waters through which it passes, are Green Bay and Lake Michigan, to the Island of Machinaw, a distance of two hundred and ten miles. Lake Huron, River St. Clair, Lake St. Clair and a part of Detroit river, to the city of Detroit, a distance from Machinac of four hundred miles; and then through part of Detroit river to Lake Erie, about three hundred miles, to Buffalo. This water communication, continued to the city of New York, by the Erie Canal and the Hudson river, and although there is but little competition in the carrying trade, on the upper Lakes, the expense of transportation from Green Bay to the city of New York is very trifling. As soon as the country opens, and its rich produce begins to float down the Lakes, competition in the carrying business will increase, and the price of transportation to and from the eastern markets will diminish. If the Pennsylvania Canal is extended to Erie, there will be a choice of markets opened to the agriculturalist of this region, and Philadelphia and Baltimore can compete with New York for the immense business of the Lake country.

The distance from Green Bay to Prairie du chene, by way of Fox and Wisconsin rivers, upon which the merchandize destined for the Prairie and Fort Winnebago is transported, is about four hundred miles. But by the path travelled by horsemen, the distance is not above two hundred and thirty miles. The distance from the Bay to Fort Winnebago, at the Wisconsin portage, by this path, is about one hundred and ten miles, travelling nearly S. W. course. There is a portage of about a mile and a quarter in length between the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers. From Green Bay settleto Mineral point, by way of Wisconsin portage, which is the only road now travelled, the distance is about one hundred and ninety miles, and from Mineral Point to Galena it is thirty six miles. A little assistance from the Government to aid in improving the Fox river below Winnebago Lake and upon a road from the head of the Lake to the mining country, is alone required not only to shorten the distance of the routes, and facilitate transportation, but to reduce

the price of it at least one-half below the present rates. I believe that the distance from the mouth of Fond du lac river, at the head of Winnebago Lake, to Mineral Point, by a course along which a road can be opened with great ease, will not exceed eighty miles. You are aware that distances are frequently computed by Indian marches; and it is a well authenticated fact, that, during Col. Dixon's1 expedition at the close of the last war, the Indians marched from a place called Pine-bends, thirty miles beyond Mineral Point, to Garlic Island in Winnebago Lake, about twenty miles below Fond du lac river, in two days. Thus by calculating the distance from the mouth of Fond du Lac to Mineral Point at 80 miles, these Indians are made to march sixty five miles a day; and that is a very long march for an Indian.

It is very evident that the period is not remote, when the great thoroughfare between the Mississippi and the City of New York will pass through Green Bay. Nature has done so much for this country that there must soon be a commodious highway, connecting the waters of the Lakes with the Mississippi river; and then the whole business of Galena, the lead mines and the upper Mississippi will take this route, by which the value of property at the line of ship navigation will be greatly enhanced, and the commerce of the Lakes much benefitted. These advantages require a population that understands how to improve them. Let the Menominie Treaty be ratified, by which the government will have received three millions of choice acres to hold out as inducement to emigration, and that population will not be long wanting; more especially if the Bill organizing the new Territory passes this session, which is earnestly called for by the true interests of the country.

1 John Dixon, first settler of Dixon, Ill., and a prominent participant in the Black Hawk War.- ED.

2 See Sanborn's "Story of the Fox-Wisconsin River Improvement," Wis. Hist. Soc. Proc., 1899, pp. 186-194; and Libby's "Significance of the Lead and Shot Trade in Early Wisconsin History," Wis. Hist Colls., xiii, pp. 293-334.- ED.

I now, with due deference, submit this communication to you. It is lengthy, and a perusal will no doubt be fatiguing; but I was unable to comprise it within a smaller compass. The subject which has given it birth has reached a crisis which renders it of serious importance to the government, and my sole desire is, when the final question comes up for decision, to have the government act upon correct information. I can then have no fear of the result. The Senate of the United States will not suffer an arrangement, so highly advantageous to the government as the Menominie Treaty, to be lost, upon objections so futile as those urged against it by the New York Indians.

I am, sir, very respectfully,

Your ob't. Svt.

S. C. STAMBAUGH.

NARRATIVE BY LOUIS B. PORLIER.

IN AN INTERVIEW WITH THE EDITOR.'

I was born at Green Bay, in 1815, my father being Jacques Porlier of the old trading company of Jacques Porlier and Augustin Grignon. Three years after that, the firm built their principal trading post on Overton's Creek, flowing into the upper end of Lake Butte des Morts, two miles below the present village of that name; they had branch posts at Grand Kackalin, on the Lower Fox, and Point Boss, on the Wisconsin. None of the Company lived either at the Butte des Morts or Point Boss agency - Grignon residing at Grand Kackalin, and my father at Green Bay; the business being transacted by clerks, who were chiefly members of the two families; some of the firm visited the establishments each spring or fall. About 1826, Robert Grignon, a nephew of old Augustin, became permanent agent at the Grand Butte; but in 1830, he desired to set up business for himself, and I then only 15 years of age-was sent down to succeed him. Robert opened a trading post on what is now the Benanger farm, a few miles above the Oshkosh city cemetery, and united with his mercantile operations the practice of the agricultural arts, in the crude style of the times; his venture did not prove profitable, and he never forgave himself for leaving his salaried position.

1 At Porlier's residence, at Butte des Morts, in 1887. The narrator died at that place in 1899.- ED.

2 The narrator was a son-in-law of Augustin Grignon, and assisted Dr. L. C. Draper in interviewing the latter, for Wis. Hist. Colls., iii.— Ed. Robert Grignon served as a lieutenant on the Stambaugh expedition, in the Black Hawk War, 1832.- Ed.

About 1826, the federal government had established a mail route between Forts Winnebago (Portage) and Howard, the trail crossing the Wolf near our trading post, where the company kept a scow for the transportation of the carrier and such other equestrians as passed that way; the charges were 25 cents for ferrying a man and horse, in the summer season, and 50 cents when ice had to be broken; 12 cents were charged for a gallon of oats for the horse, and 25 cents for a like quantity of corn, while the man was fed for 50 cents per meal. Pierre Paquette was the mail-contractor; but Joseph Crelie1 and Antoine Courcielle, two relatives of his, were the actual carriers, taking the trips alternately. In those days the marshes opposite Butte des Morts were capable of bearing up a horse and rider, and, coming up the Fox valley from the southwest, travellers along the trail rode to the very edge of the Wolf River, within easy hailing distance of our post.

My father, in 1830 or 1831, thought seriously of moving his family up to our neighborhood; and commenced to erect a log house a mile below the present village of Butte des Morts; but it was burned down, before completed, by one of the grass-fires, set by the Menominees, who had a village at the Grand Butte. Another house was soon after erected, but not then occupied. In 1834-35, the post was moved to this latter location, the house being used to accommodate the families of clerks and agents, and two more block-houses being built in the immediate vicinity — one for a store, the other for boatmen's quarters. I was not stationed here, then, having in 1833 been sent to Point Boss, with Augustin Grignon's youngest brother, Amable.

In this latter year, another trail was chosen for the mailroute, crossing what is now called Coon's Point in Ward Five of Oshkosh. George Johnson, of Shantytown, on the Lower Fox, and father to William Johnson, the Indian interpreter, desiring to take advantage of this fact, erected that season one or two log houses at Algoma, opposite Coon's Point; bringing his family up, he commenced busi'See Wis. Hist. Colls., ix, p. 293.-ED.