Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1881-12-17
NORTHERN TRIBUNE.
SATURDAY. DECEMBER II, 1881.
MICHIGAN AND IT'S RESOURCES

The above Is the title of book OF
about $50 pages, compiled by Frederick
Morley, commissioner of immigration,
and Just issued from the press of the
state printers. It is an exhaustive
work, and the facts are gathered large
ly from state departments and statistics
furnished by the most eminent authOri-
ties upon the subject treated.
In his introduction the commissioner
has given the following facts in regard
to the extent of territory embraced in
Michigan; its growth, industries, agri-
cultural productions, institutions, and
means of transportation, as well as de-
scriptiOns of its soil, climate, timber,
financial condition, situation of its un-
occupied lands, and review of its gen.
eral characteristics as home.
The area of Michigan Is 56,451 square
miles, not quite 1000 less than the area
of England and Wales. 1t is 5000 square
miles larger than the state of New York,
10000 larger than Pennsylvania, $1,000
larger than Ohio, $4,000 larger than In
diana. and 1000 larger than Illinois.
The six New England states embrace an
area not quite 1900 square miles larger
than Michigan. When admitted to the
union in 1897 its population was 174,-
467, and its rank among the q states
was 23d. 1t now has 1,636,331, and ranks
as the 9th among 38 states. 1t has
coast line of 1000 miles, around which
vessels of 1000 tons may sail without
losing sight Of its territory.
Michigan is bounded on the north by
the largest body of fresh water in the
world, on the west by the second largest
and excepting these there are no lakes
in Europe, Asia, or America larger than
that upon its eastern border. Its eli
mate has no equal in the moderation of
its temperature in any state or territory
Of the same degree of latitude east OF the
Rocky mountains. Most of the southern
latitude as the state of New York. The
shore line of the upper peninsula is
mostly south of the latitude of Quebec,
and no part of the state is as far north
as Paris.
Michigan has more than 1000 miles
of railroad, and 81 cOunty-seats out of
81, in the lower peninsula, have rail-
road connections. Nine others are lake
ports. There are only seven which have
no outlet by rail or water, and none of
these is more than 20 miles from rail-
road. In the upper peninsula, there Is
only one, and in the lower peninsula
but eight counties which are not reach
ed by railroads already operated or in
process of construction.
The farmers of Michigan have the in
surance of permanent competition for
transportation to eastern and seabOard
markets by rival lines of railroad and
by natural and artificial water ways.
1t is only within few years that the
northern counties of the lower peninsula
have been known except by few enter
prising men, even among Michigan peO-
pie. The extension of the lumber inter-
ests led to their first thorough explOra-
tiOn, and the fact has since TRANSFERRED
that great as has been the profit from
numbering, the partially cleared lands
of the northern counties promise more
to agriculture than they have yield
ed to the ak. There are thousands
of acres from which pine trees
have been cut, as we'll as other thOus-
ands which have never borne pine, into
the soil of which no plOwshare has pene-
trated, but which will well repay the
labor of the husbandman, and can be
purchased for less than years rental
of many of the lands of Europe. That
agriculture pays in Michigan Is evinced
by the reports of the U. s. department of
agriculture, which show that in series
of five years previous to and including
1879, the average cash value per acre of
eight leading productions Of the farm,
taken in IL of the principal farming
states of the Union was the greatest in
Michigan. Seven-tenths of all the wheat
raised in the country is grown in nine
states, and only three excel Michigan.
1t is also one of the best fruit-prOducing
states in the Union, and ranks among
the highest in its yield of wool. Its prin-
cipal products are staples for which there
must be constant and growing de-
mand.
In order of production Michigan stands
first among the states in growth and
manufacture of lumber, salt, copper, and
fresh water fisheries; second in iron, and
fourth in wheat. 1t has the largest iron
and copper mines in the world.
The number of farms in 1880 was 49,
GAL, embracing 1887, 1O5 acres, of which
6,211,209 were improved. There were
assessed for taxes in 1881, 29,306,820
acres; the increase for 10 years being
AZ per cent. The average size of the
farms is fraction over 81 acres, and
tenant farmer is scarcely known.
AS regards labor, any man with an
honest desire to earn a living, and
willing to render fair days work for
fair wages, can always find something
to do for which he will be we'll paid.
The farms, the mines, the furnaces, lum-
Der camps, mills. manufactures, and
mechanic arts of the states, which are
continually increasing in number and
variety, furnish growing and diversified
demand for labor, and there Is no region