Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-05-18
4 Letter from the West.
CHICAGO. May Z, 1881

for reflection, l think | am prepared to
complete my description of the city in a
candid and considerate way. l speak
thus guardedly because 1t must be owned
that Milwaukee with its smooth, clean
streets, its side walks parked with strip
Of fresh, green grass, its coed air, its fine
views of lake and lani with other varied
attractions, won strong hold upon my
esteem and considerably stirred my enthu-
siasm.
In looking at Milwaukee it is well for
the slow-gong easterner to remember that
it was in 1888 the Indians ceded "Mil-
wacky," as it was then called, to the
whites, and that there then was but one
white man living in its vicinity. This was
Solomon Junsan, who settled and built a
block house and warehouse in 1918. He
was occasionally visited by white traders
to whom he disposed of his goods. but for
sixteen years he was the only permanent
white resident so that this city of brick,
of marble and of granite, firm and stable
ago. cannot yet celebrate its fiftieth year
OF actual existence as place of civilized
habitation, and dates its chartered rights
as Of little more than quarter of a CEN
try. In 1886 it had population of two
hundred and seventy-fve; in 1880, forty
four years after, one hundred and twenty
thousand.
As a railroad centre it stands second on
the line of lakes only to Chicago. Here
are the headquarters of the Chicago, Mil
waukee and St. Paul railroad, standing
first of all railroads in the world in the
number of miles Qour thousand) actually
owned and run. At the head of its i'm
mense passenger department stands a
Washington county man, A. V. H. Car
penter, brother of Hon. II. Carpenter of
Northfield, who is esteemed, and deserv-
edly, the most popular man of his city.
This company are not content with their
lines, but are extending in several direc-
tions their main lines or branches, and up
beyond Mitchell, in Dakota are striking
off through a one thousand miles of will.
derness, to tap the Western Paictic and
divert from its resources trade and com.
merce for the " Cream City"
The Chicago and Northwestern rail-
road, controlling two thousand seven
hundred and ninety eight miles of roads,
haS three divisions running out from
Milwaukee, and is constructing the fourth,
straight line from Milwaukee to Madi-
son.
The Milwaukee, Lake Shore and West
ern railway, owning two hundred and
ffly.two miles of road, furnishes railway
outlet to Milwaukee from the manufacture
ing towns of Sheboygan, Kan Kama,
Appleton and Hausen, and reaches at its
northern end the immense forests there
situate.
Here are also the headquarters of the
Wisconsin Central railroad six hundred
and three miles of railway under one
management, 1t has several branches,
one running nearly west, to St. Paul, but
its main line runs north westerly through
the state, striking Lake Superior at Ash
land, and is extending the line to Duluth,
there to compete with the lake for the
carrying trade of the Northern Pacific
terminating at that point
With its boat and railway traffic and its
varied manufacturing interests, Milwaukee
is a busy city, but it conducts its business
much more conscientiously than does
Chicago. Still, rates of interest are high
compared with the east First class
security finds money at the banks at rates
varying from seven to ten per cent.
The order of the city is excellent, and
was assured by reliable citizens that
ladies were free to traverse its streets by
night as by day without escort and with
out danger of insult or harm.
Three rivers find their way to the lake
through the heart of the city. The Mil
waukee comes from its northern source in
Fond du Lac county, sixty miles away, a
clear, sparkling, rapid stream. Its power
is utilized in the heart of the city, and by
Its side the busy wheels of III. nufacture
are rapidly turned. Below the dam it has
been dredged to admit the heavy draft
bouts, but above it are places of summer
resort, and several small steamers and
large number of yachts ply hourly to and
from Mineral Spring Grove" Pleasan t
Valley" and other points on the river and
near the city. The Milwaukee flows
soulhcrly and parallel with the lake nearly
through the city, until the Menomonee
joins it, when it runs eastery and receiv-
ing the waters of the Kinnikininc flows
into Milwaukee bay.
The Menomonee comes in from the west
and is small river, receiving its name
from a tribe of Indians whose hunting and
camping grounds were once in It's valley.
The Klnnikininc comes north. esterly
TO meet the Milwaukee, and until dredged
was small creek, not deserving the name
Of river. But all these rivers are dredged,
so as to admit large boats, adding much
to the facility of the city's commerce.
With these rivers and the considerable
height of the city over the lake, the sewer
age question, so vastly important to the
lives and health Of its people, and such a
vexing and disturbing element in western
city sanitary regulations, would seem here
TO be solved. And so indeed it was for
time, when the sewers we're conducted
INTO the rivers and they in their rapid
descent 20 the lake carried their accumu-
Iallons quickly from the ciy's front to the
ueplh OF twelve feet or more. But with
the dredging the rivers have now become
practically II part of the lake. There is
no considerable cnrrent in low water, and
IN The hot summer season, when lake and