Once or twice, congestive fever has proved epidemic in a few localities; and, occasionally, on the lake shore, black tongue, with other forms of erysipelas, appears in winter and spring. The diseases of the Eastern states seem, however, to be gradually creeping in; and in Detroit, we have cases of small-pox, scarlet fever, and pulmonary consumption; but all forms of disease are generally light. Apparently, consumption is complicated with disorders of the liver. All kinds of domestic animals suffer from biliary derangement, but scarcely to as great an extent as formerly. After deducting the cash and other property on hand, the present actual investments in the construction and equipment of the 315 miles of road is about six millions of dollars. This is less than $20,000 per mile-a cost not exceeding one-third to one-half the cost of similar works in New-York and the Eastern states. The Michigan Southern and Northern Indiana Rail-road Companies have is sued a report, says the Buffalo Courier, Michigan, it is believed, was the of the business of the road during the first state to pass a homestead exemplast six months. The Northern Indiana tion law, and to abolish capital punRoad was opened for use through its ishment; and among the first to relinentire length, June, 1852, thus furnish- quish the old and barbarous system of ing, in connection with the Michigan locking up debtors in prison. The first Southern-Rail-road, a direct communi- is said to have been originated by a cation from Chicago to Lake Erie, at farmer. It was ridiculed and opposed, Monroe and Toledo. Since the first but is now adopted by a majority of of July, the entire line has been opera- the states. ted as one road. The gross earnings for the six months ending December 31, were: $592,187 00 385,700 16 . $206,486 84 The income account, on the first day of January, 1853, stood as follows: 1852-Balance of income acc't, July, 1852 $49,614 70 as per the preceding statement 592,187 00 Less expenses, interest, &c .... Balance of income account count..... $256,101 54 124,970 52 The copper mines of Lake Superior had evidently been worked very extensively in very remote periods. These ancient works are of great magnitude, and are found extending over a wide space. Mr. C. Whittlesey (Smith's Annals of Science, vol. 1, No. 2,) believed these miners to have been the "race of the mounds" which occupied the state of Ohio, at a very remote period, and from whom descended the Aztecs, the ancestors of the Mexicans. The present race of Indians appear to have been entirely ignorant of the art of mining, and even of the very existence of the old workings. The copper in the present day is found in masses, some loose, weighing over six tons; in veins of various thickness; and in ores mixed with rock. The mines are generally worked by shafts, till a vein is hit, when it is followed, the copper cut out with chisels, and raised to the surface. The following table shows $131,131 02 the condition of the mines in 1850. The amount of mineral sent to market has since largely increased, and copper smelting works have been established 34,357 86 near Detroit. Large quantities, however, are exported to Boston and Pitts $96,773 16 burgh. Copper Mines-Commerce of Lakes Erie, Huron, Michigan, &c. 493 ten other mines have recently been opened on Lake Superior, mostly with New-York capital, all of which are very promising." Before many years are passed, this region will be, as regards copper and iron, what California is as regards gold. The present condition (February, 1853) extensive operations. Some eight or of the mines, is spoken of as highly favorable. "Cliff mine continues to produce masses of nearly pure copper of from one to eighty tons. This mine pays a net profit of about $18,000 per month. In the Hill Mine there are at present two masses of pure copper, each exposed more than twenty feet in depth, and are from six to thirty inches thick. Their length is unknown. In the Copper Fall Mine, there is a vein two and a half feet wide, one large mass, and the entire vein thoroughly filled with the native copper. In Dana Mine, the ten fathomed level produces small pieces, barrel, and stamp ore. North Western Mine is producing more mass copper than it has at any previous time, and a large amount of barrel and stamp copper. Native Copper Mine has produced sev- We are indebted to the politeness of eral tons of small mass, barrel, and Mr. HYDE, collector of the customs at stamp copper. Isle Royale Mine, of the port of Detroit, for the following Portage Lake, continues to produce statistics for the year 1852, which he masses from 1500 lbs. downwards. At caused to be prepared at our request: the North West Mine they are opening and extending their work preparatory to at $6,000. Judging by the present, the future destiny of Michigan is ordained to be prosperous. The climate compels activity of mind and body; nature has bestowed everything that industry can require, and lying midway between the Great West and the Atlantic Ocean, produce and merchandise to a vast extent must pass through and round the state. We conclude with the motto of the republic: "Si quæris peninsulam