Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1903-07-15


is the great central distributing poin
for both the east and the west. From
all the northwestern states and ives
tern Canada the products of the fiel(
and forest and mine pour into Duluth
over the great trunk lines of railroad
thence to be loaded into immense
ships and transported to all ports OF
the world, while in return from the
/ coal mines and factories of the east
come over the great lakes fuel and
, manufactured supplies for all this
vast western territory. The traffic
from these sources is so great that il
is excelled by but one city in the
world, London.
The city of Duluth has about 65, 0OC
people and is growing rapidly as the
surrounding country is settled and
developed. II has many commodious
modern business blocks, splendid
system of public schools with the Sc
cond finest high school building in
the United States. Its public build
ings are all of the very best, it's
numerous parks large and handsome,
and its wholesale and jobbing institu-
tions extensive and wealthy.
The foundation of Duluth was laid
by the lumber industry, which is to-
day one of its greatest. Thousands of
acres of maple, birch. hemlock. oak,
elm, Eastwood, pine, tamarack, cedar,
spruce and balsam lie within a few
miles of the city, and the most of
these forests are traversed by streams
of sufficient size to float the lumber
to the lake and thence TO Duluth,
where the immense mills saw it tor
shipment. and daily ships may be seen
loading with lumber for all the world.
During the year 1902 the output of
lumber in the Duluth district was
/ ,03l, 775, 600 feet. The lumber supply
of the region at the head of the lakes
seems practically inexhaustible, and
this great industry will increase in
proportion with the others.
The great iron ranges of this section
also afford an industry Of immense
proportions, the total shipments of
iron ore from the Superior district
during the last year amounting to
1851, 121 tons. The mines are Oh the
surface, all within short distance
of duluth, and give employment to a
very large force of laborers, who in
turn consume immense stores of provi-
sions. Iron ore is being continuously
discovered and new mines opened
frequently, promising large increase
of this already enormous output.
The ore docks at the Duluth harbor
are the largest in the world, and an
inspection of them is we'll worth the
time.
The handling of grain of all kinds
affords another of the important bust
ness interests of Duluth, the total
shipments last year amounting to
sc, 73S, ,025 bushels. Numerous immense
elevators have been constructed on
the haIbor in which to store the enor-
nous grain receipts. Some idea of the
capacity of the -four mills Of the city
may be gained from the fact that
s. 703, $50 barrels were shipped from
Duluth in 1902.
Eastern coal forms by far the largest
receipts of the ports of Duluth and
West Superior, and it is handled in
sixteen immense coal docks. with a
capacity of 3, 800, 900 tons. the amount
of the receipts being little less each
year than the capacity of the docks.
The above industries. with the large
ship yards of West Superior, where
hundreds of men are employed, are
distinctive industrial features of these
two cities. Besides these are many
manufacturing institutions such as are
usually found in progressive cities,
lack of space preventing our mention
ing them individually.
II Up to within the past few years,
little attention was given to farming
in this section, partly for the reason
that most of the land was covered
with timber, and partly because of a
belief among many that these lands
could not be farmed successfully.
But recent experience has proven that
the most OF the soil is very fertile,
and it is being rapidly settled bv
farmers. Nearness to railroads and
the great Duluth market is attracting
many who are buying farms and cul-
tivating them. A great deal of timber
land is being purchased and cleared.
the statement being made that the
timber on the land will pay for the
farm in itself, and after clearing
diversified farming has been found
practicable and profitable. The soil is
clay loan, with clay subsoil and APP
pears to be very productive, the
largest crops being small grains and
root crops, while berries and small
fruits do we'll. 1t is splendid coun-