Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2014 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== THE LUDINGTON RECORD, Ludington, Michigan Thursday, November 10, 1881 VOL. XV. OLD SERIES, NO. 10 VOL. II NEW SERIES, NO. 25 The LILLIE PRATT discharged a large quanitites of supplies last Tuesday for Geo. W. Roby & Co. The schooner GENERAL SEIGEL, while coming into Hamlin last Monday, collided with the pier and tore away the davits, wrecking the yawl. The tug BROCKWAY left Ludington to-day with the scow JACOBUS in tow. This is the last cargo of lumber of the season on any of the scows. The yacht PROSPECTOR was taken to Chicago by the tug BROCKWAY. The crew, however, preferred to cross the lake on the tug, but will navigate the canal on board the PROSPECTOR as was reported to our last issue. (transcriber's note: It's a good thing the crew preferred to go on the tug. See next week's news!) The schooner WINNIE WING brought a fine heavy span of horses across the lake last Wednesday, for Geo. W. Roby & Co. They had to be land- ed by means of tackles, and furnished some amusement for the boys. They reminded one - while hanging in mid air, of the old plug that Milton speaks of in Paradise Lost; "pawing to get free, his hinder parts." The wreck of the steamer JENNIE GILCHRIST floated down the Mississippi to Buffalo, and lodged against a tree. The corpses of William Wendt, of Cordova, was found in the cabin. The body of Mrs. Mary J. Camp was recovered twelve miles below Davenport. C. F. Johnson, of Moline, Ill., and John McCall of Le Claire, Iowa, are known to have perished making thirteen victims. FORTUNES LOST From the Chicago Inter Ocean The actual amount of corn bought and sold by Mr. J. B. Hobbs, of this city, during the month of October, and of October corn, was 60,000,000 bushels. This is the largest grain deal ever made or conceived by one man or firm. In the purchase of this enormous amount - sufficient nearly to form a belt three bushel baskets wide around the globe. Mr. Hobbs actually signed checks for the total sum of $10,000,000. These facts are used as introductory to assure the vessel men that three short weeks ago Mr. Hobbs made it optional with them to inaugurate the liveliest fall shipping ever known, or endure the dullest possible to conceive. For once our friends were unwise and tookt the latter and fatal course. It may be profitable, at this point, to give the inside history of their move, and its consequences, which have plunged a spirit of depression of trade over the entire continent, besides closing up the shipping six weeks earlier than usual. About three weeks ago, at the time of the great wheat deal, an account of which was published in the Inter Ocean at the time in an article entitled "Sixty-two Cents," the railways were shown to be not fairly in competition with the waterway for the grain traffic. Mr. Hobbs had some 3,000,000 bushels of corn on hand ready for shipment east. He stated to the vessel men that he would give them all they could do the rest of the fall, (his corn deal, as shown above, was 3 1/2 times the storage capacity of Chicago), and offered them 3 cents per bushel for corn to Buffalo on contract. The latter wanted 3 1/2 cents, and believed by holding off they could get it. Without taking into consideration that he had enough on hand to fill fifty of the largest lake propellers, they consulted together and peremptorily de- clined to take the contract at less than 3 1/2 cents. The decision was terrible. Within an hour the railways got an inkling of the matter and offered to carry corn through to New York for 7 cents, which was to include the 3 cents terminal charges. It was an unpre- cedented offer, which no man could refuse. The parties for whom Mr. Hobbs was dealing telegraphed him in haste to accept. The charter was consumated, and the vessel men found in the twinkling of a star that the most gigantic game on which the eyes of an old salt were ever laid they had kicked from their grasp. They have since come down to 3 cents, 2 cents, 1 1/2 cents, and have even offered vessels at 1 1/2 cents. Unable to get even these rates, the canvas has fled to Muskegon for lumber, to Escanaba for ore, and to Buffalo for coal. Failing to even get paying rates at either of these ports, hundreds of the craft are stripping for the winter. Too late it was found that the railways had swallowed up enough shipments to have occupied every grain vessel on Lake Michigan until late in the fall. The Inter Ocean does not mean to be severe, for 'tis sorry 'tis true, but it feels compelled to add the lament of a shivering firm on the board of trade: Stupid we are Stupid we be; We see we are Stupidity. -------------------------------------------------------------------- THE LUDINGTON RECORD, Ludington, Michigan Thursday, November 17, 1881 VOL. XV. OLD SERIES, NO. 11 VOL. II NEW SERIES, NO. 26 MARINE ITEMS Propeller TRUESDELL arrived last night from Michigan City. Port Huron will construct a vessel of a capacity of 50,000 bushels of grain. The schooner CHALLENGE arrived here last Monday morning, and has gone into winter quarters. Fishing operations in Lake Michigan is very satisfactory to those engaged in it at the present time. Schooner GESINE is taking a load of lumber to Ahnapee from T. R. Lyon, and will return with a cargo of brick to be used in building his new store in the Fourth ward. The Bay City Tribune states that a move is on the **apis to build ocean craft on Saginaw river of sufficient size to go through the Canadian canals, in opposition to the railroad monopolies. The schooner BARBARIAN laden with pig iron, ran on St. Helena shoal last Friday night, during the gale. There was four feet of water in the hold the following morning. The tug SAUGATUCK has since released her in a leaking condition. This Tuesday morning the schooner RED, WHITE AND BLUE came into port with the wind blowing a gale. The vessel dropped on to the steamer GRACIE BARKER, lying near the elevator, tearing away the pilot house and upper works generally, in- flicting damage to the amount of about $200. The yacht PROSPECTOR, which left Ludington last Thursday, in tow of the scow JACOBUS, was lost during the gale of Friday evening when about twelve miles from Chicago. The constant flying of spray over the little craft had gradually filled her until her buoyancy was gone, when the tow rope parted, leaving her at the mercy of the waves. The party of young men who owned her were on board the scow at the time, and reached Chicago safely about midnight, after passing a most uncomfortable time during the passage. Sad and discomfitted, they returned home on the steam barge GEO. K. BURNHAM. The contemplated trip down the Mississippi is indefinately post- poned. "The best laid plans o' mice and men gang aft aglee." Last Saturday evening, about seven o'clock, the schooner E. P. ROYCE was seen flying a signal of distress about 10 miles east of Kenosha. The life boat was called into re- quisition as soon as possible, and after a hard struggle through the heavy sea running at the time, succeeded in reaching the schooner to find her waterlogged with decks under, and Captain Britton with his wife and the crew taking refuge on top of the cabin. It was decided that the life boat should proceed to Racine and procure tugs to tow the vessel into port. Captain Britton refused to leave the vessel, but placed his wife on board the life-boat, and told the crew that any of them who wished, could get into the life boat at that time. Two of the crew accepted the proposition. The life boat according proceeded to Racine, and procured the services of two tugs, when the ROYCE was towed to Racine. The tug BROCKWAY, Capt. Cortland, left Chicago the following day to take charge of the ROYCE and tow her to Chicago. After being discharged the ROYCE will winter in Ludington. ===========================================================================