The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1877-07-06


merchants and dispersed ths;u to
Cleveland aud Sandusky. 1t lever
really recovered, yet always hoped for
a return OF It's former prosperity. 1t
turned away from railroads, yet after
wards built one to Prout's station to
be operated by the old S. u & y. z.
r., under a lease, but Which disap-
peared one night by some treachery,
and has never been replaced. Tie
Huron river has a depth of wafer at
the mouth Of the pier of from 1G to IS
feet, and has a current sufficiently
strong to keep itself clear always, so
that the largest class OF vessels can, day
or night, enter and go out in safety.
The river is navigsble for distance OF
six miles, and capable of slowing
away in safe harbor all rhe vessels of
the lake. It hes sn extensive fish
trade, one house alone q. W. Wick
ham & Coz during the fish season this
spring having furnished tie L. S. road
with 200 car loads of that kind of
freight. They are also extensively engag
ed in the lumber trade, and are at lie
head of the grain market which usually
compares favorably with that of Clsve-
land or Toledo. Vessel captains, of
long experience in navigation declare
their preference Tor freight at a much
lower rate at Huron than to go into
Sandusky, the reason being that at
Huron they can load their vessels to
their full capacity at all times. while
at Sandusky there is no certainty OF
their being able to get out with more
that half load. Frrights from Huron
to Buffilo are as cheap as from Cieve-
land to the same point, which would
be worth thousand of dollars annually
to the people Who produce grains,
along Il line having direct trade.
When the improvements on rhe We'll
land canal shall have been completed,
direct trade with Europe Is as posi-
bic at the point named as at Cleveland
or Buffalo, with Il much shorter Iail-
road transportation, and as a conse-
quence a less cost of carriage. East
of Huron but few miles is located the
Berlin quarries, containing as fine
building stone as can be- had in the
State and as valuable for freight to any
road near it, as the Berea quarries have
been to the l.. s. and G.. c. c. & i
roads.
Just now the w. & l.. E. narrow
guage railroad is reaching cut with
rapid strides for that harbor OH the
lake, and within few weeks at fwth
est will have its line open for travel
fl ON Norwalk down to the pier al
Huron. The Middle of August will
see it completed to New London, and
but year later will find it in the cen
ter of the coal fields of southeastern
Ohio. When once opened through, Sc
that coal shipments can commence, an
immense trade will grow up there, and
a metropolis be created between the
two points, from which it is abou
equi- i-distant-Cleveland and Toledo
Take your maps and examine, anC
you will find these facts apparent:
LIST. That while the distance to Por
Clinton and from Port Clinton to tn,
Islands is the shortest of either, tn,
harbor, is not reliable, and if j
becomes necessary to build the roat
out across the Peninsula to Mouse Is
land, the number of miles to be bull
will be more than to go to Huron
while the only advantage to be gainet
would be the reduction in distance o
lake travel to get to the Islands. Thi:
however agreeable to the summer trav
eler, would have no commercia
value otherwise, and the road iron
Port Clinton to Ottawa City would b
worthless during the winter months
having no connections whatever a
that Point.
2nd. While the distance to Sandusk
will not be so great as to Huron, tn
distance to the Islands would be mucl
greater. And the fact that if the roa'
should get there they have no NOR
reliable outlet than they have now a
Fremont, makes them just as depend
ant upon the l. S & NJ s as they ar
now, with twenty y-tour miles more G
road to keep up, and not a point be
tween Fremont and Sandusky at whic
to obtain travel or traffic, except th
single point-Castalia. The marke
there is of no commercial Importance
for it is never quoted in the dispatche
SO that freight of the kind to advar
tage a road would not be attracted tha
way. They would have the same out
let at Port Clinton, with less road t
kes p up. butin order to get there woul
have to run 1G miles without accom-
plishing anything to the East or West
and therefore at useless. expense.
3rd. Huron is the longer distanc
from Fremont, but next to the shortes
to the Islands. The same connection
with the Lake Shore road is made ther
with this difference-:reight boun
eastward is not carried out of it's rout
and hence would be valuable to tn
road, by the farther number of mile
carried than at present. The abilit
to ship from that point is superior eve
to that of Cleveland. and the cost @
lake carriage being about the same, a
from Cleveland there would be larg
saving in cost of transportation. Be
tween Fremont and Huron the lin
would cross the G. S..& c., and the b
g. o.. at points favorable for trade, an,
from both of which it would eventuall
derive a large coal trade, because q
the superior harbor advantages pre-
sented at Huron. The summer trave
to and from the Islands would be a
great as either of the other points, be
cause as direct as ut Port Clinton, All
much shorter than at Saudusky
Look at your Iuap again, draw a lin
from Huron to Fremont ct would b
much better if run from Huron I,
Findlay,) and then from ST. Mary's t,
Muncie, trace the connection thence {,
ST. Louis and out into the great West