The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1881-07-16

t'e quaity anu llfnItS Oh an I'M
mense deposit of iron, long known
to be there. If the reports are en-
couraging, money is pledged to
build a STANDARD guagc road from
Lake Superior to the mines. Real
estate has recovered so far that
owners are again asking 500 a
foot for the Oest business property,
and almost getting it.
Duluth showed Mr.. Willard all it
had to offer, aud did not forget to
throw in judicious hints about
THE MIsroRTUNRs AND INTERIoR1TY
of poor decayed Superior City,
across In Wisconsin. The men of
Duluth laugh loud and long at Su-
perior, but they have not yet laugh.
ed last. MIR. Willard had business
in Superior, and he and his party
were placed on scow and towed
across. Superior is in Wisconsin,
eight miles from Duluth, which is
in Minnesota. 1t is larger city
than New York, but it is not built
up yet. It has been one of the
municipal regulations for years that
the grass should be mnwn in the
avenues at the same time it was cut
IN the side streets. The inhabitants
were waiting for Mr.. Willard. They
have been waiting for him twenty
five years. Twenty-Five years ago
they built docks to receive the
commerce OF the great West, laid
out great town with streets and
avenues, bu. the dock on which
MIR. Willard stepped ashore was
rottlng like half 4 dozen others,
and the streets through which he
was driven were better pastures
than promonades. The romantic
vicissitudes of Western town exist
snce can never be better seen than
in the history of Superior. 1t is
an extreme illustration of uncertain
ties OF Western life. On paper it
was aS large and magnificent as the
Eden To- which Martin Chuzzlcwit
wa: lurrd, but here the resembl-
ance ends, tor
SUPERIOR WAS FOUNDED ON AN
HONEST IDEA,
and must live. Its prof, ctors were
right in iore>ceing tina, il had 4
destiny. 1t was their misfortune
10 see i, hail :. generation TOO soon.
No Western city had - better start
than this one. 1t WAS the concep-
tion of Il coterie OF the most brilIi-
ant men of President Buchanan's
time. These, meu saw from the
map and what they heard from the
pioneers and trarpers that this
2|aIn at the end OF Lake Superior
was at the head OF the great lake
system and the vast, fertile West at
its back. It's future looked better
than that of Chicago, or ST. Paul,
or Milwaukee. William III. Newton,
now in New Orleans, was sent with
Messls. George l.. Becker and
Judge Nelson, now prominent men
i'll St. Paul to look over the ground.
They went in 1858, and reported
that the half had not been told.
The Superior land Company was
at once formed, and obtained pos
session of the whole town site.
Among the stockholders were the
present Mayor Rice, of ST. Paul ;;
James Slin~on, son of = wealthy
citizen of Chicago; Gen. John L.
Dawson, once United STATES Sen
ator from Pennsylvania; Gen.
John G. Breckenridge, of Kentucky;
aud James b. Beck and ex Gov. b.
Magoffin, OF the same State Jesse
d. Bright, once United STAGES Sen
ator from Indiana; the Walbrid .es,
OF Toledo Judge Charles l.. DAILY
and the Rev. Jared b. Flagy, OF
New York. The Washington bank
ers Corcoran and Riggs put their
money into the Superior Land
Company, and the late Tom Scot,
held shares in it for fifteen years.
All the stock was taken. A land
grant like that of the Illinois Cen
trail was obtained for the Nebraska
& Superior Railroad, which was to
empty the riches of the West into
the lap OF Superior. Hotels, stores,
real estate offices, and other gamb-
ling places were built. In three
years a population of $500 gather
ed, and in 1856 twenty-five tool lots
sold on Second street for 81 900
each. Two newspapers were start
ed. Land Company shares rose TO
fabulous figures. One share repre-
senting one twenty-sevcnth OF the
enterprise sold for $50, 900, and one
quarter OF a share sold tor $25,"uO
Trade was good, speculation rft,
the future bright. Every one who
had friends grote to them TO come
to Superior. A great many Ken
tuckians settled there. They
brought thousands of dollars aud
,,,1f ihnrn into h,,Illinns nnl ia nd