A MINING TOWN. and both are distinguished by their championships in respective baseball leagues. It is true that the population of Duluth is but 26,000, but six years ago it had only 3,000. The pleuro-pneumonia scare turned to the advantage of Duluth, and is driving to it the cattle trade. The Territorial rangers are hastening to Duluth with their herds for shipment. They are rapidly becoming convinced that their herds contract disease at Chicago by association with cattle from Texas. This means that Dakota, Montana, Wyoming and portions of Colorado will look to Duluth as the established shipping point. This fact is made manifest by the recent move of Mr. Philip D. Armour, of Chicago, to construct large yards and slaughter-houses at Duluth. extreme northwest corner of Wisconsin. This city had been laid out as the metropolis of the Northwest and the head of navigation. It had 3,000 inhabitants when the States' line was established. Naturally, Minnesota wanted to have something to say on the metropolis question, and to control the upper lakes' navigation. Whoever established the boundary line had a keen sense of the futurity of all things except Superior City. Had Brulé River been made the boundary line, that city THE GREAT COLBY MINE. would have been in Minnesota, and Duluth would never have been born. But no! Wisconsin selfishly proposed to keep that city, and, if possible, prevent any supremacy of Minnesota on the lakes. The result has been disastrous to Superior City, Wisconsin's former pride. Minnesota, once formed, required the railroad company traversing her territory to terminate on her soil. This company, now the St. Paul and Duluth, was very much annoyed and mystified as to where a terminus could be located. On examination it discovered a hamlet called Duluth, founded in 1856-57 by several farseeing men. Duluth's history, when discovered by the railroad company, was simple enough. It had a steam sawmill and a blacksmith shop in 1856. Two years later the United States Land Office was located here. It was not until 1869 that Duluth had 100 population. The arrival of the railroad in 1870 increased her importance, so that at the end of 1873 she had 5,000 people, but at the end of 1874 only 1,300 people. Where can you find a collapse like that? And all the time those Superior people over there were snickering. "What did it? "Why the great panic, of course. Superior got so much of it finally, that she has never smiled since. "Heard of Philadelphia, haven't ye ?-that place where the women all dress in black and the men never smile? Well, that's Superior now. We outgrew her, and then Ashland stepped in and became the metropolis of the new Wisconsin. "Business didn't revive here until 1878, when we ran up to 2,200 population; in 1880, 3,470 people; 1881, over 4,000 people came in because of the approach of more railroads, and jammed up our census to 7,800. That's the year when Superior ceased to smile, and hung crape on her door. "Our population increased as follows: 66 'Superior is like my cud," continued the old settler, reflectively. "The more you chew it the dryer it gets. It may seem strange, but St. Paul, which is doomed to rank below Duluth some day, was most prominent in pushing both Superior and Duluth as an investment. Many a child has eaten the parent out of house and home. When the Minnesota Legislature required that the railroad should terminate on her territory, St. Paul men anxiously besought Superior to do something to get the road extended across the river. Superior people only smiled in her superior way, and, as ever, rested on oars with a wormy demonstration that the natural advantages of that city would preclude any advance on the part of Duluth. Jay Cooke advanced the money to complete the road, and it was taken to Duluth in spite of Nature's barriers, which Superior insisted could never be overcome. A glance at Duluth's harbor shows that no city was ever blessed with more natural advantages, and it is remarkable such things were ever supposed to exist in the region of Superior. Duluth's harbor is protected by a natural barrier to the waves, Minnesota Point, and is big enough and deep enough for New York's shipping. It is a city easy to defend, also, as on these heights batteries can be planted which will keep men-of-war five or six miles away. "I suppose you want to know something about the origin of Duluth. The head of Lake Superior was discovered over 200 years ago by Captain Greysolon Dulhut, the explorer of Minnesota, who rescued Hennepin from the Sioux. In 1679 he acted as arbiter between the Assiniboines and Dacotahs and adjusted their dferences. Here was an important Indian assembly ground. You will generally find throughout the continent that wherever different tribes of Indians assembled for council or trade, there great cities have sprung up and have been developed by the whites. "You will remember the celebrated speech of Proctor Knott, of Kentucky, in Congress, on Duluth, and which did more to make her future than any other incident. The occasion was the discussion of a Bill for the renewal of the St. Croix Land Grant. This grant would have built up Superior or Bayfield, or both, to our detriment, and we wanted the Bill killed. Our Congressman, the Minnesota delegation, St. Paul