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That the straits will open from two to three weeks earlier than last year, there is no doubt. Warm weather for acouple ofweeks has weakened the ice very much and between Mackinac Island and St. Ignace it is rotten, while over the straits it is breakinga great deal. The prospects for an early opening ofnavigation atPort Colbome are favorable. The ice in the canal and harbor has gone. Not so much ice formed in the lake this winter as formerly and it is disappearing fast. Ifthe weather continues favorable, the canal will be open by the 15th ofApril. Anumber ofvessels are engaged in fitting out. John H. Morrill ofNew York, representing eastern capital, is in Lansing, Mich., to secure, ifpossible, a charter from the legislature for a company to build a ship canal to cormect Lakes Michigan and Superior. The projected work starts in Au Train River, 15 miles east ofMarquette, and follows the river to Little Bay de Norquet at Gladstone. The proposed canal would be 36 miles long and save 271 miles between Chicago, Duluth and other ports. Morill says the company is ready to organize within two months after the charter is secured. March 29, 1889 Buffalo vessel owners have resolved not to start their boats until April 15th. The tug Hercules has been sold at Port Huron to L.L. Slyfield ofMarine City for $3000 cash. Capt. Charles McMillan has sold a part interest in the steamer KB. Tuttle to Robert Duff of Cleveland. Capt. John T. Hutton and crew left for Detroit on Monday to commence the season on the steamer Minneapolis bytaking a cargo of com to Samia. Capt. T.E. Murphy ofCleveland has sold his schooner Delaware to Pringle, Marine City, for $16,000. The Delaware has an insurance valuation of$14,000, rates A 214 and tons 519. John E. Tobin will command the tug Charlton the present season with Frank Bemard as mate. The Charlton is now undergoing repairs at St. Catharines and is having a newboiler put in. The river is now free ofice from the Flats Canal to Lake Erie. Above the canal, field ice from one foot to four feet thick covers the St. Clair River for some distance above Algonac. Wm. Livingstone Jr. ofDetroit has been chosen to fill the vacancy on the Board ofManagers ofthe Lake Carners' Association caused by the retirement ofCapt. Jas. ri r r^i ril' r^1 tilI r I [LJ (U ILj'i 1 7 W. Millen, who could not agree with the board on the bridge question at Detroit. Capt. Millen favors a winter bridge. The managers of the North-West Transportation Company have made arrangements with the owners ofthe Campana for the services ofthat vessel onthe Beatty Line this summer. This vessel is known as one ofthe fastest boats onthe lakes and will be a great acquisition to the Beatty Line. The following ofour lake captains will conunand the vessels named the present season:-C.C. Allen, Sheffield', D. Nicholson, Jessie Farwell, D.J. Duncanson, Spinner, E.C. Gatfield, Forest City, D. Girardin, R.J. Hacketf, J.T. Hutton, Minneapolis', J. Tormey, Swaur, Richard Tobin, Wilcox', Thomas Camey, Crusader, Tim. Lemay, Annie Smith. The majority of our captains leave Monday to take charge of their boats. April 5, 1889 The U.S. Government are constmcting range lights at Duluth harbor. The steamer Remora is now running regularly from Detroit to Sandusky. The schoonerPhilione, loaded with sand from Lake Erie to Detroit, passed up on Monday forenoon. The ice on the straits is nearly broken up and only needs a stiff west wind to break it all and drive it out. The steamerMassassauga began her regular trips to Grosse He, Wyandotte, Trenton and Gibraltar from Detroit on Tuesday. The Dominion Senate, by a voteof 34 to 26, has thrown out Mr. Kirkpatrick's Bill providing for reciprocity in wrecking, on the ground that itwas an attack on the National Policy. The United Empire of theBeatty Line is being put in readiness for the opening ofnavigation. It is reported that she will leave Samia for Port Arthur and Duluth about the 20th April. A joint stock company has been formed by some Toronto, Hamilton and Montreal capitalists, and the props. Cuba, Alma Munro and Acadia have been acquired by them to ply between Montreal, Toronto and Chicago. Thomson & Co. have just purchased from the Ontario Lumber Company the steam barge Lothair and three consorts. It is the intention ofthe firm to keep them plying in the lumber trade between the upper lakes and Windsor. The steamer Lakeside called here on Wednesday forenoon on her first trip up of the season. She has been fitted up and nicely painted and looks neat and clean.