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  Some of the smaller streams, alluded to above, such as the
Peshtigo, Oconto, and Shawano, in Oconto and Shawano coun-
ties, flow through lands rich with pine and other timber, into
Green Bay, and bear their freights that; are largely found in all
the channels of commerce. In Marathon county, the Wisconsin
river flows through valuable timbered land, and affords conven-
ient transit of its products to certain markets; and Chippewa,
Barron, Polk, Burnett, Clark, Ashland, Bayfield and Douglas
counties are similarly favored by other rivers. But besides these
water advantages, railroad facilities are now in progress, which
will render the vast timber, agricultural and mineral resources of
these counties completely accessible. The Portage, Winnebago
and Superior road, is a land grant road, running westwardly
from Manitowoc, on Lake Michigan, to Stevens Point, in Port-
age county, afid from thence taking a northerly course through
lands magnificently rich in all the resources of natural advanta-
ges, such as timber and farming lands unrivalled in the world for
quality and fertility, until the northeastern border of Clark
county is reached, it then proceeds north on the fourth principal
meridian, dividing the counties of Chippewa and Marathon, un-
til Ashland county is reached, then bearing northwesterly to Lake
Superior.
   This road, destined to be a section of the great national thor-
oughfare between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, already makes
a show for speedy completion, the whole route in Wisconsin of
nearly four hundred miles having been already surveyed and a
portion graded, and the enthusiastic continuation of the work
being insured by the excitement on the subject amongst the
heaviest capitalists in this and other countries; several of whom
have already backed the enterprise by solid investments of mon-
ey and positive opinions as to its certain success; undoubtedly
sustained in these last by the knowledge, from official and other
sources, that the road west from Lake Superior to the Pacific
coast will pass through a wooded, fertile and watered country,
amply capable of sustaining it by overflowing freights of all the
staple productions and by a passenger traffic, that in such a fa-
vored climate and country must be ample and substantial.
   The Northern Pacific road having commenced active opera-