Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-07-25
ORREsPoNDEEOE

cago and this city, we arrived Thurs
day evening after a very pleasant trip
across the lake, the water being
smooth and the weather clear, with
lust enough breeze to make one COM
Portable. st. Joseph Tor st. Joe as it
is tamiliarly known is situated on a
high peninsula fronting on Lake
Michigan, and in the rear is the st.
Joseph river which is navigable for a
considerable distance, a packet run
ming daily in connection with
the Chicago steamer Lora,
ENJOYING a lucrative trade. st. Joseph
is quite an old town, and from its To-
cation. must bea healthy one. For a
considerable distance along the city
front is a natural park with beautiful
shade trees and commanding q fine
view of the lake. The property was
donated 10 the town a number of years
ago, by a former we'll known resident,
who has since passed away. but his
children still live, and with the rest
of the town people enjoy this gift.
Though the donation was made many
years ago, the authorities have been
somewhat backward in improving it as
they should, but it is understood now
that they will %. to work very
soon, put in new. seats and lay 1t OF
with pretty, well-paved walks, so as to
make it more inviting, especially to
strangers, who, instead Of sitting
around hotels, would prefer spending
a good part oftheir leisure time sitting
beneath shady trees and drinking in
the pure, fresh air as it comes from the
lake. st. Joseph has every natural
advantage and could be made a charm.
ing summer resort. This is a noted
fishing point and at times from one.
hundred to three hundred people can
be seen sitting along the piers pulling
in the funny tribe. Besides these, the
lake in front Of the city,
while fishing is good, is filed
with rowboats and sailboats, the occu,
pants Of which sre enjoying the sport,
some for pleasure and some Tor pastime
while others for a livelihood, During
the good fishing season it is estimated
that the average catch by those who
make it a business is 10000 pounds
daily. most of which is packed in ice
and shipped to different parts of the
country. Here is also located what
might be termed a freezing factory"
where fish are frozen as hard as a rock,
packed aud, if We are not mistaken,
shipped across the ocean. Besides
the above, which seems to be an i'm
portant branch Of industry at this
place, there is a very large knitting
factory, a basket factory, a boiler and
machine shop, several fruit canning
establishments, q paper mill, saw mills
and other industries.
St. Joseph and for many miles back,
is one Of the finest small fruit growing
sections in this country, good land
being worth from $500 to 500 per
acre, and afew years ago some portions
Of II was purchased for $1,000 per acre.
We were told Of a man who, for one
season only, sold a crop gathred from
seven acres of ground for $4,000.
OF course this was an excep-
tiolally good season. The principal
fruits noticed as we rode around the
outskirts Of the town were pears,
peaches, grapes, r~aspberries and black
berries, the small fruits being pre-
dominant, ell of which find ready sale
in Chicago, which is also a distrib-
utiDg point.
The Industrial Spinning and Knit
ting Works here is another great in
dustry, and is owned by Cooper, Wells
& Co. 1t is located just under the
bluff, and fronting the lake. 1t is a
large two-stoFy building, filed with
machinery of the latest pattern, and
work nothing but seamless goods,
comprising hosiery. hitting, leggings,
etc. During the busy season there
are employed go persons, the majority
Of whom are young girls, earning from
FIVE to twelve dollars per week, they
being employed to work by the dozen.
A good hand will knit from FIVE to
nine dozen per day. The works turn
out an average Of two hundred and
ifty dozen per DAY, besides pittens.
leggings, etc. They receive the wool
in its raw state, and with the aid OIL
machinery it is eleRnsd and spun into
yarn, from which hosiery, from tht
finest 70 the coarsest, is made. WI
were shown samples almost fully .
quarter Of an inch thick, weighing
over half pound a~ndintended for the
colder climate Of the Northwest
among the timber and mining regions
The firm has only been established
here about four years, and has alread,
acquired a wide reputation, thei
goods, which are FIRST class, being il
steady demand.
The Michigan Basket Factory 0
A. w. Wells & Co. is also apothe
great industry Of this city. 1t is tn
Oldest firm in the West, and doinI
the second largest business in tn
United States. This frm has in thei
employ from $50 to 900 hands, Tn
rapidly with which these men AM
boys work is quite a novel sight, an
should be seen BY ell visitors to thi
section of the country. The BorI
turned out from this factory is Of tn
very best, and their trade extend
even down into Texas. The amour
of work turned opt daily by this frn
ranges up in the thousands, with
good demand for all they eau mapu
iaeture. There are other manufaC
turing establishments here, but thes
two spoken of are the most promincn
Located here is also a complete Unite
, States life saving station, in charge (
Captain Hudson and a crew Of eigb
! men, two of whom are are Cd watch
! all hours of the day or night. Cal
r tain Hudson, the keeper, has been
j the service many years, and is a gel
= tlemAn Of pleasing manners, and TAX
4 great delight in explaining 10 Visitoi
: Che ineida uorLinoo &c kbo -