The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1873-02-08
From the Clinton Iowa. Daily Herald, Jan. 81.
SUPERIOR CITY AND DULUTH.

III.
1t is stated that the controversy between
the States of Wisconsin and Minnesota.
respecting the rights of-Superior City and
Duluth, has been settled at Washington.
1t appears the arrangement between Gov
crnor Washburn, of Wisconsin, on the one
side, and a committee from Duluth and the
President of the Northern Pacific Railroad
on the other is about as follows: The rail
road is to be extended to the city of Supe-
rior within eight months and the same IA
ciltics are to be afforded for business, as at
Duluth; the canal across Minnesota Point,
connecting the body Of the lake with the
western end Of the bay of Superior, is to
be abandoned, and, we presume, filed up
and, the natural entrance to the bay, be-
tween Minnesota and Wisconsin Points is
to be dredged out, and perhaps a portion
Of the bay itself, so that the docks at the
respective cities of Superior and Duluth
can be easily reached by lake craft.
Should this be carried out, there remains
in our mind no longer much doubt where
the developing point will be at the head Of
the great lake The townsite of Superior
is one Of the finest in the COMMUNICATIONS
cd by the hand of Nature for the purpose
Of accommodating a large population. 1t
is dry, nearly level plateau, some twenty
feet or more above the waters of the lake,
with i bay frontage Of eight miles, the St.
Louis river slirfing one side and the Ne
madii river the other, and rearward, ex-
tending almost Indefinitely toward the body
of the State of Wisconsin and of Minnesota
rs well. Duluth, on the contrary, occupies
the strip Of land along the lake and bay on
the Minnesota shore, with towering hills
Immediately behind, with but little chance
for expansion, unless at great expense, and
possessing no commercial facilities III adj
vance Of those of It's Wisconsin rival. SUI
peror can establish railroad connections
with almost every point OF the compass, cX-
cept directly north which is cut off by the
lake. Duluth IS confined to lines along
shore northeast and southwest. The Nor
thern Pacific road can have extensive depot
grounds on the bay ut the mouth of the
Nemadii-in fact, these have been set apart
for this purpOse-but where such can be es-
tabliShed III Duluth, unless ut immense eX-
ponditure. it is hard to imagine. The orig
NAL location of controlling marts of trade
have been very arbitrary, and it may be,
that it is the intention to deveope Duluth
at all hazards: but, we have always enter
tanned the notion, that the managers of the
Northern Pacific road, in their own good
time, intended to occupy the ground at Su-
perior, and that here, would be found
eventually, one of the largest cities of the
interior of our magnificent and widespread
country. Let this be as it may, the com
monwealth of Wisconsin does acjSely az see
55lg to 1t that none of the natural adUanta
qeS possessed By Superior are i11tringed, and
that its chances for expansion and improve
ment are maintained inviolate
With the aid of the greatest lake Of the
continent, and at the extreme point of nat
uraI navigation Westward; with a reach OIL
nearly three hundred miles farther toward
our interior than Chicago, and with min-
corrupted water communication as far as
Buffalo; with mines Of iron and copper and
nterminable forests ut hand; with a rail
road to Pu@et's Sound and the shortest
route to China and Japan by several hun
dredS of miles; we believe the head of Lake
Superior is to have one of the largest citic>
Of our countrv-ard, that child, possibly
may be born, which will see it eclipse New
ork, to say nothing Of Chicago and St
Louis. Whether the particular spot vii
he Superior, or Duluth, or bayfield,, we can
rot with certainty tell; but our opinion i:
now and always has been, that Superior
viii bear off the palm and the others vii
ale in Its presence.