New Britain herald., 1924-01-29
THE 800 BECOMES THE BUSIEST CANAL
Jack Frost Stops Business TeIn- porarily During Gold Weather

Washington D. C., Jan. B.
 ''When the locks at Sault Ste. Marie
 closed down for the winter a few
 weeks ago becsuse3 Jack Frosts fin
 gers were getting g frmer and firmer
 hold on the north country, the worlds
 busiest canal went out of business temporarily" says bulletin from the
 Washington. D. C.. headquarters of the National Geographic society.
 Through this narrow gateway that joins the greatest of the Great Lakes to it's sisters to the east and south" continues the bulletin, flows for eight months of the year a marine parade of huge vessels that dwarfs traffic streams elsewhere The 66 mill lion tons of freight sent through in 1922 was something like five times as great as the freight passing through the Parama Canal that year, and more than three times as great as that moved through suez in its best twelvemonth.
 Dumping" Waters
 The vast wheat fields of Mime. sota, the pakctas and parts of can- ada, and the great iron and cupper mines on the shores of Lake Superior are the chief factors that have built up this inland canals tremendous business. Ore furnishes most of the weight in the years freight total, but the grain handled is of greater value i
 ''rhe St. Mary's river, which con meets Lakes Superior and Huron. has on its banks at the rapids towns nam cd Sault Ste Marie both in the United States and in Canada, each 1 with a population of about 12.oo0. ! Thought the name is spelled 'Sault' 1t | is pronounced 'Soo, and many Ameri- cans both in and out of the town 1 have insisted on spelling it as it is pronounced. Letters addressed to The soo. Michigan have never fall ed to reach their destination. The tsrm means the jump or tumble of the st. Marys.
 Trail Now Street.
 '-rhs banks of the St. Mary's at the rapids formed the site of a mission and fur trading post m the early days of the French settlement of North America. After the British regime the first lock wss built in 1797, a small affair capable of handling only canoes and slSiffs. Even, this was de- stroyed by American soldiers during the War of lSt2.
 For nearly half century all freight was taken past the. rapids on the American side by portage, first in carts and later on horse-drawn tramway. The American Sault Ste. principal business street of to- day grew up along this old portage { just as Broadway grew along the COW ! path Of the New Amsterdamers.
 Frontier Color
 "sault Ste. Marie Is typical mod l ern, wide-awake American town . through tho week, but on Saturdays fl takes on a color that proves that it Is not yet wholly out Of touch with ts urile frontier days. Then numer- ous Indians join its street crowds and everywhere one encounters booted lumber. jacks wearing colored fan 1el shirts, and fl it is cold. generously checked mackinaw jackets.
 Near the 500, in the Tauuamenon liver country, among the ojibway In- Hans. originated the Hiawstha leg. md; and each fall redskins gather to ,naot the delightful story made fam 'us by Longfellow.
 Even though the fall at the soo 8 little greater than twenty feet. q srse volume of water passes out Of .ske Superior and much water power s available. Hg kydro.electric plants lave baen developed on both eides of he river snd the towns are of grow nE importance industrially. While he throaty blsre of ths whistles on he lake steamers Is silent in winter he water wheels still turn and keep voollen and lumber mills carbide nd chemical factories, and numerous e mali enterprises busy" u