Page:EB1911 - Volume 26.djvu/131

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SUPERIOR—SUPPLY AND TRANSPORT
113

the statistics gathered at the Sault Canal offices, aggregated in 1907 over 58,000,000 (short) tons. The principal freight shipped eastward consists of fiour, wheat and other grains, through Duluth-Superior from the United States, and through Fort William-Port Arthur from the Canadian prairies; copper ore from the mines on the south shore; iron ore in immense quantities from both shores, the principal ore shipping, ports being Ashland, Two Harbors, Marquette, Superior and Michipicoten, and lumber produced on the tributary rivers. West-bound freight consists largely of coal for general distribution and for terminal railway points. The fishing industry of Lake Superior is important, salmon-trout (Salvelinus namaycush, Walb), ranging from 10 to 50 ℔ in weight, being gathered from the individual fishermen by steam tenders and shipped by rail to city markets. The river Nipigon, on the north shore, is famous for speckled-trout (Salvelinus fontinalis, Mitchill) of unusual size; and all rivers and brooks falling into the lake are trout streams.

See Bulletin No. 17, Survey of Northern and North-Western Lakes, U.S. War Department, Lake Survey Office, Detroit (1907); Sailing Directions for Lake Superior and the St Mary's River, U.S. Hydrographic Office publication No. 108 A. (Washington, 1906), with supplements.  (W. P. A.) 


SUPERIOR, a city, a port of entry and the county-seat of Douglas county, Wisconsin, U.S.A., about 140 m. N. by E. of Minneapolis and St Paul, on Superior, St Louis and Allouez bays at the head of Lake Superior, and directly opposite Duluth, Minnesota, with which it is connected by ferry and by railway and road bridges. Pop. (1890), 11,983; (1900), 31,091, of whom 11,419 were foreign-born (2854 Swedish, 2404 English Canadians, 2026 Norwegian, and 801 German), and 186 were negroes; (1910, U.S. census), 40,384. Superior is served by the Northern Pacific, the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic, the Wisconsin Central, the Great Northern, the Minneapolis, St Paul & Sault Ste Marie, and the Chicago & North-Western railways, and (for freight only) by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St Paul. A belt line railway connects the several systems. Superior shares with Duluth one of the finest natural inland harbours in the world. The harbour, which has been improved by the Federal government, is formed by two narrow strips of sandy land, known as Minnesota and Wisconsin Points, which extend several miles across the head of the lake from the Minnesota and Wisconsin shores respectively and almost meet in the centre. The body of water thus formed, Superior and Allouez bays, varies in width from 1 to 1¼ m., and is 9½ m. long. St Louis Bay, on the west, is about 1½ by 4 m. The city is situated on gently rising ground facing these bays, and has 29 m. of harbour frontage. The settlement of Superior at different times and in different places is responsible for the large area covered by the city (36.1 sq. m.) and its appearance is that of three distinct towns. The intervening portions have however been platted and are now largely settled. Superior is the seat of a state normal school (1896), which occupies a splendidly equipped building, and, in addition to the ordinary normal courses, has departments of kindergarten training, manual training and domestic science. 1'he city is the see of a Roman Catholic bishop. Superior has a cheap fuel supply and power is furnished by electricity generated on the St Louis river. In 1905 the value of its factory products was $6,356,981. Flour is the principal product, and shipbuilding is important. Among steel ships, the type known as the “ whaleback ” originated here; and iron and wooden ships, launches and small pleasure craft are also made. Other manufactures are railway cars, casks, cooperage, saw and planing mill products, furniture, wooden ware, windmills, gas-engines, and mattresses and wire beds. Superior is an important grain market. Much iron and copper ore is shipped from the Duluth-Superior harbour; and large quantities of coal, brought by lake boats, are distributed from here throughout the American and Canadian North-west. The total tonnage of the Duluth-Superior Harbour was estimated in 1908 to be exceeded in the United States only by that of New York and that of Philadelphia.

