, 1861-09-07

When DR.. Franklin, as American Minis
ter IN Paris, was fixing the boundary line
between the United States and Great Brit
ain, he had access to the Journals and
charts Of corps Of French engineers, who
were exploring Lake superior at the time
Quebec fell to the British. From these
charts this far-see1ng sage and philoso-
pher tells us be "dreW the line through
Lake Superior, in such a way as to secure
to the United States the best Of the copper
banks" and, says he, "the time will come
when the drawing Of that line will be COZ
sidered the greatest service he ever rem
dered his country
1t is stated by those who have given the
subject careful study, that there is no por-
ton Of this continent that is at present in /
creasipg IN population and wealth more |
rapidly than the mining districts Of Lake
Superior For instance in 1855 Portage
Lake was comparatively unknown, and
that whole mining district contained not
ever one thousand souls. To-day the two
new towns Of Houghton and Hancock {op~
posite each other on Portage river have
population Of upwards Of six thousand,
with large hotels and stores, extensive
stamp works, foundries and saw mills
ccmmodious churches and ably conducted
newspapers. To realize the correctness Of
Dr.. FraHklm's prediction, one need but
visit this interesting section, and behold
the thrift and enterprise everywhere appa-
rent-the scores Of new buildings springing
up, the immense Investments Of capital in
mining, crushing and smelling; the copper
CARS IS they thunder down the tram-roads,
heavily laden with the precious ore; the
extensive quartz mills, costing upwards Of
100000 each, and other public and private
improvements, CD every hand.
For tie better understanding Of those
WHO estimate the commercial Or manufac-
turing importance of locality by figures,
We viii state that the aggregate value ol
copper exported in 1845 was but $4,000;
in 1850 it was $266,0 900; in 1856 it was
81 ,4s7 900, snd h 1860 it had increased to
$2,9A,000. To be more explicit, the pro.
duct Of this region for 1860 may be stated
as follows:
G9a GsRR6ed 6lt se1RHsei 159s tons sS
K'ksite FIJI snd Msekiaaw Trout.-.... sooS
Fu1s..................... ..-....-. a0,0a
$3.50, ,oo
To this may be added the trade in ceda,
posts, ship-fmber, and fre-wood, which
is quite extensive.
The three Iron Companies IN operation
at Marquette, quarried in 1850, the follow
ing amounts: jackson mine, 10000 tons
Cleveland mine, 5o,0oe tons, and Lake St
periof mime, 4o00 00-naking 150, 600 ton
The principal points to which the ore
shipped are I'm about the proportion nan
ed Detroit and Wyandoste, Mich, on
twelfth; Cleveland, O., one.half; Eri
Penn. one-third, and the balance
Buffalo, N. 7. Each Of the abo,
companies can quarry, with present faea
ties, 100000 tons Of ore annually. T
capacity Of the railroad and docks is al
sufficient for transporting and shippl1
that amount.
The toll collected from the tonna
passing through sault Ste. Marie can
LIE A4ss tC<s4 IL WEE Vpf4eQ, t1S01} W
only &4.34 Last year it had increased
$24,66o. The aggregate yalue of artic
that passed through the canal in 1860, y
$12.15s65e.94
These figures suggest many imports
considerations relative to the extent, =
Tic and growing Importance Of this COZ
try and its commerce, One fact to VIII
Te wish especially to call the attention
the wholesale dealers, is that nearly evt
article consumed m the way Of dry goo
groceries, meats. provisions, fruits, &c.
shipped there from Detroit and Clsvela,
and that this is the best trade now epio,
By those two cities. Why is it that
Chicago dealers do not supply some
this $4,000, goo worth of produces Of
serenity esil Of vessels and fourteen ste
ers that ply between Lake Superior
ports on Lake Erie end kake Mchiga
very meagre proportion connect with
csgo. We know OF no good reason :
all the articles shipped 10 these points
not be furnished at as low rates, if