Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-07-16
tcerEsSpendsnos Of the LOaatf'l
RRoAl MICHIGAN.
The Saginaw Ynlley--sThe salt Workn-'s
stRve and Ghlngle Busineass'-RaitinG 90
CieveIsnd---The Route.

srnVe and GhiuGie bu8Anea4ssHAeAAtAAa ~
OieveIsnd---The Route.
EAST sAonAw, July II, 1882,
There being much inquiry in Ohio in
reference to East Saginaw, and in fact with
regard to the whole Saginaw Valley,
propose to send you few hasty notes, Of
their appearance and prospects.
when wo remember that thirty years
ago this whole country was an unbrOken
wilderness, the change that now meets the
eye is most striking.
The Saginaw River is only about thirty
miles in length, being formed by the con-
huenee Of the Tittibawassee, flowing from
the northwest, the Cass from the east and
the Flint and shiawassee from the south,
and empties into Saginaw Bay, o water in
itself Of no mean dimensions, being sew
enty-fve miles in length, and about fifty or
sixty miles in width at Point au Barques.
It is estimated that Saginaw River and its
tributaries afford 1900 miles Of navigable
waters. With the exception of one or two
sand bars, the Saginaw is navigable for
the largest vessels some distance abOveth
place, about 20miles from its mouth. tits
somewhat sluggish stream, bordered by
numerous bayous and marshes; butts little
distance back the land rises from ten to
thirty feet, affording fine farming lands Of
oalr, hickory and walnut timber. There is
no pine in the Immediate vicinIUy OF Sagl-
nav River, but some Of its tributaries flow
through some of the richest pineries the
/ world can boast of.
From tho mouth of the Saginaw River TO
this place the banks are lined with saw
mills and salt-works, many of the latter
in process of building. 1t is supposed that
by another season sixty salt works win be
in full operation in the valley. And it is
the salt business that has brought this sec
/ ton into such general notice.
I do not propose to enter into a minute
description Of this important branch Of in
dustry, but few facts may not be uninter-
esting.
As to the strength of the brine; The
brine Of the Syracuse yields, on eYapor-
alton, I84 per cent Of dry saline matter (;
that of Kanawha 9 2-10 per cent, and the
Saginaw 20 per cent. Pure salterated
brine has specific gravity of ], POS; that
Of Saginaw, 1855; Syracuse, l,l42; Kan
awha, 1913. Prof. Cook, of Rutgers Col
lege, New Jersey, estimates that forty gal
Ions of brine ought to yield one bushel
! (56 pounds) Of salt, and this is the yield
here at the present time.
To give an idea of the extent and growth
Of the business, will merely notice the
East Saginaw Salt Manufacturing Compa-
ny, established in 1860, with q block Of
so kettles. It has now blocks in success
full operation, making about 200 barrels Of
salt per day; besides about Is acres Of
solar works Evaporation by the SUM-
partly finished, which will greatly increase
its productiveness.
The cost Of manufacturing is estimated
from 20 to 80 cents per barrel, including
the barrel, and the value at the works
ranges from Sl.S0 to S1.40, cash down and
no grumbling.
These salt works have made the wood
land all along the rivers Of great value.
| It is estimated that each block requires
from five to six cords Of wood per day, and
with the hundred and more blocks soon to
be in operation will rapidly clear up the
timber lHnda, productive farms rising upon
their ashes.
Next or rather equal in Importance, Is
/ the immense lumber trade Of this region.
I draw upon an able editorial correspond
ence Of the Detroit Advertiser for few
| figures. In 1876 but two cargoes Of lum-
Der we're shipped from East Saginaw; last
year over 900 oargoes were shipped, car
rying away about 75,000,0O0 feet of pine
| lumber, exclusive of slaves and shingles,
leaving about 5000, 900 feet manufactured
lumber on hand, owing to the lack Of means
| of transnAstati0H. There are between
/ forty and forty-fve mills in the valley,
capable Of manufacturing from one hun
dred and twenty to enc hundred and thirty
millions per annum. Four immense RATS
are now building here, each containing
half million, of the best lumber, two Of
which believe are destined for the Cleve-
land and two for the Buffalo market. Two
tugs are to take these down, and it will be
worth your while to notice their arrival
For this rafting such large quantities of
lumber through our turbulant inland seas,
is comparatively new thing, and if sue
cessful-and see no reason why it should
not be-will have an exhilerating effect on
business, besides reducing the price in
your market. Vessels will not load lum-
Der, when there is plenty Of other freight,
and so the lumber trade has always been
restricted by lack of transportation.
OF the stave and shingle trade cannot
forbear to write tits estimated that East
Saginaw alone, in the last three years,
shipped Sl95, 100 worth Of slaves, and the
annual value of the shingle trade in this
place is put down at s60,0O0-a low
figure.
/ had intended to speak Of the marvel
Gus growth of East Saginaw and the towns
all along. the river; but will defer this to
another time. It will afford me great
pleasure to give any information accessi-
bic to me to those who are interested in
this new country; but the best recon-
mendation is q personal inspection. By
leaving Cleveland on the Detroit boat you
connect with the Forest Queen in Detroit,
which leaves for Saginaw every Tuesday
and Friday afternoon, and viii land you
safely in Saginaw City the following day,
passing through the most delightful rivers
and lakes in the world. Or you can take
the Detroit & Milwaukee Railroad to Holly,
thence by stage twenty-five miles, and
thence by the Flint Pere Marquette Rail-
road to this place-through in nine hours
from Detroit Yours,
NH. ALLARDT.