Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-12-01
BY LAND AND WATER.
A Study Of the Industrial Conditions Of
the Central West.

Figures---HlstOry In Four Trumpet
Blasts.
Especial correspondence of The Phanix.l
Swinging into the current from the
wharf the steamer Cleveland of the Buffa-
10, Cleveland, Detroit & Mackinac line
was headed up the river for Port Huron,
the first landing on the schedule, "a miles
from Detroit, Belle Isle being the first
object of interest that meets the eye after
passing the entire southern front of the
city, which affords an elegant panoramic
view for several miles. This fairy island
is public park containing 600 acres orig
inally covered with a heavy deciduous for
est. 1t has all the modern improvements
incidental to city play grounds; boulevards,
bicycle paths, golf links, swimming baths,
cafes, swings, ETC.; is connected with the
main land by beautiful iron bridge one
half mile in length, and with street cars
to all parts of the city. The park is the
pride of the inhabitants of Detroit and a
source of envy for all tourists who pass by
on the river. The prominent town of Mt.
Clemens is passed as we enter the "baby
lake" called st. Clair. This shallow pond
is huge platter of water, and originally
would scarcely float a canoe until our gov
eminent had expended over $1,000, 900 in
dredging a canal which is protected on
either side by long piling driven into the
mud. Through this palisaded ditch, nearly
three miles in length, passes all the ship
ping that sails over the connecting waters
of the larger lakes. Many cottages adorn
the eastern shore of Lake St. Clara
strange place for summer residence, on
stills, six feet above a mud pond. Soon
the steamer is slowly threading her way
among school of small islands, covered
with dark green foliage, which adds to the
beauty of the views, but is a continual OBJ
struction to navigation. This is st. Clair
river, picturesque but difficult route
all the way to Port Huron. The land
on either side is low and swampy, covered
with cedar and hackmatack and the
outlook is sullen and forbidding. The
lighthouse people, busy in their daily
round of inspection, seem to be our only
neighbors, with an occasional tandem
of steamer with barges or whalebacks,
hurrying to the Lake Erie market with
their precious cargoes. We are now get
ting beyond the agricultural zone of the
lower peninsula, the change being apparent
in the growth and nature of the flora as
we get nearer the great waters of Huron.
Port Huron is railroad centre of i'm
portance and is one of the greatest wood
en- ship building ports in this country The
district of Huron is credited with 424 YES
sells, having registered tonnage of 191 ,57a
tons, carrying capacity $50, 900 tons. The
city has direct rail connection with Grand
Huron, Saginaw, Chicago, Detroit and all
parts of Canada via the Grand Trunk rail
road through tunnel under the st. Clair
river. 1 have no statistics of shipments
either by rail or lake from this port that
are free from duplication. 1t is a typical
frontier town with population of %, 900.
We are not to realize, at present, any fur
Their sudden turning and twisting in our
course to avoid contact with presumptuous
islands and insidious rocks, as we are on the
bosom of the wild and untamable Huron's
tempestuous waters, covering more than
% 900 square miles, and whose shores, fol-
lowing the sinuosities of bays and capes,
are nearly 1000 miles in extent. The alti-
tude of Huron is 581 feet above the Allan
tic and the depth 800 feet. The artery of
consanguinity connecting it with Lake
Michigan is seven miles in breadth and
200 feet in depth, through which pulsates
the water of the latter, covering $4,000
square miles and reaching downward 1856
feet.
The Enormous Lumber Production of
this Region.
We are scheduled for Mackinac Island.
stopping at Alpena and Cheboygan. From
Detroit to Mackinac the distance is 275
miles. Saginaw and Bay City are located
on the river and bay of Saginaw, more
than 20 miles from my direct course to
Mackinac on the port side of the lake.
These cities, with the towns depending on
them for support contain over 100000
inhabitants. A little strip of country, Is
miles long, bordering the Saginaw river, has,
since 1887, been the greatest produc-
ing centre of white pine lumber that his
tory has ever recorded. The aggregate
amount is overwhelming, even to the men
who have conducted the operations the
total amount marketed to January, 1890,
being 22,943, 072, 900 feet The reader
may calculate the value of this pile of
boards at $40 per 1000 feet, also the weight
of gold necessary to pay for it at $50 per
ounce, Troy weight. Alpena, situated at
the mouth of a small river which discharges
its waters into Lake Huron at the head of
Thunder bay, is minor reflex of the great
lumber centre, which 1 have summarily
mentioned. The country, contiguous to
the river, has been denuded of the valuable
growth of pine, and a portion of the logs,
now being sawed here, and at other small
towns on the shores of the lake, are i'm
ported from Canada. The town has a pop
ulation of $4,000 and owes its growth to
the lumber interest exclusively. AS am
preparing paper relating particularly to
the timber interests of Michigan, Wiscon-
sin and Minnesota, which overshadow all
others in these states, except agriculture
and mineral wealth, the reader will excuse
my present congratulations.
Although these waters were known and
traversed by the early settlers of Canada
as early in the 18th canturv as tho prr;ta,,