No. 112.] 837 



Mule teams have been extensively introduced upon these roads. 

 They live longer than horses, are more hardy and less liable 

 to accidents and disease, are fed with less expense, and are almost 

 as powerful in their muscular strength. 



Railroads. — A company has been organised for the construction 

 of a railroad between Plattsburgh and Whitehall. Tliis will 

 traverse the whole length of Essex county, and perfect a continu- 

 ous and most direct communication between Montreal and New-/ 

 York. 



In exploring the wilderness, wiiich envelopes the " Whitefa^e 

 mountain," I pursued the track of the recognisance, made in the 

 year 1837, of the pr( jected railroad, intended to connect th3 St. 

 Lawrence with Lake Champlain. Some mysterious and inscruta- 

 ble reason seems to have influenced the engineer in running his 

 line up the slopes of Whifeface, to a point so elevated, that the 

 route was necessarily pronounced impracticable and abandoned, 

 while at the base of the mountain, and in view of his position, he 

 might have found an eligible track, marked out by the emphatio 

 hand of nature. Had the summit at this point been surmounted, 

 and the plains of North Elba reached, it was conceded that no fur- 

 ther impediments existed to the shores of the St. Lawrence. I 

 advert to this subject, un-ler the deep conviction, that the band 

 of public policy or individual effort will soon unlock the trea- 

 sures slumbering in these recesses, and that this project, so singu- 

 larly defeated, may be made the instrument of accomplishing the 

 great result. 



Marble. — I have already fully noticed the marble (juarries of 

 Essex county, and will only add, that vigorous measures are con- 

 templated in opening the quarry at Crown Point, the approaching 

 summer. When we consider tlie immense deposits of this mate- 

 rial, its exceeding beauty and variety and pjreat value, the anti- 

 cipation njay be cheri>lu'd, ihat ihese quarries will soon alfurd & 

 business, secondary alone in magnitude and importance to the 

 iron manufactures of this region. 



Ship yards. — Several of the first class vessels, which navigat* 

 the lake were built in the }ards of Essex county. This business, 



