Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1881-08-27

Interesting Facts About the Detroit,
Mackinac and Marquette.

JONI .. NeWDeIIy IetuIHou Ouuudy
| from a trip to Point st. Ignace, which
included an inspection OF the lower pOr-
| ton of the Detroit, Mackinac and Mar
| and Tribune had a pleasant chat with
him Yesterday about his trip. Said he:
"The track of the new road is laid Al
miles out Of StlIgnace, and it is ballasted
with the best material ever saw, stone
and gravel ballast. We rode over the
road in fat car boxed in at the rate of
| ten miles in eighteen minutes, without
| the least jOlting. We rode easier than
we could from here to Monroe in Pull
man palace car. The steadiness and
| level character of that road is remark
able. The rails are steel, and the grade
and alignment first-class. The settle
ment along the road is as remarkable as
| the road itself. / will give you an in
stance. At one point q miles from st.
Ignace, one year ago the trees had never
been cut except by the axes of our engi-
neers. 1t was an unbrOken forest. Now
there is clearing of at least 200 acres,
and from 100 to $50 is cultivated. Oats,
grass, potatoes, peas, beans and all the
| root crops grow this year in way that
is unsurpassed anywhere. Mr.. AlansOn
Shelley went over large part of the line
with me. He is one of the pioneers here
you know. He told me that it would
make the finest grass land in the state of
Michigan. Timothy grows four or five
feet high. There is no question that
this country will raise all the oats, hay,
peas, beans, potatoes, cabbage, carrots,
beats, ETC., for the entire mining dis
trict. Now, these things all come from
the lower country. The land can be put
in to grass in two years, and some OF it
| in One."
"How will it be in reference to the
| lumber?"
"There is hardwood, pine and cedar
there. There are cedar blocks enough in
easy reach to pave all the cities in the
northwest for great many years to
come. Much of the land will produce
cedar enough to more than pay for it,
and then be fine grass land"
! "Is the road expecting good deal of
business on the start?"
| "The company are putting in side
tracks and large expensive docks at st.
| Ignace, and, as you noticed the other
day, work will soon be begun on large
re-dOcks there. That looks like it,"
"Can you give in figures any idea of
what business the company expect dur
ing say the first year?"
"We expect to be able to bring out
from the mining regions to st. Ignace
and ship east from 100000 to 100000
tons of iron ore the first season. We can
successfully compete with other points
on this business, because vessels can get
into st. Ignace three weeks before they
can into Escanaba or Marquette. The
harbOr is excellent and the facilities first
class in every respect. Boats can take
from st. Ignace full load, while at
Marquette the largest vessel can only
take little more than half load. We
can make the same rates from the mines
to Detroit, Cleveland or WyandOtte as
The all water route from Marquette, and
save time, the dangers of the Sault river
and the delays at the canal. Some of the
captains of the iron vessels say it will
make vast difference with them; that
they prefer going there to running the
risks of Lake Superior.
| "The blast furnace at st. Ignace which
is capable of making 100 tons of pig iron
per day, went into blast last Monday.
They have two sets of charcoal furnaces
on the line of the road, and we have con-
tracted to deliver the iron ore for their
| furnace"
Are settlers coming into the upper
peninsula rdpluIy!
1--WE sold large piece of land about
ID miles out of st. Ignace to the German
colonization company formed here a
short time ago, and they are going to
settle 1t in systematic manner. They
have bought it not for speculation, but
for occupation, and the men who have
been there are delighted with 1t. The
hay they can raise is worth $18 ton,
| ia aA col
tons to the acre without trouble"
Speaking of hunting, Mr.. Newberry
said this region was unsurpassed. "There
are" said he, Large quantities of part
ridges, quail, snipe and woOdcOck, par
ticularly of the big jacksnipe. All the
streams are full of trout. In one town
ship last winter where our men were,
there were $50 deer killed, and there was
not great deal of hunting done either.
There are great many bears. particu
larry on the branches of the MOnastique,
though civilization rapidly drives them
away. The sound of the locomotive
whistle, in the night, when they work.
scares them away"
"The land is frequently spoken of as
swampy. Is it SOP"
"As nearly as l can ascertain from the
| grades of the railroad, most of the
swampy land is from 100 to 200 feet
above the level of the lake, and can be
easily drained. Our railroad bitches will
drain an immense territory, and the
rest will drain itself as soon as roads are
opened and bitches dug. It is not like
landthat is level with the lake. To sum
it all up, the upper peninsula is going to
be one of the best portions of the state of
Michigan. 1t lies at least 100 miles south
of the great Red River wheat country. 1t
is six or seven hundred miles nearer tide
water. 1t lies exactly on the route Of