, 1863-04-29

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The Trudc and Commerce of the
Lullcs.
Editors Chicago Tribune:
An article which appeared i short time
since in the Washington Chronicle, under
The head of s'Coln1nerce Of the Lakes"
has interested nc, as 1t give summary out
line OF the commerce, its rapid Development
which to any rejecting mind at all acqualnt'
"a with the resources OF the West, will be
fraught with Significance.
Tho communication though brief, is com
pilatfop Of tacts which take pleasure In bear
inr testimony to. They show conclust1ely |
tht. steady onward progress of theEreat west.
A. the same time it is i source Of qualification
tn a11nds briefly to some other Items IN con-
urc,iop with the history Of our Lake Com
1nsrce and Lake Marine, which may tend furih-
er to show something OF the magnitude and
development OF wealth, MS well as the rapid
improvements made IN the fleet OF steam and
eaii vessels now aioat on these inland seas.
For the past forty-six years the nature Of nj
pursuits hare been directly blended with the
navigation Of the lakes, which has given me
M opportunity to mark some Of the improve
ments in our marine, as we'll as the unparal-
leled growth Of the region Of country bound
ed BY the lakes, and though yet in its infancy,
has already shown sufficient to attract the at
tention Of the whole commercial world.
a few facts on the subject of the marine,
,aay not be altogether unintcresting to many
Of your renders, as they will, in some degree,
show from the present what may be expected
in future from this vast fleet Of steamers and
sail craft now in commission, whose aggre-
gate tonnage has become SO large that it al-
most challenges belief, and whose cargoes Of
grain and merchandise to and from the West
in one single season well nigh battles compu-
tation.
In 1917 the whole number Of sail vessels was
but 10. These vessels varied from 16 to 153
tong, making an aggregate Of 926 tons. Only
eight ofthe number we're over fifty tons bur
then, then Of sufficient capacity to transport
all merchandise westward. There being no
return freIghts except limited quantity Of
furs, pelts, fish and Indian sugar, most Of
these vessels were obliged to lay up during
the months Of July and August, for the want
Of a sufficient cargo to keep them in commits
zion the whole season Of navigation.
In 1878 the number Of vessels had increased
| to 28, with an aggregate Of l,5s6 tons, inclu-
| ding one steamer, the Hulk-in-fhe- Water,
| which came ont that season-the fret stsam-
boat built above the Falls Of Niagnra, The
whole number Of mariners then employed on
board these vessels did not exceed 200 all told.
During the past few years, owing to tho
rapid development Of the Western States,
| vcrT great Improvements have been made
both in steam and sail vessels, especially in
their size and capacity for carrying, in order
to keep pace with the Increasing amount Of
merchandise, grain and Hour going to and
from the West. Through this great thorough
fare, within the past year, quite an acqui=i-
tion has been made to our fleet, a large num-
Der Of sail craft and prope}lers hare been
built at the different ports along the lake
the former year, including the Gnc iron built
propeller Merchant, which has established,
and bcspeaks q new era III our steam marine,
and from the appearance Of most of these
tall b"ilt sail vessels it Is evident the builders
have been seeking to vie with eacl. other in
their models and workmanship. A lsud1ble
spirit Of rivalry In ship-buitding is highly
commendable in that valuable and important
class of mechanics who have done SO much to
promote the worlds great commerce.
The idea 20 long entertained that lake b1il'
vessels and lake bred sailors were fit for nc
ether trade but fresh wa'ar, has been cx'
ploded. As early as 1S5t, the schooner Dean
Richmond took cargo Of wheat from Chisagc
to Liverpool, beating large dcet Of occat
craft from Quebec across the Atlan'ic ic
This voyage encouraged others to try t;le
experiment, and in 1850, frou thirty tt
! forty lake vessels loaded for ocean ports
That this trade willIyery much incrcase there
is no doubt, since it affords occupation fol
the lake marine in winter, when the lalt
ports arc closed by ice, some Of these vessel:
: are successfully employed in the Med;tcra
cean trade with the Danube and other foreiss
ports.
