
line for the coming summer.
Both these gent lenen have now IN Immense
fortune Their yearly operations are told in
n,illiehs. n There was curious correspond
s1ce IN their early history which for: the ben
snt of: the boys now Just starting in life. we
alIfelafe- 1t came out In some amusing CON
Fefsataon with Ms a few evenings slnce. They
both when boys were hired out to work on
arm, arm, Capt. Ward IN Michigan at a shilling +
.131 ce9tsl = day and Mr.. stu1ges in Con-
aecticat at nfnepence in the currency of that !.
M sMtate, also 191198 centa per day. But on COM
pa1ang: particulars it was found that Capt
Ward got his board additional, while Air. t.
'turges got only his dinner, bnt with his usual II
odest be declared that IT was all night fgf he r.
had no de. deRbt that Capt. Wards services were
Rofsn the additional two meals per day to his
snploEfr, CAPT Ward neE nFes more cspita1
u his W5andotte iron works near Detroit than r:
8 repfeffntfa BY al the banks ia the State !
# Michigan, and MI. sturges' seventy thou.
and scfes Of tie choicest hnds in the West, s
nd his arakn nsnse grain warehouses ut the I1l-
lois Central Depot tell what he'll l,ees .eco.n-