Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-11-24
TIE VERMONT BRATTEBoRo FRIDAY NOVEMBER "a $780,

on the west and Detroit on the east, the
three cities containing more than 1000, 900
inhabitants. one can readily compute the
market facilities which the cultivators of
the soil enjoy. Want of space prevents
only the mention of group of cities, each
containing more than 10000 population
Muskegon, Port Huron, Grand Rapids,
Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, Saginaw, Bay
City, Hudson, jackson and Lansing all
being to a great extent engaged in manu-
featuring, except Lansing, the capital of
the state.
The location of Detroit is ideal, its beauty
phenomenal. Fifty feet above the great
river, which laves its borders on the east
and south more than nine miles, the wide,
well-groomed avenues extend nearly six
miles from the river towards the north and
west, covering 30 square miles of surface.
The magnificent river never changes its
course or volume. 1t neither rises nor falls
with the freshet of spring nor the drouth of
summer, while on its waters floats the
greatest commerce the world has ever
known, amounting for the season of 1898
to more than 100000 tons. The manu-
featuring industries of Detroit employ
about 60, 900 operatives, representing one
half the whole population, who receive
more than $4,000 900 in wages annually
and produce $500, 900, 900 worth of manu-
featured goods. These workmen are in
dustrious and orderly with less of the
"hoodlum" element than in any other city
have visited.
Forty-two per cent of all the people in
the city own their own houses, larger per
cent than any other large city in the United
States. A public library of 100, 900 vol
umes, newspapers and periodicals, so;
churches, 1856; schools, 1886; banks, %;
assessed valuation, $206, 500, $50; tax
rate, 1885 per thousand; exports to
Canada, $13,OOO,OOO; annual death
rate, 1885 per thousand The above
statistics are typical. 1t would require
"broad side" of solid agate to particularize
the different manufactures in and around
the city, therefore, will mention only one
which is destined to become veritable
Klondike in the near future. Investiga-
tons were begun in 1889 by a Mr.. Wood,
member of the Chemical society of Eng
land, with others, for ascertaining if fossil
or rock salt existed in Wayne county.
Subsequently it was found that beneath
the surface of towns adjoining the river,
south of Detroit there were several strata
of salt of the purest quality, the whole form
ing strata 440 to 4S0 feet in thickness,
the first stratum being $40 feet aud the
last 1923 below the surface. All the nee
essary for making chlorate of soda, soda
ash and the alkalis used in bleaching paper
cotton, woolens and linen, also in making
soap and glass, were to be had in the vicin-
ity, in any quantity, at the lowest rates.
The result of this discovery has been the |
forming of several large companies with
millions of capital, the erection of great
steel buildings, and for three years these
companies have made 1000, 900 barrels of
these drugs per annum and expect to dou-
BILE the amount the present year, there
being demand for indefinite quantities of
their goods.
The customs district of Detroit claims
ownership of 2S1 vessels, with tonnage
of lS4, 431 tons as its quota of the CONNER
cial navy that plows the waters of all the
lakes and rivers above Niagara and below
Chicago and Duluth.
Although the governor of Michigan pros
titutes the dignity of the office he holds by
allowing his mug" in heroic dimensions
and bizarre costume, emblazoned on bill
boards erected on vacant lots and potato
patches" about the city and suburbs to adj
vertise his "shoe shop" l am pleased to
note that it was the only evidence of the
wild and woolly West" seen while staying
in Detroit. CHS.