Tie Government ought to encourage TIL
: enlargement Of the facilities for communica
l ton between the West and the ocean, b,
deepening and widening our canals, AM
vessels Of much Erycr capacity to pass unrc
: sts1cted from the port Of Chicago. Or LAX
t Superior to any port in the known world
: These are considerations in which the Who'll
people, as / nation, are. interested, aud 1t
hoped in due time the national LIegislatur
These facilities arc essential as well rs ou
5 harhor dcfences along the borders Of these il
u land Eeas, which at present arr entirely del
q cieIt and ulany Of them fast going to decay.
Q In 1852 the number Of vessels had increase
an IN rf
g it had increascd to l32, COO tons, and in 1855
+ was 4o4, ,30l, the aggregate tonnage Of l, u
G ssil and steam vessels, giving employment t
d some 5000 miners and 1T this time, 1SG:
!: the number Of our lake tlret has Increased
Il some l6,cCO, giving employment to NOR
0 than 15,0C0 mariners, with an aggregate {
Ill, ,0S6 tons, md an estimated value frol
II 1896, ,020 to $50, ,o0o, GOO. BY such statistic
J. some estimate may be formed Of the nagn
!, | tude OF tue commerce Of the lakes.
[L | PrnYi1rE tn 1892 mn had Vi5ifl
: Chicago. The first arrival was the Shc1do
. Thompson, laden with United States trooI
J under Gen. Scott, during the Black Haw
war of that year. That boat arrived at Ch
. cagu, or rslther came to anchor outside, Q
II the sth Of July, after . voyage Of six day
. having on board that fearful scourgc, Il
q Asiatic cholcrl, which had made sad have
:, among the troops during the voyage, an
u 11any Of whom fell prey to it, after thu
1t were landed, before tho disease could be q
rested.
But two steamers visited Chicago that Sc
son. The William Penn, under the co,nmar
Of Capt. J. F. Wright, arrived some six da,
after left with the steamer Thompson.
4 At That time but few traces Of ciyilzatic
Il could be seen, after passing the Straits
beacon lights, no artificial harbors, or b1
few natural ones were in existence. No pier
d wood or coal yards were established in Il
n whole distance, and rot single village, tow
j. or city on the whole coast Of Lake Michiga
" where now the towns, villages and citi
s. mark the whole distance.
70 Chicago at that time contained but fl
ID temporary buildings CT teuements. bc5:d
Is the light house and barracks, better known
1e Fort Dearborn. The Chicago River at til
Or time was but mere creek, easily forded at
d, mouth. The population Of Chicago did n
o. exceed forty.f1Te souls, a very striking CO
20 trast when compared with its present popu1
IN tion Of some 120, 600 inhabitants.
ID The history OF the growth and increase
it the West, as well rs the marine Of the lake
be remain TO be written. It is sufficient for Il
&c present to say that the first shipment Of gra
d. to the East was maize on board the steam
Sc Great Western, in the fall Of 1859, consistil
r6 Of 20 bags Of wheat. This was followed
n another shipment the next season of 1T;
to bushels, the first cargo ever shipped over I
he lakes in that form. The same year, 1S440,
10 took on board the Great Western the first e
IL port Of flour from Wisconsin,, consisting
b. think Of twenty eight barrels, shipped By p
N kins 4. Son at the port Of Racine, and consig
of ed to the senior partner IN board, who TOT
ed passage for Buffalo, where he found mark
ho 1or it.
ed From these apparently unimpoztant begi
he niDgs, it will be seen that Illinois, and t
several States bordering upon and tributa
he | to the lakes, have btcomc Eanlou5 for th'
nd | exports, showing an immense co.lmert
tt while at the same time it requires no g7t
g- foresight OF stretch Of Imagination to dtscos