The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-09-01
MoCCASIN lMPRINTS.
NUMBER ~.
From Our Special Correspondents

ana Tue lOQgNuuC W.
ago, perhaps scores and centuries 'ne Oh h'ui'
| River entered the lake at the northwest cor
ner but but by the combined effects OF freshets
and strong lake breezes, point OF land began
:, ,,oke ont from the northwest shere directly
s., front of the rivers mouth, and combined to
increase until it is now about seven miles in
length. This point or pinnacle is formed of
sand and gravel, and was parallel to the old
end shore of the lake, having curve some.
thing less than that of a scythe, the convex
turned toward the shore. The pinnacle is less
than a quarter of mile in width, and about
three quarters of mile from the old end shore
of the lake. The reader will see that body
of water is thus formed to the southwest of
this point, seven miles in length by three quar-
tiers of mile in width. This is called the Bay
of Superior. 1t must now be understood that
the shore to the east or to the right of the
rivers mouth, all belongs to the State of Wis
consin, while all of that to the left or north of
the rivers mouth is in Minnesota, consequently
the peninsula described above, resting as it
does with its base on the latter shore, is legally
all Minnesota soil, and is called Minnesota
Point
We have been thus explicit on this subject
because, until our arrival here, we had quite
erroneous ideas Of the geography of this sec.
tor, Notwithstanding that we had read nu-
merous illusions from the pens of amateur let
ter-writers, describing poetic and romantic
beauties of the Superior country.
At the base, or northwest end of Minnesota
Point, stands the City of Duluth, in Mime
sofa, and on the southwest shore of Superior
Bay is Superior City, in Wisconsin. Both of
these cities command fine views Of the Lake,
and at the present time are rivals for the ter.
minus of the Lake Superior and Mississippi
Railroad. To speak of their respective merits
in this respect, is to step on danger on
ground, as it is evident to the most casual OBJ
server that one Of the towns must rise at the
expense Of the other, and the citizens of each,
just at this time, are, ergo, justidably sensitive
We shall, therefore, keep out Of the fight alto.
gether, and only mention such geographical
facts as properly belong to the public gene
rally. - /. - - 49, So .
Ofthe importance of a railroad to this point
from st. Paul, we doubt if one person in five
thousand, at the present time, has full appre-
citation. Disturbed Van Wrinkles and conserv-
alive cloths, who oppose on principle all i'm
provements and all enterprise, say
"Whats the use building railroad to supe-
rior, when the cars can only run seven months
in theyear?"
| "How is that?" inquiries the live man.
"Why the Bay of Superior has three and
four feet of ice in it five months in the year %
| they exclaim, "and where is the company that
wants their cars and all their capital idle every
Men who talk and reason thus, are either too
stupid to ever change their views, or if seeing
their errors are teo mulish to acknowledge
them; consequently facts like the following
fall upon them like water on ducks back.
Cars running from Superior to st. Paul will
carry all the New York merchandise for the
entire northern two-thirds of Minnesota, and
will convey in return the immense agricultural
products, a large portion of which are at pres
ent no benefit to the State for the want of q
| market. And now let us look at the local trade,
| which will be good at all seasons of the year.
! The mines of Lake Superior are annually in
creasing in importance and capital, but even at
the present time they consume over 200 tons
of candles per year, $4,000 barrels of flour,
5000 kegs Of powder, 1900 pounds of steel,
with beef and pork in proportion. This ought
to be, and can be, all produced in Minnesota,
but at present New York and Ohio have the
benefit of this immense trade.
On nearly all railroads now in operation, the
| cars return from market two-thirds light, be-
cause return goods are less bulky-as dollars
worth of cloth occupies less room and has less
weight than dollars worth of corn, wheat or
potatoes. The Lake Superior and Mississippi
Railroad will prove an exception to this rule.
The cars from the lake. when not otherwise
occupied, will be filed with lumber, iron, cop
per, and other metals, (of which we win speak
in future letter. and the finest slate and mar.
BILE in the world.
Furnaces, railroad iron, rolling mills. and
copper smelling works, win rapidly spring up
at Sunrise, Chengwatona, and other water.
power points along the line, and within five
years from the completion of the read, Mime
sofa will supply two-thirds Of all the railroad
the mines of the South Shore furnish over
49, 900 tons of copper, and SOC, 600 tons Of iron
annually. The mines on the North Shore and
along the line of the road, have not yet been
| Any developed. but there is copper, lead, slate
ana marble sc;tkout limit, and the best and pur.
e. of iron. enough to supply the world for a
million years.
| AS the company's charter compels them to