ortance. First, it has the Green Bay, Lake Winnebago, and
Fox River improvement connecting it with the Wisconsin River, by which
it has access to the Mississippi River, and thereby enjoys the
commerce of its upper valleys, and its rich lower lands and prosperous
States;--and second, the Illinois and Michigan canal, rendering the
great commercial valley of the Illinois tributary to its commerce. By
railways, perfected and projected, it has, or will soon have,
connection with the Mississippi in its upper tributaries and lead
regions by way of the Milwaukee and Mississippi, and Chicago and
Galena lines. To the eastward, by the Michigan Central and Southern
Railroad, it communicates with the lake shore road, and thence with
all the eastern lines from Buffalo to Boston. To the southward it will
speedily be united by the great system of projected railroads.

"A road is now in progress extending from Fort Wayne, Indiana, to
Mackinaw. From a recent report made of this road, which will prove of
vast importance in developing the immense resources of Michigan, we
extract the following:--

"The distance from point to point, as measured by the engineers, are
as follow:

"From Fort Wayne to the 'Air-line Railroad, Indiana, 28 miles; the
Air-line railroad, to Wolcottville, 6; Wolcottville to Lagrange, 10;
Lagrange to Lima, 5; Lima to Sturgis, Mich., 5-1/2; Sturgis to Mendon,
14; Mendon to Brady, 8; Brady to Kalamazoo, 12; Kalamazoo to Grand
Rapids, 47; Grand Rapids to Laphamville, 13; Laphamville to Little
Traverse Bay, 169; Little Traverse to the Straits of Mackinaw, 27.
Total; 344.

"The work of construction now performed, is mostly between
Wolcottville and Kalamazoo. Between Lagrange and Sturgis the
earth-work and bridges are nearly done--$1,500 will complete it for
the ties. About one-fourth of the earth-work, bridges and ties, of the
remainder of the line from Wolcottville to Kalamazoo, is done.
Between Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids, work to the amount of $8,000 has
been done.

"The construction of the road bed, bridging, ties, ballasting, &c.,
from Kalamazoo to the north bank of the Muskegon River, one hundred
and three miles, is let to Daniel Beckel, Esq., of Dayton, Ohio. Near
two hundred hands are engaged on the work--on the twenty miles north
of Grand Rapids. It is the intention of the company, as we are
informed, to complete this twenty miles early the coming summer.

"We are informed by the annual report, that on July