Huron and Lake Michigan Railroad having lately been consolidated with the Peninsula Railroad, extending from Lansing to Valparaiso, in Indiana, secures the early completion of the road from Flint to Lansing-the new organization taking the name of "The Chicago and Lake Huron Railroad Company." This road will, when finished, be of great advantage to the people of the Northwest, and will constitute the shortest route from Chicago to the sea-board.

SCHOOLS.

Flint has vied with its sister cities of the State in its educational facilities. A central "Union school" building is now being erected at a cost of $100,000, which will be one of the finest school buildings in the State. Professor Tumsdell now stands at the head and supervises the educational interests of the city, and students are admitted to the University upon his certificate without further examination.

LIBRARIES.

The only public library in the city is that of the "Ladies' Library Association," organized in 1851, and which is the pioneer or "mother association" of the hundreds of similar ladies' library associations now in the full tide of successful and useful operation, not only in Michigan, but in neighboring States. The plan of this "peculiar institution" originated with Mrs. R. W. Jenny, who wrote its constitution and by-laws, and under which Mrs. Colonel Stockton was chosen its first president. It owns a large and valuable circulating library.

Colonel E. H. Thompson has one of the largest and best private libraries in the State.

The "Flint Scientific Institute," pioneered by Dr. Daniel Clarke, Dr. Manly Miles, Hon. F. H. Rankin, Hon. E. H. Thompson, and others, is one of the best of its kind. It has a rare and valuable collection for the study of the naturalist and the scientist.

BENEVOLENT SOCIETIES.

One commandery Knights Templar; one chapter Royal Arch Masons; two lodges F. & A. M.; two lodges I. O. O. F.; one lodge I. O. G. T.; St. Michael's Benevolent Society.

BANKS.

Her banks are the First National, Citizens' National, and the Genesee County Savings Bank.

Flint has also a Riding Park Association; an excellent Brass Band, under charge of Professor G. I. H. Gardner; a military company-“ The Flint Union Blues."

NEWSPAPERS.

There are three weekly newspapers. The Wolverine Citizen, published and edited by F. H. Rankin; the Globe, by A. L. Aldrich (both Republican), and the Genesee Democrat, by Jenny & Fellows.

CHURCHES.

Two Methodist, one Presbyterian, one Episcopal, one Baptist, one Congregational, one German Evangelical, one Catholic. The new Episcopal church is not excelled in architectural design and beauty by any in the State.

MANUFACTORIES.

The manufacture of lumber has contributed largely to the prosperity of the city. There are ten steam saw mills, of usual capacity, besides planing mills, two woolen mills, three foundries, etc., giving employment to a large force of workmen.

Among the recent improvements in the city have been the sinking of two artesian wells, by the city council, and the erection of the Holly Water Works, by A. McFarlan, Esq., on his premises, for the protection of his saw mill and lumber yard from fire.

ORGANIZATION.

The city charter was granted by the legislature in 1855. G. Decker was chosen the first mayor. The subsequent mayors were Hons. R. I. S. Page, Porter Hazelton, E. S. Williams, H. M. Henderson, Wm. Paterson, S. M. Axford, W. B. McCreery, Wm. M. Fenton, Wm. Hamilton, A. B. Witherbee, Wm. S. Patrick, H. H. Crapo, I. B. Walker, D. S. Fox, and the popular and efficient incumbent, Hon. George H. Durand.

Many of the early settlers and prominent professional and business men of Flint have died within the past few years, among whom may be mentioned the names of Governor H. H. Crapo, Governor Fenton, Hon. H. M. Henderson, Hon. A. B. Witherbee, Hon. A. P. Davis, Hon. C. P. Avery, Hon. Levi Walker, General C. C. Hascall, B. Pierson, James Henderson, Esqrs., and Rev. Daniel E. Brown. While their bodies repose in the glades of our beautiful Glenwood, the memory of their worth and virtues will be enshrined in the memories of those permitted to "linger behind."

"Give them the meed they have won in the past

Give them the honors their future forecast."

HON. ALEXANDER H. MORRISON.

ALEXANDER HAMILTON MORRISON, of St. Joseph, Michigan, projector and builder of the Chicago and Michigan Lake Shore Railroad, and its vice-president and general manager, was born in the Province of Quebec, Canada, February 22, 1822. At the age of fifteen, he was engaged as clerk for B. W. Smith, now sheriff of Simcoe, Ontario, and with him came West in 1838, arriving at Chicago in October of that year, when Chicago contained less than four thousand inhabitants. Here he entered the employ of David Ballentine, Esq., then a contractor on the Illinois and Michigan Canal, and remained with him as clerk for several years. At the age of nineteen, he engaged in active business on his own account.

In 1847, 1848 and 1849, Mr. Morrison was engaged as a contractor on public works in Illinois and Iowa. In 1850, he came to St. Joseph, where

he has since resided and been connected in extensive business as a merchant and lumberman, until he engaged in the railroad enterprise which now occupies his attention.

The Chicago and Michigan Lake Shore Railroad, of which Mr. Morrison is the projector, builder and successful general manager, extends from New Buffalo on the Michigan Central to Pentwater, which is the main line-a distance of one hundred and seventy miles-with a branch of twenty-five miles from Holland to Grand Rapids, and another branch from Muskegon to Big Rapids of fifty-five miles, making in all two hundred and fifty miles of road.

Considering the difficulties encountered in consequence of the decision of the supreme court, declaring void all municipal aid voted to help construct railways, together with the fact that the road was built through a new country, sparsely populated, which would not have been undertaken without the encouragement the law of 1869 proposed, the success of the enterprise, in both its completion and management, entitles to the projector and builder to an amount of praise for commercial sagacity, foresight and economy in all the details of construction and management, seldom awarded to men of these times, and which to him, in his declining years, will be a great source of consolation and pride.

Mr. Morrison, while engaged in extensive business, has at the same time given some attention to politics and been the recipient of political honors, and seen much of public life for a man of his years, now only fifty-two.

In 1851, he was chairman of the board of supervisors of Berrien county. In 1852, he was a candidate for presidential elector on the Whig ticket. In 1856, he was elected to the Senate of this State. In 1860, he was elected to the house of representatives and was chairman of the committee on State affairs for three sessions, and during that time was one of the special joint committee on war matters, of which Hons. Jas. F. Joy, H. P. Baldwin and Thomas D. Gilbert were members. To the members of that committee must be awarded the honor of successfully projecting that policy which at the end of the war found the State unincumbered with a war debt. The individual members of that committee were also foremost in sustaining a policy not less important, inaugurated by Mr. Joy at the first session of the legislature of 1861, for the establishment of a sinking fund, which, in 1881, will find the State entirely out of debt.

In 1862, Mr. Morrison was appointed, by President Lincoln, collector of internal revenue for the second district of Michigan, and, in 1867, assessor of internal revenue for the same district, which office he held until June, 1869, when he resigned to enter upon the railroad project, of which mention is made above.