amœnam, circumspice." *This is in addition to 100 tons of stoves, valued Of sail vessels under twenty tons, no account is kept, and the outstanding tonnage can only be guessed at. The register of outstanding tonnage of steam vessels exhibits a much larger amount than is given above; but many of the vessels still retained on the register are known to be lost or out of service. The actual existing tonnage in service is given in the above table. Duties collected during the year 1852, $30,055 92. Lake trade of the United States (from the Patent Office report, 1850-1— "Agricul." p. 531.) The following table affords a good idea of the magnitude of a portion of the internal trade of the United States. The aggregate valuation of our lake trade for the year 1850 (imports and exports) amounts to the large sum of $186,484,905; or more, by $40,000,000, than the whole foreign export trade of the 40,362.80 ART. XI-COMMERCIAL PROGRESS, HOME AND FOREIGN. [THE great activity which has lately been given to the iron interests, and its important results upon the construction of our public works, will recommend the following paper, which we adopt from the Rail-road Journal, to the attention of our readers :] IRON TRADE OF THE UNITED STATES, PAST AND PRESENT-PROGRESS OF GOLD PRODUCTIONLINE OF STEAMERS FROM VIRGINIA TO ANTWERP-LAKE IMPORTS FOR 1852-COMMERCE OF HAVANA THE FISHERIES- STEAMBOATS IN THE UNITED STATES-FINANCES OF THE UNITED STATES. The most important commercial move- Britain. The improvement was so sudment of the day, is probably the great den, so unexpected, and has been car and rapid advance in the market value ried on with so much vigor, that consuof iron manufactures, throughout Great mers in all parts of the world were un Importations of Bar Iron-Increase of Rail-roads-Protection. 495 prepared for the change, and have in The time has arrived when we must look many instances been put to serious in- more closely into our estimates of exconvenience. It is by no means extra- penditures in constructing rail-roads; and ordinary that iron, or any other article, as the cost of iron is a very important should command remunerating prices; item, it is possible the increased and but it is strange that, during such a de- increasing value of this article may mand as has existed for years past, both tend materially to check the progress in this country and in Europe, prices of these improvements. Rail-roads which should remain so much depreciated now, have been built within the past four or that when the rail-road mania has par- five years, have purchased their rails in tially subsided, the value of the raw England, at prices considerably below material should become so much en- the cost of manufacture. Roads now hanced. Nearly all the great rail-roads in course of construction, contracts for in this country, in the course of construc- ironing which have not been made, will tion, secured the bulk of rails required cost so much more to complete, that the before the recent rise in value. Several power of competition will be very much of these companies could have sold reduced. their contracts at handsome profits. The We annex an official statement, show effect, therefore, on this side of the At- ing the quantity, total value, cost per lantic, will not be so serious as it other- ton, &c., of bar iron, manufactured by wise would have been. We shall not, rolling, imported into the United States however, be entirely exempt from the in each of the past eight years:disadvantages arising from high prices. Importations of Bar Iron, Manufactured by Rolling, into the United States. 1850 7,397,166. 1851 .247,951. In putting down the average cost per ton in this table, we have left off the cents and put down the price nearest the fraction. The period included in this table covers nearly the full operation of two tariffs. In 1841, when the compromise act of 1832 had reached its lowest point, the aggregate value of rolled iron imported was $2,172,278--averaging $34 per ton. In the year 1846, which closed the operation of the high tariff of 1842, the value of rolled iron imported was $1,127,418-averaging $47 per ton. By going back a little further we can find a better illustration of the strength of the position we intend assuming. In 1839, when the compromise tariff of 1832 had been in operation seven years, and the per cent. of duties had become very much reduced, the value of rolled iron imported was $3,181,180-averaging $53 per ton-a higher price than ruled at any time during the operation of the high protective tariff of 1842. For seven years previous to 1839, the iron manufacturing interest of the country had been 2,197,285 highly protected. It is true, under the act of 1832 a steady but gradual reduction was going on in the rate of duties; but the manufacturers of this country for seven years had everything in their favor, so far as an inflated paper currency and high duties were concerned; notwithstanding which, the quantity of rolled iron imported in 1839 was greater, and the average price higher, than in any previous year. This shows how much advantage to the great consuming classes of the country, protection to this or