in daily training to better kill and slaughter their fellow beings and neighbors. Taxes keep on increasing to maintain enormous armaments, till life has become a burden to a large proportion of the toilers who yearly flee to this country by hundreds of thousands. In Europe war is an element which must constantly be reckoned with. That contingency is in the trend of mind of every thinking individual.

In defence of such a system the argument is advanced that one must protect himself against the attacks of a strong enemy, but every one of those nations will occasionally, when an easy chance presents itself for aggrandisement, declare war upon the weaker and will crush him mercilessly.

In this twentieth century Europe, as in the fifteenth century, knows but one measure of justice governing the relations of nations-the law of might. European nations, as corporate beings, are still as barbarous as 500 years ago. One will find across the Atlantic men who will commend war as a splendid sport which develops manly qualities and the highest among them-self-sacrifice. It should be easy to cultivate such a virtue through less brutal and less sanguinary methods.

A Canadian writer was lately affirming that the cardinal doctrine of North American politics should be the maintenance of peace on this continent. Within the next 50 years, I repeat, we will be one hundred and fifty millions of people, under two flags, it is true, the honored Star Spangled Banner and the beloved Union Jack, under which we enjoy complete autonomy, but although separated as to allegiance, let us have but one aim, but one supreme ideal, the constant application of the golden rule in our national acts; let us teach Europe greater humanitarian principles.

A distinguished statesman from abroad was lately studying our body politic and analyzing our mentality. He expressed his very great surprise that the eventuality of war never entered our mind. He was, of course, from Europe. Blessed be the country which can be in that state of mind. All our efforts should tend towards remaining so. Let us preach arbitration, day in and day out, as the solution of all our difficulties. The United States lately went to war, but it was for the purpose of putting an end to war and to bring order, freedom and peace to a neighbor. This is truly and nobly American-North American I should say.

A colossal monument is about to be erected in the State of New York in honor of peace. I express the hope that it will be so placed as to be seen at the same time as the Statue of Liberty, so that those two monuments may proclaim at once to the world that this northern part of America guarantees forever to its inhabitants the two greatest blessings that can be given to mankind-peace and liberty.

Letters Relating to the Celebration

ROM a large number of letters of felicitation over the celebration and of regret that the writers were unable to be present the following are selected for publication-some of them because of the manifestation of interest on the part of high officials of the government; others because of their historical value. Mr. White made a journey to Oyster Bay in order to invite President Roosevelt to attend the celebration. Although public business prevented the President from going to Sault Ste. Marie, he insisted on having Mr. White's address read to him, and he made several suggestions which were incorporated in that document.

From the Secretary of the Treasury.

Washington, April 20, 1905.

Dear Mr. White: Your application for official co-operation in the matter of the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Sault Ste. Marie Canal is before me.

This Department will do everything permissible by law to make the event a success. We can send you one and possibly two revenue cutters, with plenty of patriotism and powder, both at your service.

Very truly yours,

L. M. SHAW.

From the Secretary of War.

Washington, April 20, 1905.

My Dear Mr. White: I have received your application for official aid in the matter of the celebration of the fifty years' anniversary of the opening of the Sault Ste. Marie Canal. I fully appreciate the importance of the event which you desire now to celebrate in view of the enormous growth of the traffic which now finds an outlet through the canal, and I shall be very glad in every possible official and personal way to further your patriotic object of celebrating this important event in the history of the nation. Anything that I may lawfully do as Secretary of War you can count on my doing to make your celebration Very sincerely yours,

a success.

WM. H. TAFT.

From the Secretary of the Navy.

Washington, April 20, 1905.

Mr. Peter White: You can rely on the Navy Department sending the Michigan up to your semi-centennial celebration of the birth of the Soo Canal and also on its doing everything it can consistently to make the event a success. Very truly yours,

PAUL MORTON.

From the Secretary of Commerce and Labor.

Washington, July 20, 1905.

Hon. Peter White: Referring to your letter of June 24, 1905, in which you state that August 2d and 3d are the days that have been fixed for the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of Sault Ste. Marie Falls Ship Canal, and requesting that the United States vessels be there on August 1st, this Department informs you that the Light-House Board will send such vessels as can be spared to be there on that day. It is expected that two or more Light-House vessels will be there to take part in the celebration. Very truly yours,

J. H. METCALF.

From Richard P. Joy.

Detroit, Mich., March 26th, 1906.

