898 
WISCONSIN STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
shores of Lake Superior. The specimens of copper found are of the rich¬ 
est quality, and miners who have examined the veins which abound in the 
mineral range are of opinion that there are heavy deposits in the ground 
that would require but a small amount of capital to reach. The appear¬ 
ance of the country and the surface veins is very similar to the copper re¬ 
gions of Ontonagon and Portage Lake on Lake Superior. There is also vast 
deposits of iron ore in Douglas county, unavailable at present owing to the 
want of railroad facilities. Large quarries of excellent building stone are 
found in this vicinity, both granite and red sandstone, and a good quality 
of brick have been manufactured from the clay. 
Our agricultural products, particularly winter wheat, rye, oats, barley, po¬ 
tatoes, peas, etc., and flowers, cannot be surpassed. This is eminently a 
grass country; timothy, clover, blue joint, red top and natural grasses thrive 
in this climate. Vegetables grow to an astonishing size, particularly cab¬ 
bage, cauliflowers, potatoes, beets, radishes, etc. 
A healthier region (says the celebrated Dr. Owen) does not exist; here 
the common diseases of mankind are comparatively unknown. The light¬ 
ness of the atmosphere has a most invigorating effect upon the spirits. The 
purity of the atmosphere makes it peculiarly adapted to all those afflicted 
with pulmonary complaints, and such a thing as consumption produced by 
the climate is wholly unknown. Fever and ague, that terrible scourge of 
Illinois, Indiana and Kansas, is rapidly driven away before the pure and 
refreshing breezes which come from the northwest. 
The winter season is the most agreeable part of the year, In lake Super¬ 
ior winters we have plenty of blue sky, fine bracing atmosphere, and very 
little rain from the month of November until April. In this region less snow 
falls than in either of the New England states, or northern New York. 
Superior, the county seat of Douglas county, is situated on the Bay of 
Superior and Nemadji river, at the head of lake Superior. It possess a bet¬ 
ter site, a better harbor and greater natural advantages for a commercial 
city than any other port in the northwest. Its harbor, the largest on the 
lake, is formed by a narrow strip of land over six miles in length, stretching 
out from the Minnesota shore and thrown up by the action of the waters of the 
lake and those of the St. Louis river. This capacious land-locked harbor 
is called the bay of Superior. 
The situation of Superior corresponds with that of Chicago, in being the 
chief port at the head of navigation of a great lake, and the point where the 
Northern Pacific and other railroads fromtTie interior of state will terminate. 
The population of Superior is about twelve hundred; it is composed of 
persons from all parts of our own country and from almost every clime of 
Europe. One graded high school and three public schools under the charge 
of experienced teachers offer rare facilities to those desirous of giving a 
good education to their children. The public buildings consist of a large 
court-house with capacious vaults and offices for the county officials situ¬ 
ated in a commanding position in court house square. The government 
