Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-11-26
Correspondence Of the HsRAIp.)
Superior vs.. Duluth.


The feud between these towns is
not simply local jealousy bet weeD
two rival embryo cities I; it is a con-
test between the two sovereign states
of Minnesota and Wisconsin. In our
telegraphic news we see frequent no.
tees of this contest, and to those
who do not know the topography of
the disputed region, it is very much
off muddle. We desire to give those
who feel an interest in the matter
some account af the present state of
the case and the causes of the troub>
les.
Nineteen years ago party of pie
oneers marched from ST. Paul to
found city at the head of Lake SUI
perior. They chose one of the best
sites for a great inland city in the
world, and laid out some 10000 acres
of fine rich level land, thirty feet
above the lake and, fronting for four
miles on the great land-locked har-
Dor of Superior Bay. For three
years the progress OF this young city
was rapid but of late years it has
advanced slowly. This city of Sdpe.
rior is on the Wisconsin side of the
ST. Louis River and Bay, which is
for 20 miles the boundary of our
State.
Thus far all things seemed to in-
sure that the great commercial en-
porium, that should inevitably rise at
tho head of the great lakes, would be
In Wisconsin,. No one supposed that
the railroads, piers, and warehouses;
of a city would ever be crowded
along the Minnesota side, where the
rough granite hills of the north shore
slope steeply down to the waters
edge where access by land can only
be had by long detour West, to APP
proach the lake north of the ST. Lou.
is River; and where the furious
storms of an unsheltered coast would
make the approach by water very
dangerous to shipping
When the Northern Pacific r. r. bill
was passed, certain Minnesota Con,
gressmen had the foresight and pub
lie spirit for their state, to insist on
clause obliging the Company TO 10
cate the eastern terminus on Lake
Superior in the state Of Minnesota.
This destroyed all chance of giving
Superior the advantage of the loca-
ton of the terminus, and necessarily
built up the the rival city of Duluth,
within sight of her on the Minnesota
side.
To understand the troubles of the
two places, examine carefully map
of the region. ST. Louis Bay Cor Su-
perlor Bay is about ten miles long
by one wide. II is bounded on the
east by two long narrow points of
sand which extend toward each 9TH
err in O straight line, with their ends
only separated by the channel which
allows ships ingress TO the bay, and
through which the waters of the ST.
Louis and other rivers discharge
Wisconsin Point running north is
three miles long, and Minnesota Point
running south is seven miles long,
slightly curved and from five to for
ty rods wide. Duluth is located on
the hillside and marsh. where this
Point joins the main north shore.
Enclosed within the protecting
arms of this great natural breakwa-
ter is the fine harbor, on whose west
side are two similar points running
out TO meet each other, Rice's and
Corners Points. with tho river flow.
ing between. The reader will bear
10 mind that Minnesota Point and
Rice's Point are both on the Duluth
side of the state line, which here fol-
lows the channel and that the bar
Dor of Duluth has been formed by
digging a great channel through this
barrier from the bay into the lake.
The cutting of this canal as a Sc
rious prospective injury TO The legal
rights of Superior. Its owner CLAIM.
ed that the current of st. Louis river,
discbarging through its natural out
let, was all that kept that avenue
from being filed with sand by the
waves, so as to destroy all access to
their magnificent harbor and trans
fer it to their rival. They indigo
nantly protested, through the press
and in the U. s. Supreme Court but
the Northern Pacific kept at work
and opened the canal through the
point. Then fearing that an injunc-
ton would be issued, ordering them
to close it if the old entry really be-
came too shallow for navigation, the
Northern Pacific built q dyke" or
pier of tight crib. work, running from
the end of Rices Point to Minnesota
Point ia such way as to partition
off about two miles of ST. Louis Bay
for their own private use as hsr-
Dor. It's object was to keep the st.
Louis River from running out of their
canal, so that it might keep the old
channel open and stop the clamor of
Superior. The dyke was filled with
sand, and railroad track runs over
it; the cost was about SIS 900.
But still Superior was dissatisfied
Her people stood up for their legal
right to run their sail-boats, tugs and
vessels over any part of their own
bay, unobstruoted by any artificial
contrivance Of their grasping and
scrupulous rival To go out through
the entry and along the broad lake
TO Duluth would be round about
way, and in storm it would be sui
eide whereas there was an ancient
natural watercourse Of safe smooth
water, only seven miles in q straight
line from the city of Superior TO the
wharves, depots, telegraphs and of
fees that connected their isolated
home with the great world around.
They felt that it was an outrage on
the rights of every traveller and boat
man to be obliged to stop at the dyke
climb out, unload their boat, lift it