Mr. Charles Moore: My brother, Mr. Henry B. Joy, suggests that I give you any information I may have in regard to Mr. James F. Joy's connection with the original Sault Ste. Marie ship canal, and I will also take pleasure in sending you the photograph of my father, as soon as I can have one printed.

The first step taken by the promoter and canal engineer, Mr. Charles T. Harvey, after inspecting the proposed canal site, was to "establish confidential relations with Mr. James F. Joy," to quote from Mr. Harvey's book on "Soo Canal Reminiscences." The next step was to induce Mr. John W. Brooks, then president of the Michigan Central Railroad; Mr. Fairbanks, of Vermont; Erastus Corning, of Albany, N. Y., afterwards president of the Canal Company, and others to pledge financial support providing the State of Michigan could and would give a sufficient land grant to the company.

Mr. James F. Joy acted as attorney and representative for the Canal Company, with offices in the old Hough Block (1852), which still stands at the northwest corner of Griswold and Congress streets, and in that building the necessary enabling act and other legal papers were drawn up.

It might be said that the original Sault Canal first saw the light of day in that building, as it was there that the financial plans were conceived, the campaign of operations laid out and capital interested.

Mr. Joy acted throughout the construction of the canal as the representative of the gentlemen who composed the Canal Company. All the reports from the engineers came to his office and were then given to the company directors. (These reports are now in my possession.)

I think I have heard my father say that the Canal Company was organized and received its charter under the New York laws, there being at that time no law under which they could incorporate in Michigan.

You will see from the foregoing, that Mr. James F. Joy played a most important part in organizing the original Canal Company, drafting its

charter and the various enabling acts for the Legislature, etc., besides acting as the representative of the company in Michigan. At the completion of the canal, Mr. Joy shared to some extent in the pine and mineral land grant (part of which I understand included the Calumet and Hecla mine), and while it did not make the original holders rich, these lands did in after years make great fortunes.

It is perhaps only fair that Mr. James F. Joy be given credit for his efforts in any history of the canal, which is to be published.

RICHARD P. Joy.

From Alfred Noble, C. E.

New York, July 12, 1905.

Mr. Charles Moore: I beg to acknowledge receipt of the invitation to be present at the ceremonies celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the St. Mary's Falls Canal at Sault Ste. Marie, August 2nd and 3rd, and regret very much that it will be impracticable for me to attend.

On looking over the notes accompanying the invitation I regret to note no adequate mention of the very important part taken by Gen. Godfrey Weitzel in the development of the improvements at the St. Mary's Falls Canal, and it may be well to supply a few of the missing data here.

So far as I know, the first official report definitely submitting a plan for the improvement of the canal was made by Brig.-Gen. T. J. Cram, Corps of Engineers, U. S. A., in 1869 or 1870. Gen. Cram was then in charge of the river and harbor works of the district embracing the canal. Gen. Poe took charge of the district (I think succeeding Gen. Cram) in 1870, and the work of improvement was actually commenced under Gen. Poe's direction, the construction during his incumbency consisting of canal enlargement, but work of preparing the plans for the lock went on simultaneously, following the general lines of Gen. Cram's project. The plans were completed and the lock now called the Weitzel Lock was built under the direction of Gen. Godfrey Weitzel, who relieved Gen. Poe May 1st, 1873. Gen. Weitzel remained in charge of the district until 1882, the year after the Weitzel Lock had been opened to navigation. Before he was relieved he took the initiative toward the further enlargement of the waterway and the building of a new lock, which work was subsequently carried out by Gen. Poe.

A. NOBLE.

From Ex-Senator Thomas W. Palmer.

Detroit, Mich., July 25, 1905. Hon. Peter White: Your kind invitation to the semi-centennial has been received, and would have been accepted with pleasure had my health permitted, but as it is I will have to decline with thanks.

Probably no other white man unless it be yourself has had as peculiar experiences with Lake Superior as myself, extending over so long a time. In 1847 my father, who had some copper claims on the Porcupine mountains, went to Copper Harbor and there took a clinkerbuilt boat with six oars, which he owned, and started for the head of the lake. The party consisted of Thomas Cummings, afterwards Governor of Nebraska; James Witherell, a cousin of mine, afterwards in the United States army, who died at the commencement of the civil war; a nephew of Professor Bowles of Ohio; myself, and a voyageur, named Charpautier, and an Indian. There were six oars and I pulled the stroke-oar,