though not sufficiently so to affect the growth of the hardier cereals. The climate of the southern peninsula, on the contrary, is mild and comparatively even, permitting the full maturity of Indian corn, and of all descriptions of fruit that can be grown in central New York.

The state has now a population of nearly one million inhabitants, with an arable area of 35,995,500 acres. It has fifty-four organized counties, besides nineteen unorganized, a full description of which, with their towns and villages, their resources, and alphabetical list of persons engaged in business, will be found immediately following this history.

Being nearly surrounded by navigable water, the State of Michigan is favorably situated for carrying on an extensive commerce. The total lake trade of the state, valued at $30,000,000 in 1851, is now estimated at $65,000,000, notwithstanding the fact that the development of the gigantic railroads of the west has absorbed a large portion of the trade that would otherwise have been conducted through the lakes. The great mining district of the northern peninsula, to which, as yet, no railroad has been constructed, finds an outlet for its productions only through the lakes, and yearly adds a large quota to the already heavy commerce of the state. The shipping, estimated in 1850 at 38,144 tons, is now increased to upwards of 100,000 tons. The internal and transit trade of the state, by means of its railroads, etc., is also immense, and has been largely increased since the completion of the great Canadian lines.

Although provided by nature with a ready means of access to all her borders, this youthful state has made rapid advances in improvements to facilitate internal communication, and has now already completed within her borders nearly twelve hundred miles of railroad, besides various other lines projected and in course of construction. The Sault Ste. Marie ship canal, in the northern peninsula, connecting the waters of the lower lakes with those of Lake Superior, is another work of improvement, greatly facilitating commerce between the rich mineral districts of the northern and the manufacturing districts of the southern portion of the state. From the last annual report of the superintendent of the ship canal, we have the following comparative statement, showing the canal receipts, expenses, and amount deposited from 1855 to 1861:

Table showing the number of tons of Copper, Iron, Grain, etc., passing through the Canal

The inducements which Michigan offers to the emigrants are numerous. Her climate is comparatively mild, and her soil exceedingly fertile. A vast portion of the state is still covered with the primeval forest, which only awaits the strong arm of the chopper to uncover a soil which yields a long succession of crops without manure. The vast resources of this state are only just now becoming known to the world. A few years ago, her mineral products were undiscovered-her coal, gypsum, copper, and iron lay in their strata, undisturbed by the hand of the miner. Her salt springs were not economized, and even her agricultural products were not calculated to attract attention. A change has come o'er the spirit of the time. The woods are falling beneath the axe of the settler. The snorting of the iron horse is heard, where, a few years ago, the silence of the forest was unbroken by a sound. The farmer, with the power of a magician, has caused the wilderness "to rejoice and blossom as the rose"-the miner has decended into the bowels of the earth, and dug up some of the richest ores which the world has ever seen; and in some places mining skill was not required, for the ore lay on the surface-the merchant has built palatial residences where, a few years ago, the tents of the Chippewas or Pottawattomies held undisputed possession of the ground.

The farmers of Michigan have easy access to best markets in America or Europe, so that the produce of their land at all times meets a ready sale. Hundreds, we might say thousands, of miles of rail and plankroads diverge from Detroit and penetrate into the richest districts of the state; and the vast chain of lakes and rivers which nearly surround it, afford extraordinary advantages of navigation. The fisheries, of themselves, are in themselves unfailing sources of wealth, and the lumber which is cleared away by the settler, brings millions of dollars into pockets of the dealers in this indispensable article. The horses, cattle and sheep of the state are beginning to attract attention in other distant markets, and, if we are to judge by the improvement which has taken place in the domestic animals within the last ten years, in five years more the stock of this state will be among the very best on this continent. Great progress has been made in horticulture within the last few years, some of the best varieties of garden and orchard fruits have been introduced; the export from this delightful branch of rural economy are becoming large, and there can scarcely be a doubt but the profits derived from the growing of fruit will be very large in a few years.

