Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-06-09
JUNE 9. 1870.

any thing like an adequate idea OF The
Mace. its business and its surroundings
in one short letter. is quite impossible. so
Twill commence where at happens" aud
end when my sheet is full.
That this place will be the terminus OF
the Northern Pacifie-that breakwater
will be built that will stand the heaviest
northeaster, and that this place will be
the great commercial and railroad center
of Lake Superior and Of the Northwest,
are among the things not only probable.
but nearly or quite certain. In view OF
those possible facts, it is not surprising
that city lots" have gone up from $500
to as many thousand dollars within few
months. or that the population has IN
creased within twelve months from a few
dozen persons to nearly four thousand.
The present growth of the city is almost
magical, vet it may be steady, permanent
and healthy. Philadelphia money and
Philadelphia men are in the ascendency,
and every box or bale you see on the
streets, ia marked From Philadelphia.
Duluth is backed up by more millions of
dollars and by a stronger combination
than was ever before united to build up
a city on the American continent; and
its geographical position may well COM
maud the attention of tho business men
of the whole nation. Yet, what its flu
ture may be, no man can with any de-
gree of safety, predict. Of course spec
uation is rife in every thing, and esPec-
tally in city lots. which are actually sell
ing at fabulous prices. A regular lot is
40 100 feet, and they are sold for
from 800 to $4,000 or 100000
Some Of them ieass for 81 TO $40 a
front foot, yearly. The whole surround
ing country, TO the amount OF more than
a township, is laid out into city lots
Some of them must not be less than
three hundred, or, perhaps, four hundred
feet above the level of the lake. The
bluff ascends at an angle of from twenty
to forty-live degrees, for distance Of
one 10 two miles. on which we find light
timber. embracing white cedar, white
white birch, poplar and pine. Having
assembled 10 the summit of the highest
point, The face Of the land is broken,
rough AMI very uneven, but covered with
heavy birch, maple aud pine timber
Farms, of course, are out of the question,
and, so far as | have discovered, there is
no road, or even chance TO make one,
out of this city in any direction.
Aside from Minnesota Point, or Rice's
Point, / have not YET found the spot that
would be practicable for decent ccme
try, nor do learn where the remains Of
those who may hereafter depart this busy
life, can safely be deposited. Further
inquiry may develop what necessity must
provide.
This place is named after n Jesuit
priest who visited this locality. according
to tradition. about the year 1910. Ira
'lli0n further says that, while on his way
hthcr the second time. he wandered off
in the woods near Portage Lake and fell
n martyr to his mission. The history of
Duluth is yet to be writt'n. and it may
contain much that will both interest and
instruct. OF the present we can ouIy
itemize. All is business-all is life
the incessant pounding Of rails and tim
Der, raspin@ of saws, c!anking of sedges,
rattlin. of wagons over the rough, rocky
and alternately muddy streets. and the
" heavc, O! heayer' of men handling
heavy loads and timLers, would shame
the ancient Babel, and make it mere
sing,song as compared with what We see
and hear daily. Doubtless there are
two Thousand men on active duty. and
there is scarcely lounger in the place.
There arc about forty saloons in ihe city,
aud vet you can scarcely imagine more
orderly place Hundreds of strangers
come iG daily representing all nationali
ties. kindred aud chimes, forming hetero-
geEeOus mass of human incougruiiies -
All come hero for business-al cone
here TO pick up stamps while they are in
circulation.
The elevator, the citizens dock. tho
railroad and railroad dock, the br;akwa-
ter and the street and other public i'm
provements. are among the enterprises
that demand the labor that commands
stamps at the present time. Board IS
dear though provisions are comparatively
cheap. Goods of all kinds are rs cheap
as in 81. Paul.
Whatever money is made here must
first be brought here. Nothing is raised
here, or any where within ono hundred
miles. Nothing is manufactured here 20
draw money in return. There can be
no exports whatever. Thousands and
tens of thousands of dollars will be
wasted monthly by tie rushing tide
hither, and thousands more TO re trans
port a surplus of population. Every
nook and corner is full. and II host are
lying on the ground, or sleeping in wag-
ons nightly, which shows clearly that if
q man is well off where be is, he had
better stay there; aud, if he is not well
of, he had most certainly keep away
from here. Such, at least, is my op;n-
ion. A. II.