The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1915-09-17

- Mxl
in the portage canal, in the fam.
Gus mining region of the upper
peninsula of Michigan. When
half way through this canal and
river we made our first stop at
Houghton, where we were per
mitted to go ashore for an hour.
A Missourian would have known
we were in the copper country,
as lying on the docks were cop
per ingots piled up like cordwood
in stove length and hundreds of
tons of it, and in different direc-
tions could be seen the smoke
stacks of the smelters which are
scattered through this peninsula
the greatest copper producing in
the world. The ]ewelry and
novelty stores of Houghton have
copper medals, candlesticks,
spoons and other souvenirs for
sale to visitors to the copper
regions. The ride through Port
age canal and river was a most
enjoyable one, the scenery on
either land being a pleasure to
the eye. A few hours sail down
the lake brought US to Marquette
and after a half hours stop at
this place, we again found our.
selves on Lake Superior for a
night voyage, and were awaken
ed next morning at 5 o'clock by
the announcement that we were
approaching the Sault st. Marie
river, where the famous locks
are located that permit the i'm
mense lake traffic in this long
water way made by connecting
the great lakes Superior, Mich.
igan, Huron and Erie. There
are three separate locks on the
American side and one on the
Canadian side. The largest one
on the American side of the river
is 800 feet long so feet wide and
90 feet deep, and this is reserved
for the larger and heavier boats.
The Jumiator took the second
lock, her draft being such that
only the IA foot lock was neces.
sary, and half an hour after we
entered the lock we were out of
the waters of Lake Superior and
into those of Lake Huron, and
the rapids, which left as nature
made them, would scarcely per-
NIT the passage of q canoe, had
been overcome by mans inveu-
tive genius, and this great pass
enger boat $50 feet long and As
feet beam and % feet deep was
practically let down from the
lake to another a distance of 10
feet. In passing we might say
that through these locks passes
the largast merchandise tonnage
of any canal in the world, fresh
water or ocean traffic, the ton
mage going through annually be-
ing greater by far than that of
the Suez canal. We believe it is
nearly 50 million tons of mer-
chandise annually. These locks
and the one on the Canadian side
are both free to all crafts Of
either nations, and all nations.
and as we looked over to the Can
adian shore, and then remember
ed that there was over 5000
miles of this border, much of it
with less than this river to sep
arate the two countries, and not
a fort or soldier along the whole
line, we thought what a lesson
Europe's war lords and emper.
ors could learn from this if they
would but turn their eyes to
these two great countries, who
haye lived together in peace for
a hundred years. After an
hours stop at the town of Sault
Ste Marie, our course is down a.
chain of small lakes and out into
Huron, our only stop being at
Mackinac Island, which Is a.
great summer resort, and the
whole island is given over to this
business, an immense hotel, the
name of which we have forgotten
is visible from the distance-the
number Of it's rooms run up into
the thousands, but this year it
certainly has not been a paying
institution even if it ever has,
for there has been little of the
hot summer weather this year.
and that is what drives the
wealthy Michigander from the
south part of the state up into
the northern lake region. All
down the st. Claire river and on
the shores of Lake st. Clair are
the summer homes of Detroit
people who have been anxious to