The soil of Michigan is exceedingly fertile, yielding almost every kind of cultivated crop in the richest profusion. The wheat of this state is highly prized in the English and French markets, and when our farmers pay a little more attention to the selection of the very best varieties of seed, and to the cleaning of the grain for market, the wheat of the Peninsular State will not be surpassed on this continent. Maize ripens perfectly and produces an abundant yield in every part of the lower peninsula, and when we consider that not only the grain of this plant, but also the cob, leaves and stems are useful for the feeding of stock, the benefit to be derived from this crop will at once become evident. Potatoes thrive so well in our soil that a large quantity is annually exported to states which are not favored with a soil so rich as ours, and in which drought takes more effect.

As a fruit growing state, Michigan is superior to many western states. Apples, pears, plums, quinces, peaches, grapes, apricots, etc., reward the labors of the horticulturist, and attain a size and flavor which cannot be equaled in other places. These facts have already attracted attention from fruit growers in every part of the union. A considerable portion of soil, well suited for orchards and gardens, is still covered with the natural forest, which has only to be cleared away by the settler to unfold a soil so rich as to produce crops for several years without the aid of manure, and almost every part of the state is now within reach of an excellent market, the rivers and lakes, railroads and plank roads affording facilities for the transportation of agricultural and horticultural products to the best markets in the world.

When the numerous advantages which Michigan possesses, are considered, it seems strange that a large portion of her lands are still unoccupied and await the sturdy arms of the foreign emigrant to develope their rich resources. This is not to be wondered at. From an early date, the land speculators of other states found it to answer their purpose of aggrandisement to represent Michigan as a howling wilderness, her climate as insalubrious, and her soil a dismal swamp, unsuited to agriculture. These delusions are being dispelled rapidly. The robust health of her rural population, and the unsurpassed richness of her soil are now attracting attention, and inducing farmers and mechanics from neighboring states to come in and occupy the land. The construction of the Grand Trunk and Great Western Railways have afforded facilities for foreign emigrants to reach Michigan, and the fertility of the soil being known, it is probable that the population will increase rapidly.

Emigrants will find Michigan suited to almost every kind of pursuit or culture. The farmer will find the soil of this state suited to the production of almost every cultivated crop, and the workers in wood or iron will find ample stores of material. The horticulturist can follow his favorite pursuit with success, the climate and soil being admirably suited for the growth of the choicest fruit and vegetables. The vast quantities of fish in the lakes and rivers which nearly surround the state, have already attracted fishermen from the coasts of Holland and France, and there is scarcely a danger that the finny tribe will be exhausted, or the occupation of the fisherman unprofitable. The mineral products of Michigan are in themselves of sufficient magnitude to attract large numbers of the working population from the mining districts of Europe, and they have been coming annually for several years.

The civil war in America has partially discouraged European emigration to the United States, as it was represented that law and order were fast giving place to anarchy and confusion in this once happy and united land. It would be well to make the real condition of the northern states known in every part of Europe, that persons anxious to better their condition may be informed that there never was a better time for emigrants to reach this country than the present. The war, with all its attendant horrors, is closely confined within the rebellious states, and all the free states are prospering. In Michigan the industrious emigrant will be sure of employment, if he has sufficient capital to establish himself on some of the rich lands which lie in every part of the state. The large number of mechanics and workmen of every kind who have enlisted in the federal army have made labor scarce and dear, and left vacancies to be filled by foreign emigration.

Among the various causes which have contributed to the rapid development of the immense natural resources of this state, none stand more prominent than the various great lines of internal communication, a brief notice of which we give below:

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

MICHIGAN CENTRAL RAILROAD.-This was the first railroad built in this state, and since its completion has been known as one of the best managed in the west. Its beneficial effects to the region of country through which it passes, are incalculable. On its line have sprung up a large number of beautiful towns and villages as if by magic, while many of those that had an existence prior to its construction, have grown into flourishing cities. Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor, Jackson, Marshall, Battle Creek, Albion, Kalamazoo, Niles, and other places that might properly be included, owe all their improvements and enterprise to the construction of the Michigan Central Railroad, while the entire country along the route exhibits a degree of thrift and improvement that will compare favorably with the most flourishing sections of the seaboard states.

