The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1871-06-22
Tar CRY OF MANrrowoc.
Its General Prosperity-The HarbOr
The Improvements-Sh ipbuilding
Railroads Newspapers- Banks Il
Hotels.


Mr.. Reed, the travelling correspondent of
the Milwaukee Sentinel to whom we
would tender our grateful acknowledge
ment for his elaborate description, as
truthful as it is interesting, of our rapidly
growing city :
The annualsvisit of your correspondent
to.this place has always been pleasant.
The atmosphere is invigorating, the
place attractive, and the people cordial
and friendly, and there is always life and
activity among the business community,
and [ have never found it more so than
at the present time. No place that |
have visited this season exhibits 50 many
evidences of prosperity, where the trad
ers appear to be doing better business,
more Improvements are IN progress, and
where money matters seem to be so com
parativey easy. | learn of no failures,
and many of the merchants have enlarg-
ed their business. No one has the blues.
Mechanical labor is in dcmand-in fact
laborers Of all kinds are scarce.
THE HARBOR
is beautiful one, OF the necessary depth
of water, substantial docks, the natural
conformation of the river is safe Drotec-
ton against storms and wares coming in
from the lake. Now that a railroad is
certain to connect this place with the
outside world, the advantages of this
fine harbor will be Of incalculablc value,
for it keeps opel all winter fer the cis-
| lance of one fourth of mile from its
mouth, offering facilities for winter navi-
cation. There is probably not better
harbor on the west shore Of the lake.
IMPROVEMENTS.
Since last season there have been many
| and too numerous to admit of all being
mentioned at the present time. The har-
Dor and docks up to the bridge have been
completed and are excellent Above
the bridge dredging and making docks on
both sides of the river are going on vigor-
ously, and, when finished, will leave the
stream much wider than it is now. Some
distance above a dock is being built on
which to land material for the railroad
now in process of construction. Near this
| point, work is going on in the .construc-
| ton Of a dry dock of sufficient ca
| pacity to admit vessels of the largest size.
This enterprise is the work Of stock
company, consisting Of the princinal bus
mess men of the place, who invest S25,-
| 900 in the work, which will be completed
in August. The officers of the company
are j. Richards, president; G. Cooper,
treasurer; c. Ii. Walker, secretary
The fine harbor and favorable location of
Manitowoc will, undoubtedly, make this
| a profitable undertaking.
The city authorities have been diligently
at work improving the streets, have
graded and graveled the principal ones,
! at an expense of $50, 600, making them
handsome and comfortable thoroug hfares
and adding greatly to the comeliness Of
the city.
The Presbyterian Society have erected
a very handsome church building Of brick
which is nearly completed, pleasing
feature Of which are very tasty stained
glass memorial windows, the cost Of one
of them having been $500.
The erections of new business blocks
have been many. Among these is that
of Mr.. j. e Platt, who has nearly COM
pleted brick store of two stories, 50x
100 feet in size, and haying a double
store on the lower floor. Mr.. p is also
building dock and warehouse on it of
two stories, 50xl20 feet, for the purpose
OF handling hay, of which he shipped
two thousand tons last year.
Mr.. Jonah Richards has built new
machine shop of brick, 50x129 feet, to
which he will soon add another brick
building 30x50. He has also formed
company composed of citizens Of the
place, with a capital of.$75, 900, to put
up blast furnace, which will be in opera
ton In less than SIX months.
A new store has Teen erected and oc-
cupied upon the site of the former loca-
ton Of N1r. RS. shops. Other building IS
are In progress of going up upon the
business streets, which with the work
going on upon the river, imparts the
appearance oflife and activity to the place
SHIP BUILDING.
The Goodrich Trar sportation Company
build all their steamers here, and have
moved their yard from below the bridge
to the yard at the bend of the river, frou
ly been launched, Of about the. size of
the Manitowoc. and is designed to run
on the route between Chicago and Grand
Haven. At this yard there have been
built three vessels during the past winter
and sailed. and another of %. 900 bushels
OF grain capacity is now on the stocks.
Among other new branches of business
is a glue factory, which is doing large
business, and a planning mill and sash
factory.
THE RAILROAD.
A railroad from this place to Appleton
and New London. distance of IS miles,
is to be a fixed fact Work on this end
Of the line is in vigorous progress, five
miles have already been graded. and
bridge across the river will soon be erect
ed for use. The requisite means have
been secured, and the road will pushed
forward as rapidly as possible. The Pres
Ident OF the Company. the Hon. Joseph
Villas, of this city, returned this week
from New York. the result of his visit
to that city being the arrival already of
200 kegs of spikes and 2SS bundles of
chairs for the road, and the purchase of
suEtlclency OF the same, as well as Ct
rails and hsh-barS TO iron tie track from
this point to Appleton, consisting of 3,
500 gross tons, ?, 500 Of which are now
on ship board, the vessels containing
it, having passed Detroit from Buffalo to
this port A construction train, censis
ting of a locomotive and SIX platform
cars, have been purchased at Cleveland
and viii be here soon, by which time
rails will have been laid to use them at
once. There are also 10000 ties on
hand. and others being delivered on the
line of the road.
The old roadbed of So miles, cores
ponding to the route of this road, which
was constructed by George Reed some Is
years since and is in a state of preserya
ton to make it available, has been secur-
ed to this company. and is being worked
upon, leveling up and constructing bridg-
es and culverts.
The success of this enterprise, so far,
is largely due to Mr.. Villas, who has
spent most of the winter in New York
city, where he has secured the aid asked
for. having lad to encounter active OBJ
position from several sources, among
IL 4 It. e n