Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-01-26
BY LAND AND WATER.
A Study Of the Industrial Conditions Of
the Central West.

What is the topography of Duluth!
confess to being incompetent intelligibly to
answer this enquiry in a manner satisfsc-
| tory to myself, or that would convey to
the readers of The Phoenix the informa-
ton | wish to give them. l have decided
therefore, to solve the enigma by the aid
of an object lesson, an almost exact proto-
| type, excepting the water front, which all
can understand as representing the site
ard environment of Duluth before the pres
ent development was attempted in that
self-advertised town at the head of the
lake. Begin on the New Hampshire side of
the Connecticut river, about one mile south
of the Hinsdale bridge, and include all the
land within two miles east from the
river bank to the village of Walpole, N.
H., on the north, and you have panoram
ic view of what might have been seen in
1870, had you made your point of observa-
ton in Wisconsin opposite the town under
consideration, the only tangible difference
in the contour of the land being the height,
not the angle of ascent, of Wantastiquet,
from the river. The mountain of granite at
Duluth is two miles long and 500 feet
above the river, but the entire length of
the town, % miles, is not as eligible for
building purposes as the hillside fringe of
New Hampshire, above described.
|
poets of Duluthl The 46 square miles of
territory, included in the city limits, are
located near the southeast corner Of st.
Louis county, which covers $3.50 square
miles. Itasca county, directly west of the
former, contains $3.50; either being con-
siderably larger than the state of Connec-
ticut. These two counties, by their con-
tiguous relations to the Metropolis, would
naturally exchange their surplus produc-
lions with Duluth for such necessities and
Injuries as the city at the head of Lake
Superior should be able to furnish. AS the
total population of both these bits of terri
tory, including Indians, was, according to
the last census 1885 %, l44, it is not a diff
ficult problem to solve the number of
"drummers" required to respond to the
wants of this suburban population" The
northeastern environment includes Lake
and Cook counties, whose quota of the soil
of Minnesota is only 1910 square miles,
and they claim population of 2637 peo-
| pie, all told These four counties extend
TO the international boundary on the north,
and furnish the entire field for commercial
exploitation in that direction. On the east,
the great lake extends interminably beyond
the Jurisdiction of the city's ambition.
Akin, Carlton and Pine are the three
counties on the southern side of Duluth
which may be claimed as a part of her
commercial heritage Collectively these
three counties occupy 4165 square miles
and boast of supporting 2l,27l men, wom-
en- and children. A summary of these adj
iuncts to metropolitan wealth gives total
of 10 $50 square miles and population of
AZ, 0S6. Every other county in the state of
Minnesota and all of Wisconsin or the Da-
kotas are better accommodated at other
centres for market purposes-excepting for
cereals sent East through the lakes from
North Dakota-and in buying such supplies
as pioneer community require.
| will now present few facts regarding
the internal resources of the city itself
which will tend to enlighten those who may
have been dazzled by disingenuous reports
The Northern Pacific, Great Northern and
the st. Paul railroads carry large amount
of freight to the cities of Superior and
Duluth which is forwarded by vessels tC
eastern ports The railroads own the ele
= vators in which the grain is deposited, sub
iect to orders for shipment via the lakes t.
4 Advantageous. The shipping season LAST
about seven and one-half months; or from
the middle of May to Dec. l. Conse
ouentlv the freight from the western
states is sent to Duluth or Superior during
4 the season of navigation. Wheat and hal
a seed from the Dakotas, copper and woo
s. from Montana and Idaho are nearly al
sent by the lake system, after being tran
q shipped from the cars at Duluth. Tn,
great iron ore companies own the entir'
6 plant for transportation of ore from thu
minse to the ports of debarkation on tn
Il lower lakes. The railroads, navigation
companies and iron ore companies, owl
y al occupy nearly all the water front avail
S able for commercial purposes.
| 10 xyalua Of iron in0OtS
wheat, flour from Minneapolis, flax seet
and other grain included in the ship
meuts from Duluth by water in the season
of 1898 was more than $38, 800, 900, the to
tai exports being $50 ,662 900. There coult
be no possible profit in these transactions
to the merchants and brokers of Duluth
except in labor employed by the chang
from cars to the vessels, and the very smal
- charges for elevator service. One inciden
shall serve to illustrate how commercia
reports are padded in some of the bushes
; statistics of towns one finds when on tou
of observation. During the Letter flurr,
6. 900, 600 bushels of wheat were forwards
from Minneapolis to New York via Duluth
ss but when the yearly report of the CON
mercesof Duluth was printed, although al
unqualified duplication, this Letter invoic
n was claimed as direct expectation from tn
T CITY of Duluth. A fair comparison in con
a mercial tactics would justify the board c
q trade of Brattleboro to employ a light
ming calculator, station him on the hinsdal
, bridge, to count the logs as they float dow
: the river, and, after receiving his report c
the count publish to the world the gres
lumber exports of Brattleboro, VT"
The seven counties above mentioned cor
stitute an unbroken wilderness larger tina
the states of New Hampshire and Vernon
combined. On these nearly 100000
acres stands the present principal supper
of the town under discussion. How lon
this timber supply will continue to atfor
employm emit to the thousands of operative
and wealth to hundred companies, is
r. serious question now unanswered by 81
- perts in forest productions. These land
m, after the removal of the forests, are con
nus naratiyely worthless, especially in tt
Jun north part of St Louis and ltasca coul
to-, ties. The soil is light, very shallow, al
tba land cannot be utilized for agricutur
, Unrnoses. The lumber interest of Dulut
L. district, for the year of 1898, was as fC
lows; . q,
. Lumber sawed, b. m, All, 269, O
in feet: laths, bs, III 900 pieces; shingle
Ds' ~ 692 600. These statistics represent on
i ip. that portion of the Minnesota lumber pr
DRY duets accessible to the st. Louis river,
out tributaries and streams that empty in