The Michigan Central Railroad was commenced and partially built by the state, but in 1844 passed into the possession of the company now owning it, who completed it to Chicago. A telegraph line has been in use for some years past along the entire line of the road, with an office at each station, by which means the exact position of each train may be known at each and every point. To this admirable system may be attributed, in a very great degree, the extraordinary exemption of this road from serious accidents, while its advantages respecting the general management, are very great in every point of view. The eastern terminus of the road being at Detroit, it has the full advantages of the numerous connections at this point—the Great Western and Grand Trunk Railways, the important steamboat routes to Cleveland, Lake Superior and Buffalo, together with the numerous freight routes to the different lake ports, of which the city of Detroit is the nucleus. Freight can now be transported, via this road, from Chicago to Portland, with but one change of cars. An important "feeder" is the "Joliet cut-off," by means of which it has a direct connection with St. Louis, via the Chicago, Alton and St. Louis Railroad. An excellent arrangement is now in successful operation with the latter road, for the direct transmission of freight between the cities of Detroit and St. Louis. Fifty cars have been devoted to this route, under the name of the "Detroit and St. Louis through freight line." The time between the two cities is thirty-eight hours. The advantages of this line to shippers is at once apparent, and will no doubt add, materially, to the rapidly increasing commerce of our state.

No railroad in the United States has exhibited a more enterprising and progressive spirit than has the Central, and no road is more popular with shippers. Its indefatigable manager, R. N. Rice, Esq., has determined to leave no expedient untried to secure for the Central the title of the best managed and equipped railroad in the United States. The entire aim and object of the management has been to consult only the safety, comfort and convenience of the public, and no equipment or improvement that in any way tends to this result has been neglected. All passenger trains are now fitted with "Ruttan's patent ventilator and duster," an arrangement by which a constant circulation of pure air is kept up, while the atmosphere is entirely freed from dust. In winter a similar arrangement keeps the air within the car at a pleasant temperature, while the feet of the passengers are kept comfortably warm by a current of heated air passing through a box on the floor beneath the seats.

The following table shows the total earnings of the road for the year 1861, compiled from the books of the company:

Statement of the earnings of the Michigan Central Railroad, for the year ending Dec. 31, 1861.

THE DETROIT AND MILWAUKEE RAILROAD.-The road was first opened its entire distance, one hundred and eighty-eight miles, from Detroit to Grand Haven, in November, 1858. It has been the means of opening up one of the best farming regions of the state; and to the untiring energy and administrative ability of its efficient superintendent, W. K. Muir, Esq., the State of Michigan is under lasting obligations. The principal cities and towns upon its line are Pontiac, Fentonville, St. Johns, Ionia, Grand Rapids, and Grand Haven, and the growth of these places has received a great impetus since its completion; while numerous villages have also sprung into being, as if by magic, at numerous points along the line. These changes are plainly visible in the improved trade of Detroit, and the increase from the same cause must continue to be strongly marked. In 1858, the company completed one of the finest railroad wharves in the world; it is fifteen hundred feet long by ninety broad, the west end of which is occupied by the freight house, the dimensions of which are four hundred and fifty by one hundred and thirty-two feet. In connection with this road, at its western terminus- Grand Haven-the splendid steamships "Detroit" and "Milwaukee" ply regularly between that place and the city of Milwaukee, having the most sumptuous accommodations for passengers, together with ample room for all classes of freight.

Comparative Statement of the Monthly Traffic Receipts of the Detroit and Milwaukee Railroad, for the years ending November 30th, 1860 and 1861.

The population of that section of Michigan which is directly tributary to or dependent upon the Detroit and Milwaukee Railroad as a means of outlet is at the present time upward of 250,000, having upward of one million acres of improved land. At Corunna, in Shiawassee county, the road crosses the immense bituminous coal bed, which stretches throughout the central portion of the state, and which is undoubtedly destined, at no very distant day, to prove a source of immense business to the road and of wealth to the mine owners. Opening, as it does, a road through the very heart of the state, and intersecting for two hundred miles, some of the very best farming lands in the country, the local business alone is now, and is destined to be, truly immense.

THE MICHIGAN SOUTHERN AND NORTHERN INDIANA RAILROAD. This is another of the great lines of travel and freight transportation to which the State of Michigan owes so much of her present prosperity. The main line of the road, which is four hundred and sixty-one miles in length, extending from Detroit to Chicago, was opened for travel in January, 1857. That portion of the road, from Detroit to Toledo, was built by the "Detroit, Monroe and Toledo Railroad Company," and has been leased by the M. S. & N. I.