any other manufacturing interest is. It is possible that twenty or thirty years continued protection might build up the iron or any other interest so that it could successfully compete with foreigners; but we are not, or rather have not been able to do so. We have such a variety of interests to promote, such an immense extent of country to improve, so much necessity exists for opening in the shortest time all the arteries of trade, such a rapidly increasing population to protect and bind toge ther, such extremes to connect, such unbounded, unlimited resources to develop, that it has been, and still is, utterly out of the question to wait the slow movement of those who require so much aid and support from the government in the shape of prohibitory duties. Where would our great rail-road system have been had we waited for our own manufacturers to supply the iron at their own prices? And where would prices have been had there been such a duty imposed as would have prohibited the importation of a foreign article? The first would not have been developed to one quarter the extent it is at this moment; prices for the iron would have ruled so high that it would have required, at least fifty per cent. more capital to have built the roads. By checking the extension of rail-roads, and thereby preventing the opening of new channels of commerce, the progress of the country would have been materially retarded, and all the most important interests of the masses sacrificed-and for what? Merely for the purpose of filling the pockets of comparatively a limited number of iron manufacturers faster than smaller profits would. The manufacturing interest of this country, generally, is fully impressed with the belief that the only true policy for the government to pursue is to sacrifice every other interest for that. Within the past four years we have paid $24,461,115 to foreigners, for rolled iron. We will admit that a large per cent. of this aggregate has been in rail-road iron, imported for roads constructed within that period. This iron has been purchased at prices varying from twentynine to forty-five dollars per ton, and a good part of it has been paid for in railroad bonds and other first-class securities. Previous to the reduction of the tariff in 1846, our rail-road companies were paying from sixty to eighty dollars per ton for rail-road iron, both at home and abroad; and at that time the railroad movement in the United States was very moderate compared with what it has been since. At that time the rail-road mania in Great Britain and throughout Europe was at its height, and the market prices for iron had reached very high points. This enabled our manufacturers to extort immense rates from companies then constructing roads here. Instead of turning out iron at fair remunerating prices, they took advan tage of the limited supply from England, caused by the immense home demand and consumption, and realized enormous profits. This is undoubtedly all right and proper in the way of business; and viewed in that light, not a word of complaint can be uttered. But let us look at the result. Protection at home, demands abroad for consumption far in advance of the supply, with a domestic demand greater than our manufacturers could meet, enabled them to realize profits in a year or two, sufficient to return the full capital employed. Then it was all sunshine. Had there been no protection under the tariff, their profits would have still been very great. There was a harvest ready to be gathered, and the iron manufacturers gathered it. In the course of time, the rail-road mania in Great Britain and on the continent exploded. Thousands engaged in that speculation were ruined. The extensive iron manufacturing establishments created by the demand for iron rails, became idle, and a large portion of the immense amount of capital invested in them became unproductive. For a time, all was chaos and confusion. citement had been so intense and extended, so many had become so deeply involved, that the effect was almost universal and disastrous. A long period of stagnation followed. Many of the iron manufacturing establishments continued operations upon a more limited scale, and prices of iron became reduced to the lowest points. The demand almost entirely ceased, and nothing but the necessity of keeping in motion, to make the sacrifice as light as possible, kept any of them going. The effect of this was to place prices on the other side at such low points, that manufacturers on this side were compelled to abandon all competition, and close up their works. How long the manufacturers of England would have been able to continue this ruinous course, is a question we can. not answer; but fortunately the rail-road mania seized hold of our people, and the demand for rails rapidly increased. The ex Since 1847, the construction of railroads in the United States has exceeded all previously completed. While this interest was languishing in England, it was moving on with rapid strides in this country. This was fortunate for foreign iron manufacturers. It enabled them to work at least without loss, and the competition was so great, or rather, the |