people and a "lobby" were fighting for its success. Only our people fought it. At this juncture Proctor Knott arose in Congress, under the misapprehension that he was desired by the lobby to kill the Bill, because, as he thought, it aided Duluth. His speech, perhaps the most amusing ever delivered in Congress, and one of the most confused on geography, did kill the Bill. It is claimed now that Colonel Pat Donan wrote the speech, but between two truthful gentlemen like Donan and Knott, each claiming the honor, the public must choose. Here is an extract from the speech: "I am assured that its (the Bill's) success would materially enhance the pecuniary prosperity of some of the most valued friends I have on earth. . . . But, independent of personal considerations, I am susceptible to the intrinsic merits of this extra ... ordinary measure, notwithstanding that my constituents would not be benefited by its passage one particle more than they would by a project to cultivate an orange grove in Greenland's icy mountains. My mind has never been made up on the subject of transcontinental lines, but as regards the gigantic enterprise contemplated in this Bill I never entertained a shadow of a doubt. Years ago, when I first heard that there was somewhere in the vast terra incognita, somewhere in the bleak regions of the great Northwest, a stream of water known to the nomadic inhabitants of the neighborhood as the St. Croix River, I became satisfied that the construction of a railroad from that raging torrent to some point in the civilized world was essential to the happiness and prosperity of the American people, if not absolutely indispensable to the perpetuity of republican institutions on this continent. After learning from one honorable gentleman that the tract to be traversed is generally sandy, barren land, unfit for settle ment, who will doubt for a moment that the Goshen of America is to be be found in the valleys and upon the pine-clad hills of St. Croix? Who will have the hardihood to rise in his seat on this floor and assert that, excepting the pine bushes, the entire region would not produce vegetation enough in ten years to fatten a grasshopper? What will become of Philadelphia unless supplied with a connection to this garden spot? At what particular point on the noble St. Croix the road should be commenced I know not. It might be at the spring, or down at the foot-log, or up at the water-gate, or by the fish-dam-that point can easily be settled; but where should the road terminate? On that point I was in despair until I accidentally overheard some gentleman mention the name of Duluth. Duluth! The word fell upon my ear with a peculiar and indescribable charm, like the gentle murmur of a low fountain stealing forth in the midst of roses. Duluth! 'Twas the name for which my soul panted for years, as the hart panteth for the water-brook. I have been unable to find the name on the map or get my friends to locate its whereabouts. This I know, that somewhere it existed, and that its discovery will con stitute the crowning glory of this century. In this vicinity the and here, you will observe, is destined to be the great beef market Buffaloes and Piegans will cultivate their immense wheatfields, of the world. There, you will observe, are the buffaloes, directly between the Piegans and Duluth, and here, right on the road to Duluth, are the Creeks. Now, sir, when the buffaloes are sufflciently fat from grazing on these immense wheatfields, you will see it will be the easiest thing in the world for the Piegans to drive them on down, stay all night with their friends, the Creeks, and go into Duluth in the morning. I think every gentleman here will see that Duluth is destined to become the metropolis of the universe, and thus the road should be built at once. Hence it grieves my very soul that I cannot vote for the grant of lands provided in this Bill. My constituents have no more interest in it than in culinary taste, for one thing, and for another, the lands are not mine to bestow. I am but their trustee. Shall I betray my trust? Never, sir! Rather perish Duluth!" Railway systems are the machinery of civilization that tame the wild and annihilate the unprofitable races. They are the indicators which point out the favored places of earth. Judged by them alone, Duluth has a great destiny and future which will be one of the mar vels of the country. It has now a dozen lines centring there and on the way. By the time this article is published, it will have magnificent rail connections with the seacoast by several new rail routes. One of these, and millions. The Lehigh Valley Railroad and Coal Company runs six coal vessels. The Lake Superior Trausportation Company operates four s'eamers between Chicago and Duluth. The Grand Trunk Railway operates a line of steamers which connect with it at Sarnia. Four steamers run to Collingwood, known as the line of that name. Besides these, are sailing vessels aggregating 200,000 tons, valued at $15,000,000. The water-frontage of Duluth is about twenty-five miles long, and part of its harbor is landlocked by Minnesota and Rice's Points and the curve of the Bay of Superior. Rice's Point averages 1,250 feet in width, and lies parallel with the other Point. Minnesota Point is 750 