The Portland daily press., 1870-08-23


Cumberland, ......... ..GEO. E. CHADBOURNE.
Kennebec,. ,........... NATHANIEL GRAVES.
Oxford. ALBION GORDON.
York, ALBERT G. HUSSEY.
CORNELIUS SWEETSER.
For County Treasurer.
Cumberland, THOMAS PENNELL.
Kennebec,. .ALANSON STARKS.
Oxford, FREDERICK E. SHAW.
York;. ..JOHN HALL.
For Clerk of Courts,
York, AMOS L. ALLEN
Letter from the Norihwest-No. XXX.
ST. PAUL, August Is, 1870.
To the Editor OF the Press:
MY last letter concluded with promise to
give your readers brief statement relative
to Duluth, its past, present, and probable fu-
ture. As have said heretofore the city is To-
Gated directly upon the Lake Shore, having an
unobstructed view of the largest body offresh
water on the globe. The western portion of
Lake Superior is comparatively narrow, though
to the eye boundless as the ocean, and it ex-
tends in southwesterly direction so that
the wind which comes directly from the sea
is from the Northeast. In going to Duluth
by land the traveller passes completely around
the head of the lake. The city being stu.
ated on the northerly shore, so that no rail-
road extension from that point eastward can be
made without returning westerly some twenty
five miles over substantially the same route
by which the town is reached. The impor-
tance of understanding the precise location
will be obvious when come to speak of the
terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad,
the grading of which has been commenced.
THE PAST
of Duluth may summed up in few words. Till
two years since there was nothing of it, save
few shantes, the occupants of which sub
sisted by trapping and fishing. True doz-
en- years ago more or less an attempt was
made to create town as the rival of Superior
City, which lies eight miles distant across the
lake, on the Wisconsin shore, and although
avenues, streets, lots, and parks were laid out,
duly staked and numbered, and town plat
ted and beautifully Autographed, and consid-
cradle money was spent, and the usual num-
ber of galvanic batteries were brought into
requisition to aid the speculation, the whole
thing fell through, proving an absolute abor.
| tion aui involving the operators in ruin. I
am acquainted with one gentleman who at
| that time purchased three town lots numbered
high up in the hundreds, for which he gave a
| fine gold watch and some money, but so sud-
denly did the bubble burst that beyond the
recording of his deeds, he never troubled him
| self about the property, or took pains to en-
quire alter theprecse locality. A few weeks ago
| however, learning that was going to Duluth
he gave me a list of his lots, that might as
| certain the precise whereabouts to find out
whether the present city was trespassing onhis
vested rights" and thus bringing grist to his
| will. showed the numbers to an "old resi-
dent real es tate agent-two years old-well
acquainted with localities, and learned from
him that the lots were situated about fue
miles from to,on and covered sic feet deep
toith the aoaters of the lake!
| ORIGIN OF THE PRESENT CITY.
| A land grant having been obtained for a
railroad from the Mississippi River to Lake
Superior, a company was organized to push
the work through. VIM. l.. Banning of st.
Paul, was made President of the Board of
Directors, and through his indomitable ener-
| gy means were soon found to turn the tide of
speculation in the direction of this enterprise,
and the road was commenced, starting from
st. Paul. Duluth was selected as the lake
terminus in order that both termini might be
within the boundaries of Minnesota, leaving
Superior City, previously the port for the wes-
/ tern end of the lake "out in the cold"
| POWER OF pRINTER's INK.
Mr.. Banning, in true western style, and te-
leving in the omnipotence of the press, look
ed around for suitable man to "blow'' for
him, and the right man was found in DR..
Thomas Foster, the veteran pioneer editor of
| Minnesota,-a man of much ability and few
tender scruples-a man who wields vigor-
GUS pen and upon occasion can draw an ex-
ceedngly "long bow" With DR.. Foster an
arrangement was made that he should go to
Duluth, start paper, and do the "blowing
and striking" for the creation of new city,
a city to rival Chicago, and to become the
controlling centre for the interior of the con-
eral supply of corner lots" and an "inside
track" in the town site speculation, made up
tie consideration for which this work was en-
tered upon by the ex-disciple of Esculapius.
The doctor commenced his work, piled his
blows vigorously, and with the aid afforded by
making Duluth the base of supplies for build
ing thirty miles of that end of the road, sue
cess was assured, speculation became ram
pant, Duluth was crowded, money flowed in
and was scattered prolusely, Jay Cooke was
made interested in the town site, his name
was a host in himself, and now, with high
tide and speculation at fever heat, the doctor
can sit before his Office door-as saw him a
few days since-looking off upon the broad
bosom of the Lake, smiling like an opening
rosebud, calm as a summers morning, his
work done and well done, thinking of the
great and mighty city which his pen has
founded, the gigantic bubble which his breath
has inflated, his well-lined pockets receiving
fresh additions from the rents of his "corner
lots" So much for the past of Duluth.
| THE PRESENT
| reouires no elaborate description. As the
city first opens to view. when approached
from the St. Louis river, 1.-THE railroad is now
opened and the cars run from the "Father of
Waters" to the "King of the Lakes'') the be-
holder is likely to feel as friend of mine did
when he first looked upon the town, and who
expressed his feeling by exclaiming, "My G.!
is that Duluthw The city seen at distance
seems but a small collection of inferior build
ings, huddled together on the shore, apparent
ly smaller than Saccarappa, Waldoboro or
Norway village in your State, and presenting
very much the appearance, upon closer ac-
quaintance, of Canadian oil village in Go
just about as unsubstantial. The land rises
from the lake at an angle of perhaps fifteen or
twenty degrees, and upon this hillside the
town is laid out, the streets, avenues and lots
being marked off by stakes far back into the
dwarf spruces with which the surrounding
land Is cCvered. The principal business
street, along the lake shore, is named "Supe-
rior street" and back of and parallel to it are
Second, Third, and don't know how many