Pierre Esprit Radisson and Medard Chouart des Groseilliers probably visited the site of Superior in 1661, and it is practically certain that other French coureurs-des-bois were here at different times before Daniel Greysolon, Sieur Du Lhut (Duluth), established a trading post in the neighbourhood about 1678. About 1820 the Hudson's Bav Campany established a post here, but there was no permanent settlement until after the middle of the 19th century. Attention was directed to the site by a survey made by George R. Stuntz, a government surveyor, in 1852, and in 1853 a syndicate of capitalists, at the head of which was William Wilson Corcoran, the wealthy Washington banker, associated with whom were Senators Stephen A. Douglas (from whom the county was named), R. M. T. Hunter and J. B. Bright, Ex-Senator Robert J. Walker, Congressmen John C. Breckinridge and John L. Dawson, and others, largely Southern politicians and members of Congress, bought lands here and platted a town which was named Superior. The proprietors secured in 1856 the construction of a. military road to St Paul, Minnesota, 160 m. long. The town grew rapidly, and in 1856–1857 had about 2500 inhabitants. The panic of 1857 interrupted its growth, and the population dwindled so that in 1860 there were only a few hundred settlers on the town-site. The Civil War increased the depression, and the lands of those who had taken part against the Union were confiscated. In 1862 a series of stockades was built as a protection from the Indians. Within the area under the government of the town of Superior, which was at first co-extensive with the county, West Superior was platted in 1883 and South Superior soon afterwards. A village government was established in September 1887, including the three settlements mentioned, and in April 1889 Superior was chartered as a city. The harbour was surveyed in 1823–1825 by Lieut. Henry Wolsey Bayneld (1795–1885) of the British Navy. In 1860–1861 it was resurveyed by Captain George G. Meade, who was engaged in the work at the outbreak of the Civil War. A branch of the Northern Pacific railway was built to Superior in 1881.


SUPPÉ, FRANZ VON (1820-1895), Austrian musical composer, whose real name was Francesco Ezechiele Ermenegildo Suppé-Demelli, was born at Spalato, in Dalmatia, in 1820, and died at Vienna in 1895. Originally he studied philosophy at the university of Padua, but on the death of his father devoted himself to music, studying at the Vienna conservatoire. He began his musical -career as a conductor in one of the smaller Viennese theatres, and gradually worked his way up to be one of the most popular composers of ephemeral light opera of the day. Outside Vienna his works never won much success. Of his sixty comic operas Fatinitza (Vienna, 1876; London, 1878) was the 'most successful, while Boccaccio (Vienna, 1879; London, 1882) only enjoyed moderate favour. Suppé's overture to Dichter und Bauer is his most successful orchestral work. He also wrote some church music.


SUPPLY (through Fr. from Lat. supplere, to fill up), provision: more particularly the money granted by a legislature to carry on the work of government. In the United Kingdom the granting of supply is the exclusive right of the House of Commons, and is carried out by two committees of the House, one of supply and the other of ways and means (see PARLIA-MENT). In the United States supply originates in the House of Representatives (see UNITED STATES! Appropriation). In Scotland commissioners of supply were officers appointed to assess and collect the land tax offered as supply to the sovereign. Under the Lands Valuation (Scotland) Act 1854 all owners of property of a certain value were qualified as commissioners of supply. Their duties were also enlarged to comprise the general administration of the country, but by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 all their powers and duties were transferred to and vested in the county council. They still meet annually, but transact only formal business.


SUPPLY AND TRANSPORT, MILITARY. In all ages the operations of armies have been influenced, and in many cases absolutely controlled, by the necessity of providing and distributing food, forage and stores for men and horses. In modern history these supplies have become more and more varied as weapons developed in complexity, power and accuracy of workmanship. In proportion, the branches of an army which are charged with the duties of "supply and transport" have become specialized as regards recruiting, training and organization.

The predatory armies of the middle ages not only lived upon the country they traversed, but enriched themselves with the