feet wide and about 7 miles long. The inclosed harbor comprises about 15 square miles, with an average depth of 16 feet, and a sufficient depth at the docks for the uses of navigation. The water-front between the two points has been improved by the Federation of Railways, in which each has equal rights. Every succeeding newcomer can acquire the use of the facilities in hand by contributing the pro rata of expense. The water-front is laid out in form of a vast system of dockage with numerous slips, 120 feet wide, 2,000 feet long, and having 18 feet of water. On the blocks between the slips are located elevators, warehouses and coal-yards. A space 65 feet wide is left in the centre of each block for railway and vehicle trucks, which are free to all roads and firms. The vessels unload upon the cars, or directly in the buildings to whic their freight is consigned. the most important, will be by the Michigan Central and New York Central Railways, connecting Duluth with New York. The Milwaukee, Lake Shore and Western Railway will complete its branch from Watersmeet east to the Straits, to connect with the Michigan Central. The Canadian Pacific is building a direct line from the terminus of the Michigan Central at Mackinaw to Duluth along the south shore of Lake Superior. There are two roads already connecting Ashland with Duluth-the Northern Pacific and the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Omaha. Some capitalists are building an independent line to connect with these and the Michigan Central at Mackinaw. Still another road, the Minneapolis, Sault Ste. Marie and Atlantic, has constructed a line through this country to connect Duluth, Ashland and Mackinaw. Here are six great railways which are to empty the vast products of the Northwest, stored at Duluth, into the Michigan Central at Mackinaw, thence into the New York Central at Buffalo, thence into New York; thus completing the emancipation of the Northwest from Chicago, and thrusting the Zenith City into mushroom prominence. The Northern Pacific was the pioneer which provided an outlet for the entire belt of country extending from Lake Superior to the Pacific Ocean. Jay Cooke furnished the money for its inception, and also for the other pioneer road from St. Paul, now known as the St. Paul and Duluth. The latter road connects the Mississippi with Lake navigation. The Manitoba country has its outlet here and over the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Line. The Chicago and Northwestern enables the Vanderbilts to enter here over their branch, the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha, and puts Duluth in direct connection with the Black Hills country, Northern Nebraska, and a large area of country toward the south-fact, it may be said that work of this kind will continue west. Mr. P. D. Armour, who glances amorously at Duluth and all its territory, is pushing the Chicago, Milwankee and St. Paul up through the Gogebic Iron Range to the Sunset City. Up to this time the Chicago Croesus has utilized the St. Paul and Duluth for his connections. Even the Chicago and Rock Island, under the ambitious St. John, creeps in over this line from the termination of the Albert Lea route at St. Paul. The Iron Range Railway, built by Charlemagne Tower, of Boston, is practically an extension of the St. Paul and Duluth, sixty miles north into the big Vermilion Iron Range. A line with a million-acre land-grant is being built from Duluth to Winnipeg, which will penetrate a vast pinery and prairie country. Some ambitious people have commenced operations on a line called the Duluth and Denver, which is certainly an ambitious project. There is, also, a Duluth and Crookston line, but as it has no label, the reader must solve the conundrum and search the next map for Crookston. Eastern capitalists have shaken their heads off when Duluth was mentioned, and spoken of its Arctic position with cold shivers. ever, it is doing fairly, and those who will not invest there speedily will thaw out when it is too late. How Duluth is in the centre of an iron country, and she will, doubtless, build big rolling-mills as an initiatory move toward future manufactories. The Vermilion Range produced 305,954 tons and the Gogebic Range 709,405 tons of iron ore in 1886. These ranges lie equidistant from the city about sixty miles, and place in its hand the whole iron situation now solved by Eastern cities. A number of steamboat lines centre here. The Lake Superior Transit Company operates twelve big steamers between Duluth and Buffalo, valued at one and a half Here are going up flour-mills, elevators and warehouses in constant succession. Ten miles of new slips, costing one and a half millions, with corresponding dockroom and facilities, are in process of construction. In for years, as the necessities increase and the city grows. By the arrangement of the slips, freight of one class is loaded on vessels from one side while its cargo is being taken out on the other. Vessels arrive, are unloaded, loaded, and depart on the same day. Duluth's elevator capacity is about 25,000,000 bushels, and is constantly increasing—already larger than that of Minneapolis. The elevators are generally huddled together, and give the city a splendid appearance from most points of