western part of the State, the Wisconsin river empties into the Mississippi, and after ascending it one hundred and fifteen miles, and seventy miles before reaching the head of navigation, you approach within two miles of a remarkable bend in the Fox river, which runs directly in the opposite direction, north-easterly, and empties into Green Bay. This narrow carrying place very much resembles the one at Fort Stanwix, (now Rome,) in this State, which separated the waters of the Mohawk and Wood creek, and when traversed by a canal, connected the Western Lakes with Tide Water. A similar canal between the Fox and Wisconsin rivers, has connected the Great Lakes with the Father of Waters. From this isthmus to Lake Winnebago, one hundred and twelve miles, the waters of the Fox river are sluggish, and easily rendered navigable. After this passage through the Lake sixteen miles, the descent to Green Bay is one hundred and seventy feet in thirty-five miles, and, of course, locks are required, furnishing, in addition to the navigation, and exhaustless water-power, which will become more and more valuable as the State fills with population. The whole distance from the Mississippi to Green Bay, by this internal communication, is one hundred and eighty miles. This line constitutes a remarkable channel of inland navigation, and when properly improved, will open a very direct and valuable water communication from the Upper Mississippi to the great northern chain of lakes and the St. Lawrence, alike important to the general commerce of the country, and to the prosperity of the State through which it passes.

Congress, as early as 1846, made an extensive grant of land to the State of Wisconsin, for the improvement of the above line of navigation. That State, with wise forecast against the policy of running in debt, has granted the lands to the Fox and Wisconsin Improvement Company, and contracted with it to make necessary improvements of the navigation in question. In so doing, she doubtless conferred a

magnificent property upon this Company, to be constantly enhanced in value, as the work which it undertakes to construct shall progress; but in view of the want of economy and of the financial disaster which is apt to attend such enterprises when conducted by the Government, we cannot say she has acted unwisely.

The work of uniting the navigation of the Mississippi and the Lake, through this line, is nearly completed. The canal between the Wisconsin and Fox rivers, is constructed. Boats have, within a few days, passed through the locks between Lake Winnebago and Green Bay. The Company has the franchise of charging tolls on the property which may pass through this line, and we perceive that the engineer, DANIEL C. JENNIE, well known to this State, estimates that these tolls will pay a handsome revenue on the stock of the Company, leaving its lands a clear profit. These lands amount to 400,000 acres already selected, and a claim of 350,000 more, which depends upon the construction to be given the act of Congress granting the lands. Doubtless the enterprise is one which is to afford a munificent reward to the sagacious gentlemen who were able to foresee its importance, and risk their capital upon its successful consummation. We notice among the Directors of the Company, several gentlemen of this State, distinguished for their enterprise.

The following are the Directors: ERASTUS CORNING, Albany, President, HORATIO SEYMOUR, Utica, EDWARD C. DELAVAN, Albany, OTTO TANK, MORGAN L. MARTIN, Vice President, EDGAR CONKLIN, Green Bay. Treasurer, ABRAHAM В.、 CLARK, New York. Secretary, ALBERT G. ALLEN, New York. -Albany, N. Y., Atlas, April, 1857.

THE LEMONWIER RIVER.

BY D. MCBRIDE, OF MAUston.

This valuable stream, which gives name to the valley, derives its name from an incident of traditionary history among the north-western tribes of Indians, many years prior to any modern white settlement within the territory of Wisconsin.

An Indian Chief, who then held unbounded sway over the tribes of the West, from the southern end of Lake Michigan to the Mississippi, fearing the rapid encroachments of the white men, then spreading over the territories of Indiana and Michigan, formed the plan of an extensive league with the still farther western tribes around, and west of the Falls of St. Anthony; and, for the purpose of perfecting it, dispatched a messenger with a war belt of wampum, and a request for delegations of the Dakotahs and Chippewas to meet in grand council at the big bend of the Wisconsin-now Portage City. The runner, in the course of his journey, encamped on the proposed council grounds over night, next morning crossing the river, following the well known trail to the West, again encamped on the banks of this beautiful stream. During the night he dreamed that he had lost his belt of wampum with which he was entrusted, at his last sleeping place. On awaking in the morning he found his dream to be a reality, and hastened back to recover the lost treasure, in which he was successful. On returning to the scene of his dream he again encamped, and before leaving on his mission,

gave a name to the river, significant of the event-Le-mowee*-the river of memory.

It takes its rise from extensive swamps and marshes near the dividing ridge in Monroe county, and has a tributary called the Little Lemonwier, which unites with the main branch eight miles north-west of this point. For many miles on the head waters of the main river, the land is heavily timbered with white and Norway pines, which have afforded a constant supply, since the earliest settlement of the valley, of immense quantities of this valuable timber, and which will no doubt continue during the present generation. The river is a very durable, permanent stream, at all times affording an abundant supply of water for the several privileges now erected, or that may yet be established. The whole valley is also abundantly supplied with hard timber, white and black oak, for fencing, fire-wood, &c., and no better lands for stock and grain farms can be found in the Great West, ranging at from five to thirty dollars per acre.

*Le-mo-wee may be very good Indian, for aught we know, and if this tradition deserves, as it would seem, our confidence, we presume the French phrase, La memoire-memory--is intended. On page 178, of the 2d Vol. of the Society's Collections, Judge LOCKWOOD gives the orthography, probably from the customary pronunciation, Manois; and in the STAMBAUGH treaty with the Menomonees, of February, 1831, the same stream is spoken of as the " Monoy or Lemonwier."-See 2d Vol. Society's Collections, p. 435.

In turning to some MS. notes of conversations with my venerable friend, Col. JOHN SHAW, of Marquette county, I find, he states it as his opinion, that the word Lemonwier is derived from the Indian word le-min wah-the place where the deer run, in their running or sexual season.

Gen. W. R. SMITH, the President of our Historical Society, remarked in conversation, that he had long been curious and anxious to learn the derivation and meaning of Lemon wier, but had not succeeded. It is a singular, rather pretty and euphonious name of a fine stream and rich valley of our State, and we hope its origin and meaning may yet be definitely determined. L. C. D.

THE BARABOO VALLEY, A DAIRY REGION.

The New York Tribune recently published an article on the dairy region of the Union, of which the following is an

extract:

The true dairy region comprises the New England States, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the basin of the Lakes, which would include in its southern rim all that part of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, lying north of the 41st parallel of north latitude.

The Milwaukee Wisconsin justly claims for Wisconsin a share of the honor, and says:

"If the Tribune desires to see a hilly or even a mountainous country, we could take our friend to the regions of the Baraboo and Lemonwier-only one hundred miles from Milwaukee, and by rail, too-where we can show him the hills of New England, water as pure as ever trickled out of the rock, and lakes which would pass for genuine mountain tarns in Auld Scotia. The Devil's Lake, near Baraboo, is one of the most beautiful and picturesque of imaginable lakes; the granite boulders and enormous precipices make one think of New England. It is not the Baraboo country alone which is a good grazing section. All the fertile region surrounding Lake Winnebago, is a superb grazing country. There JAMES, the novelist, has his farm. We can say the same of Dane, Waukesha, Washington, Columbia, Rock, Brown, Richland, Iowa, Grant, Crawford, and the Mississippi river counties to the farthest limits of Wisconsin."