MICHIGAN. 



471 



The first regiment was ready and equipped 

 with arms and ammunition on the 19th of 

 April, four days after the call of the President, 

 and left Detroit under order of the War De- 

 partment on the 13th of May, being the first 

 regiment which arrived at the seat of war 

 from any State west of the Alleghany Moun- 

 tains. The second regiment was ready on the 

 29th of April. 



Michigan has 799 miles of completed railway 

 in her territorial limits, and 605 more in pro- 

 gress. Her completed roads have cost for con- 

 struction and equipment $32,296,379. 



Congress had granted lands in aid of certain 

 railroads in Michigan, and, in consequence of 

 the difficulties of the times, they had not been 

 able to fulfil all the conditions of the donation. 



The last Legislature of Michigan, therefore, 

 not only passed a la\v extending the time for com- 

 pleting the land-grant railroads the full time al- 

 lowed by the act of Congress making the grant, 

 but also one giving them two hundred and 

 forty sections as soon as they shall complete 

 twenty continuous miles of road ; provided that 

 the Lansing, Amboy, and Traverse Bay Road 

 shall be completed to Lansing City from Owos- 

 so before being entitled to the additional one 

 hundred and twenty sections. This last law, it 

 is confidently asserted, will enable the compa- 

 nies to make such negotiations a< are alone re- 

 quired to finish these important roads. 



The upper peninsula has the finest copper 

 mines in the world, and iron in vast abundance; 

 and, since 1859, that portion of the lower 

 peninsula, lying along the Saginaw River, has 

 proved to be extremely rich in salt. In 1860 

 ten artesian wells were sunk near the Saginaw, 

 at distances of two to fifteen miles from each 

 other ; and in 1861 these wells yielded brine 

 equal to the daily production of 7,500 bushels 

 of salt of excellent quality, for which Chicago 

 and St. Louis furnished a ready market at high 

 prices. The cheapness of fuel and of barrels at 

 this point greatly reduces the cost of manu- 

 facture, which is stated not to exceed 75 to 80 

 cents per barrel. The discovery of the exist- 

 ence of an accessible brine of great strength at 

 this point was due to the geological survey of 

 the State, which has established the fact of an 

 extensive stratum of salt rock within a thousand 

 feet of the surface. 



The Lake Superior metalliferous belt ex- 

 tends within the limits of Michigan alone, as 

 measured on the range, 160 miles, averaging 

 five miles in breadth, and is divided into three 

 districts, viz. : the Ontonagon, the most north- 

 ern ; the Keweenaw Point, the most eastern ; 

 and the Portage Lake, lying mostly below and 

 partly between the range of the two. In the 

 first are situated the Minnesota, the Rockland, 

 the National, and a multitude of other mines 

 of lesser note, profit, or promise. In the sec- 

 ond are the Cliff, the Copper Falls, and others. 

 In the last are the Pe \vabic, Quincy, Isle Roy- 

 ale, Portage, Franklin, and numerous others. 

 Each district has some peculiarities of product, 



the first developing moro masses, while the lat- 

 ter are prolific in vein rock, the copper being 

 scattered throughout the rock. 



Active operations were first commenced in 

 1845, but it was not until 1851 that mining 

 was properly begun. It was then difficult 

 to approach the region, on account of the 

 rapids of St. Mary's River. The means of sub- 

 sistence, every tool for work, and all machines 

 were required to be carried hundreds of miles 

 frequently on the backs of men and beasts to 

 the scene of labor. The opening of the St. 

 Mary's ship canal and the entrance into Port- 

 age Lake, removed the difficulties and gave a 

 great impetus to the mining interests. 



There have been, since 1845, no less than 116 

 copper mining companies organized under the 

 general law of the State. The amount of capi- 

 tal invested and now in use, or which has been 

 paid out in explorations and improvements, and 

 lost, is estimated by good judges at $6,000,000. 

 The nominal amount of capital stock invested 

 by all the companies which have charters would 

 reach an indefinite number of millions. 



The copper is smelted chiefly in Detroit, 

 Cleveland, and Boston, the works in Detroit 

 being the largest. There is one establishment 

 at Pittsburg, which does most of the smelting 

 for the Clitt' mine ; one at Bergen, New Jersey, 

 and one at New Haven, Connecticut. Prior to 

 the erection of these wprks the mineral was 

 shipped to London, being taken over as ballast 

 in packet ships at low rates. 



The aggregate debt of the State of Michigan 

 is $2,316,328 94. This is composed mostly of 

 an old debt of " $5,000,000 loan," so called, con- 

 tracted with the United States Bank, and the in- 

 stalments on which due the State were not paid 

 by the institution. The debt was subsequently 

 adjusted, and the new bonds form the chief 

 part of the existing debt, and are due in 1862. 

 There are also $100,000 of canal bonds guar- 

 anteed by the State. The 7 per cent, war loan 

 was mostly negotiated in New York, and bear- 

 ing 7 per cent, interest, commanded a premium 

 in the market. The expenses of the State are, 

 in round number, $720,000, and are nearly met 

 by the revenues derived from a tax of 1 mill 

 per dollar on real and personal property, that 

 amounts in the aggregate to $275,762,771. 

 There are several trust funds derived from 

 sales of land granted by the General Govern- 

 ment, and appropriated by the Constitution of 

 the State for educational purposes. 



An amendment to the State Constitution was 

 adopted in 1860 by the people, which provides 

 that " the officers and stockholders of every 

 corporation for banking purposes issuing bank 

 notes or paper credits, to circulate as money, 

 shall be individually liable for all debts con- 

 tracted during the term of their being officers 

 or stockholders of such corporation or associa- 

 tion equally and ratably to the extent of their 

 respective shares of stock in any such corpora- 

 tion or association." For operations of banks, 

 see BANKS. 