view. More wheat is now shipped by water from these than from any other American city, except New York. These shipments increased from less than 1,500,000 bushels in 1880 to over 16,000,000 in 1886. The season of navigation averages seven months. The lake traffic here is more by steam than by sail, and the white wings may be said to be rapidly disappearing on the Great Lakes. It is not much of a lake craft now which does not register 2,300 tons. Many lines of steamships are engaged in the city's freight and passenger traffic, which the railways can never secure as a monopoly. Duluth is only five days from Buffalo by steamer, or only twice the time taken by passenger trains, and perhaps not so much as is consumed by freight trains. There are doubtless 15,000 square miles of standing pine tributary to Duluth, which cannot be exhausted for a half-century. The cut of thirty odd firms in St. Louis County is almost 200,000,000 feet annually, much of which is sent East by lake, and West by rail, to supply the emergencies of building on the adjoining vast prairie tract. Other woods of utility in the vicinity are cedars, spruce, firs, basswood, elms, maples, ash, aspens and birch. A dozen big mills take care of the logs floated down the innumerable tributaries of the west shore of the lake and rafted to Duluth. The mills have a capacity equal to the present cut, supply and demand. I witnessed one transfer of 680,000,000 feet of standing pine. A. Booth & Sons, the fish monopolists of the lake, have erected a large fish - freezing establishment here which will doubtless handle and distribute 5,000 tons of fish annually. The Minnesota coast alone presents a fishing frontage of 150 miles. Here are brought all of the "catches" from the Apostle Islands and the north shore fisheries by the new steamer Vernon, built by the Booths. One of the largest industries is the coal interest. This product is delivered here a little cheaper than at Chicago, and goes into all the northwest from this point. Manufacturing coal is delivered here for $2.50 per ton, while the inhabitants get coal about as cheaply as those of New 25 per cent. Its vessel and railway traffic is excessively large. The Government engineers are constantly improv. ing its harbor. It would seem that if any life is to be revived in Buffalo and Detroit it would come from this quarter, as all of its Eastern trade must go through those ports. Duluth is fearfully awake to its business interests, as Chicago puts it. It has well-managed daily newspapers, which realize and improve upon all oppor tunities. These are the News, Tribune and Herald. There is a fine Chamber of Commerce building with membership of 300, which ranks third in importance it the United States. There is, also, a Produce Exchange with about 100 members. Here will ultimately be cen tred the milling interests of the Northwest. There are a half-dozen banks with an aggregate capital York. Over 600,000 tons of coal are received and distributed annually. The vessels which engage in this traffic carry other products away. It stands to reason that in time Duluth will strike the death - blow to the Minneapolis flour-mill industry and monopoly. Grain for shipment, which comes here at the rate of 20,000,000 bushels per annum, will naturally be supplemented by that amount to be converted into flour. The St. Louis River has a colossal water-power. It amounts to 100,000 horse-power, available for immediate use, while the entire power of St. Anthony's Falls at Minneapolis is only 15,000 horse. The descent of the St. Louis River is 500 feet in twelve miles. A water-power company, with a capital of $1,000,000, has begun the construction of dams on the St. Louis, of which there are to be ten, varying from nine to twenty feet in height. These dams are to be the home of the future great flour-mills. One-half the wheat of the Northwest is now milled at Minneapolis. Duluth, at the head of navigation, to which wheat can be carried as cheaply, lying over 300 miles nearer as an outlet to the East, must soon absorb all the mill interests. Measured by its banks alone, the clearings of Duluth amount to $300,000,000 annually, a sum nearly equal to one-half the annual bank clearings of Chicago, and to those of New York for fifteen days. Its elevator receipts amount to 20,000,000 bushels, with an annual increase of THE RAPIDS OF THE ST. LOUIS RIVER. stock of over $600,000. Their clearances amounted in 1886 to about $300,000,000, as already stated. Duluth is no one-season city. Its open season is a long one, and its Winters are far from severe, owing to the mountainous and forest barrier against north and west winds. Those who predicted the failure of the Canadian Pacific Railroad must read the marvelous report of its freight traffic with wonder and envy. The report shows that even the extreme Northwest, across the border, is a fertile field for the future harvester. To the Summer visitant the Dalles of the St. Louis River are the chief attraction in this vicinity. The river has cut a beautiful cañon, and the water rushes down between boulders of ponderous size, which defy the canoeist and the noble red man alike. The river fairly boils during its entire mad plunge. Occasionally, as in the instance of the Horse-shoe Curve, the waters are |