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deau system by way of the Ottawa River （246 miles）。 There was thus provided an ocean outlet to the north； although it was not until 1856 that an American vessel reached London by way of the St。 Lawrence。
With the Hudson and the St。 Lawrence in the East thus competing for the trade of the Great Lakes； it is not surprising that the call of the Mississippi for improved highways was presently heard。 From the period of the War of 1812 onward the position of the Mississippi River in relation to Lake Michigan was often referred to as holding possibilities of great importance in the development of Western commerce。 Already the old portage…path links between the Fox and Wisconsin and the Chicago and Illinois rivers had been worn deep by the fur traders of many generations； and with the dawning of the new era enthusiasts of Illinois were pointing out the strategic position of the latter route for a great trade between Lake Michigan and the Gulf of Mexico。 Thus the wave of enthusiasm for canal construction that had swept New York and Ohio now reached Indiana and Illinois。 Indian ownership of land in the latter State for a moment seemed to block the promotion of the proposed Illinois and Michigan Canal； but a handsome grant of a quarter of a million acres by the Federal Government in 1827 came as a signal recognition of the growing importance of the Northwest； and an appropriation for the lighting and improving of the harbor of the little village of Chicago was hailed by ardent promoters as sure proof that the wedding of Lake Michigan and the Mississippi was but a matter of months。
All the difficulties encountered by the advocates of earlier works of this character； in the valleys of the Potomac； the Susquehanna； and the Mohawk； were the portion of these dogged promoters of Illinois。 Here； as elsewhere； there were rival routes and methods of construction； opposition of jealous sections not immediately benefited； estimates which had to be reconsidered and augmented； and so on。 The land grants pledged to pay the bonds were at first of small value； and their advance in price depended on the success of the canal itself； which could not be built unless the State underwrote the whole enterpriseif the lands were not worth the bonds。 Thus the argument ran in a circle； and no one could foresee the splendid traffic and receipts from tolls that would result from the completed canal。
The commissioners in charge of the project performed one interesting service in these early days by putting Chicago on the map； but the two terminals； Ottawa on the Illinois and Chicago on Lake Michiganboth plotted in 1830were very largely figures of speech at that time。 The day of miracles was at hand； however； for the little town of one hundred people at the foot of Lake Michigan。 The purchase of the lands of the Potawatomies； the Black Hawk War in 1832； which brought steamboats to Chicago for the first time； and the decision of Illinois in 1836 to pledge her good name in favor of the Illinois and Michigan Canal made Chicago a city of four thousand people by the panic year of 1837。 So absorbed were these Chicago folk in the building of their canal and in wresting from their lake firm foothold for a city （reclaiming four hundred feet of lake bed in two years） that the panic affected their town less than it did many a rival。 Although the canal enterprise came to an ominous pause in 1842； after the expenditure of five millions； the pledge of the State stood the enterprise in good stead。 Local financiers； together with New York and Boston promoters； advanced about a quarter of a million； while French and English bankers； notably Baring Brothers； contributed about three…quarters of a million。 With this assistance the work was carried to a successful ending。 On April 10；1848； the first boat passed over the ninety…mile route from Chicago to Ottawa； and the Great Lakes and the Mississippi Basin were united by this Erie Canal of the West。 Though its days of greatest value were soon over； no one can exaggerate the importance of this waterway in the growth and prosperity of Chicago between 1848 and 1860。 By 1857 Chicago was sending north and south annually by boat over twenty million bushels of wheat and corn。
The awakening of the lands behind Lake Erie； Lake Huron； and Lake Michigan brought forth innumerable demands for roads； canals； and railways to the ports of Buffalo； Cleveland； Toledo； Detroit； Milwaukee； and Chicago。 There were actually hundreds of these enterprises undertaken。 The development of the land behind Lake Superior was particularly spectacular and important； not only because of its general effect on the industrial world but also because out of it came the St。 Mary's River Ship Canal。 Nowhere in the zone of the Great Lakes has any region produced such unexpected changes in American industrial and commercial life as did the region of Michigan； Wisconsin； and Minnesota contributory to Lake Superior。 If； as the story goes； Benjamin Franklin said； when he drew at Paris the international boundary line through Lake Superior； that this was his greatest service to America； he did not exaggerate。 The line running north of Isle Royale and thence to the Lake of the Woods gave the United States the lion's share of that great inland seaboard and the inestimably rich deposits of copper and iron that have revolutionized American industry。
》From earliest days rumors of deposits of bright copper in the land behind Lake Superior had been reported by Indians to fur traders who in turn had passed the story on to fur company agents and thus to the outside world。 As a result of her 〃Toledo War〃 as her boundary dispute was calledMichigan had reluctantly accepted the northern peninsula lying between Lake Superior and Lake Michigan in lieu of the strip of Ohio territory which she believed to be hers。 If Michigan felt that she had lost by this compromise； her state geologist； Douglass Houghton； soon found a splendid jewel in the toad's head of defeat； for the report of his survey of 1840 confirmed the story of the existence of large copper deposits； and the first rush to El Dorado followed。 Amid the usual chaos； conflict； and failure incident to such stampedes； order and system at last triumphed and the richest copper mines of the New World were uncovered。 Then came the unexpected finding of the mammoth iron…ore beds by William A。 Burt； inventor of the solar compass。 The circumstance of this discovery is of such national importance that a contemporary description by a member of Burt's party which was surveying a line near Marquette； Michigan； is worth quoting：
〃I shall never forget the excitement of the old gentleman when viewing the changes of the variation。 He kept changing his position to take observations； all the time saying 〃How would they survey this country without my compass〃 and 〃What could be done here without my compass。〃 At length the compassman called for us all to 〃come and see a variation which will beat them all。〃 As we looked at the instrument； to our astonishment； the north end of the needle was traversing a few degrees to the south west。 Mr。 Burt called out 〃Boys； look around and see what you can find。〃 We all left the line； some going to the east； some g