Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1873-10-16
Letter From Saginaw, Mich.


r. ne Editor ofths ImcrlcdH
Saginaw is situated upon the Saginaw
river 20 miles from its mouth. which min
gle. is waters with the hc.dw stcrs of Sag
inaw Bay. an arm extending into the state
from the Western side of Lake Huron
Within i circuit ofiiily miles OF which Sag
inaw j. the centre, The land i very la, aud
inar,hs, aud aguc aud ailments arising
from the Use OF bad water. are quite prev
alent during The hot weather but a, ini-
provements are made year after year these
become less and les
Saginaw river receives Tho water, 81
several other smaller streams that drain
excellent lumber regions. The logs are
Heated down these streams Ia the mills AT
Saginaw and on the rivers banks from sag
NAV to the head of the bay. thus making
the Saginaw Valley the head quarters for
lumber for Eastern Michigan. Last year
there were ll2 mills in operation In the
Saginaw Valley. and sawed out over 700
0o0.ooo feet of lumber. the capital invested
bcin. $500, 600 and the number OF men
employed in the mills alone was over $500.
The value OF the entire product resulting
from numbering may he placed at So, 800
600. including lumber. shingles. slaves,
oak timber, long timber, spars. hoops. bark
a..
What was an almost unbrohcn forest
few years ago i, now great power stead
ily increasing. The growth OF the produc-
tive industries Of Northern Michigan has
been far beyond the widest dream of her
pioneers.
tine lumber product OF the Saginaw Val
ley in 1868 as l33. 800 900 feet. in ls.2 it
had reached the prodigous amount stated
above. The population in 1860 was -. 30.
to-day not less than Us 900. The long
round pine timber business of the Valley
aud along the Lake Huron shore has in
creased very rapidly during the past three
years and i now in the RI nk Of our most
important branches of productive industry.
II IL cut principally on the rivers and along
the shore between the saginaw and Au Sa-
bic Iiycrs. The amount got out last sea-
son being estimated at 81 600. 0OO feet. a
large share of which came out of the An
Sable river. The timber i, made up into
rams aud taken to Tonawando. n \. and
Detroit, by powerful tugs.
The OAK timber and stave trade through
out the state. is getting 10 be an extensive
business. The average size OF the timber
is II BY l6 in. and from 40 to 20 ft. long
1t is impossible 10 make close estimate
of this product. The Saginaw Valley
alone furnished over million feet OF
square oak last year. and this winter a
larger quantity VIII be got ont. The bulk
OF this timber and stave product Is destined
for the English market and finds shipment
via. Quebec, although great many slaves
are shii 'ped to Spain to be made into wine
casks.
The manufacture of salt is extensively
carried on in the Eastern part of the state
aud more especially in the vicinity of the
Sasinaws. Wells are bored to the depth
OF 100 To 1000 feet and then tuLed. The
brine u pumped out with a steam pump
into cisterns 10 settle; it is then drawn of
into steam settlers" through which run
steam pipes. AMI steam is let in, and kept
up TO high temperature. sometimes reach
ing l'6 degrees. and the evaporation i,
very rapid. Tweuty-four hours is sufii-
cient 10 evaporate the water leaving the
settler from one-half TO two-thrds fulI of
damp salt of snowy whiteness whic IA Is
dryed by being placed upon drafting
boards. Solar salt is made by depositing
the brine in long shallow watts exposed to
the sun. each vat having root running off
or on to protect or expose the brine ac-
cording to he weather. From six weeks
TO two months is the usual time required To
produce crop of solar salt Beef and
pork packers highly prize this salt on ac-
count OF its coarseness. There are five (5) |
solar fields in the Valley. one of them con- |
tanning 2136 acres. The total product of |
salt in the Saginaw Valley according to the
inspectors report. Tor 1872 was 724. 49, bar.
-els.
fear that considerable patience will be
to wade through such solid facts
md figures as are herein presented, but /
promise lighter and more interesting
Ike tch at no distant day. A.C.