Year: 1878

A Second Letter from James f. Joy


i'm Regard to the Lana Grant.
To the Editor of the Post and Tribune:


Some days ago called the attention of
the public to the condition of the land
grant in aid of the Marquette &c Macki-
mac railroad. and its Importance to the
state, which can hardly be overestimat-
ed.


1t is now some more than forty years
since Michigan became state. During
all that time the section through which
this road would run, has been almost an
unbroken wilderness. There is little
settlement near st. Mary's, in Chippewa
county, and at the western end of it, in
the mineral country, little, All the
rest is waste and unoccupied land, and
almost if not entirely without AL inhab-
liant. 1t is of no value TO the state. 1t
produces no revenue for the treasury.
There is nothing there to be taxed. The
property belongs to the state and gener
al government. 1t is certain tha: unless
this road can be built, it will long remain
in this condition, perhaps for another
halt century.


Lit the railroad be built through the
heart OF it and imagine the transfOrma-
ton which a few years will bring forth
there. The country will become Access
sible to all the outside world. As near
to each other as every ten miles will be
railway station, which will become a
nucleus for settlement, and towns will
grow UP. Immigrants will occupy the
adjacent lands, and by degrees. but soon,
the whole country will be scattered over
with settlements. The camp of the lum-
herman with its busy swarm OF men, will
be found wherever there is lumber, and
the farmer will be near at hand, to pro-
duce the means OF support. The furnace
will be found wherever there is a forest
of hard wood. Busy industry will every
where pervade the country. until schools
and churches and Other indications OF
prosperity will be everywhere IOund and
that whole section filed with thriving
population. There will be the business
of the railroad 10 contribute its share to
the revenues of the state. and thus help
to relieve the general burden of TAXA.
ton.


The farm, the furnace, every other
property ani industry will contribute to
the same result. If We considered moth
ing else than simply the development and
progress OF that part of the state, This
land grant should be reserved 10 secure
the construction of this road. 1t is due


tile Upper Peninsula to so apprOpria'
It. If there be soma timber linds there


which might be scld at small prices Il
spectators, and the rrlc-eds pu. in the
| treasury. it would be anything but jus


tice to do it. L. would be taking the


MANS which belong to the Upper PENN
sufa and which would be appropriated


to its development. 10 relieve us in til,
Lower Peninsula of some infinitesimaly


small portion of our now small state tax
1t would be TO destroy fund whicl
constitutes the only means, which prob
| ably ia a century will secure the con
structien OF Il road through il and max,
it an accessible and an improving couE
| try.


am aware that many will say tha
this country Is too far north TO become


farming country, TO this I reply tha


there are many beautiful and prosperous
| farns in Chippewa county which is il
| the same latitude. 1t is about The sam,
latitude OF northern Vermont. and south


ern Canada bordering upon it, which is
beautiful and fertile section OF country


filled with people aud prosperous as al
mO:t any part of the west. 1t is nue.!


the same kind of land and with the sam,


climate. 1t will some day therefore b,


occupied by the same class of people an(


will be equally prosperous.


When shall it be. and shall the means
| AZ hnpI h., HaUntn1 tn it2 hnn thov
| be fritterd away, and Il century pass away
| before that time?


So far have spoken of the Upper
Peninsula alone. What interest has tht
| Lower Peninsula in this matter?
Eirst-The common, great interest we


have in the development of the means o.
| wealth OF every part of the state. The
| whole is benefited by the prosperity o.


every part, anu if the road can be secured


and the two sections of the state brought


into easy and close communication, thi.


Lower Peninsula should supply to the


mineral regions the chief articles Of con.


sumption for the support of the pOpula.
ton there. With that road built, the two


rOa,ls now stretching northwarI the


whole length OF the state. would at once


be extended to Mackinac.


"


Lower Peninsula would be open and


within few hours travel of every part
Of it.


1t would soon be filled with people
and its resources made available, and a
country now. inaccessible almost, and
capable of sustaining half million of
people, now almost uninhabited. would
he made productive and filled with towns.
and villages, alive with manifold indus


try. They would be close to the Upper
Peninsula. There would be an easy in
terchange, and it would be 10 long time
before the mineral country would draw
its means OF support from that section.


The few people nowhere are strug.
Cling with great difficulty, far from mar
ket for their productions, as we'll as for
what they wish to buy. Open the upper
country and also connect them with the
lower, and 1t requires no prophet to fore.
tell that i'll few years the northern Sec
tiOn OF the state will become as prosper
Ous and as pOpulOus as the lower. What
citizen OF Michigan would not delight
and exuit in seeing this accomplished.
Let this be accomplished and what


would be the effect upon the towns and
cities OF the southern half OF the State.
Detroit would become the commercial


metropolis OF 100000 people. All the


large cities of the southern part Of the
state would share in the business which


would be created, and with the increase


of the business and population of the


cities would run parallel the prosper ty Of


the country OF which they would be the
centers of business.


The southern section of the state has


reached nearly the height of its prosper
ity, until the northern portion shall fill
mp.


That country when fully settled must
| fiud its connection for busIness-for the
inlat of mercha nuisp--tha purchaca of