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tions with a capital of millions backing it, insuring its speedy
completion, the great thoroughfares of the South and East are
already seeking connection with its eastern terminus. The Illi-
nois Central, the Chicago and Northwestern, the Milwaukee and
St. Paul, the Michigan Central, the Grand Trunk, and many other
railways, are ready to stretch their iron arms in this direction.
to reach the eastern terminus of the Northern Pacific, they must
pass through this region. The location, resources and advanta-
ges of Marathon and of all Central and Northern Wisconsin are
such that they will necessarily reap vast benefits from any of
these lines, when they penetrate this region on their way to join
the great northern artery of commerce. The mineral regions
north contain the richest deposits of iron, silver and copper,
while the magnificent hard timber, such as oak, butternut, ash
and maple, will induce the establishment of manufactories like
those of Appleton and the cities of the lakes.
  The water powers on all the rivers and streams are plenty and
available, but few are more important than that of the Fox river,
between Lake Winnebago and Green Bay, where there is a fall
of 170 feet, easily improved, in a distance of thirty-eight miles.
The discharge of water, when the river is at a low stage is 23,-
206 cubic feet per second, equivalent in the aggregate fall to the
power of 448,300 horses. This water power is already much
improved, especially at Menasha, Appleton and Depere.
  There are lakes from twenty to thirty miles in extent in the
interior of the State; the greatest number of the small ones be-
ing near the sources of the Chippewa and St. Croix rivers.
  The unrivaled timber wealth of the extreme northern counties
is not their only resource. They possess another resource, that
recent developments conclusively prove will be even more
valuable than the timber or agricultural one. This is found in
the immense deposits of iron ore that have been discovered.
One of these, partly in Ashland and partly in Marathon county,
is judged by experts to be the largest and most valuable in the
world and as being calculated to supply an exhaustless quantity
of the best charcoal iron, which, in the various operations of
iron manufacture, ranks first in quality and essential charac-