Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1856-04-23

THOS. Is. CHURCH, H. &. THURBER,
II. j. HIGGINS Il GRAVERAET,
State Central Committee.
A COMPARISON IN POINT OF HEALTH.-
Eastern people generally associate the idea
of a Western residence, no matter what the
particular locality may be-with sallow coun-
tenances, weak and lettering limbs, and
forms gaunt and emaciated-the result of al
most constant and long continued attacks of
that much magnifed scourge of the West
intermittent fevers. Hence many Eastern
farmers content themselves with cultivating
scanty farms of barren soils, bearing upon
their surfaces rich deposit of primeyal rocks,
faced with moss of century's accumulation,
rendering the severest toll necessary to in
sure the means of subsistence, rather than
become the occupants of the broad acres that
here spread themselves so enchantingly to
the gaze of the skillful Agriculturist, alluring
him to plant, and reap the bounties Of ma
ture from a soil of Eden fertility, thereby
adding yearly to his store of wealth, and to
his enjoyment in pursuit calculated, at once,
to ennoble and invigorate his powers of body
and mind But the idea of the impossibility
of enjoying health amid these inviting scenes,
forbids every effort to removal hither-
But to show that such an idea is an erroneous
one, we beg leave to introduce few facts
taken from the last census reports, to show
that cases of mortality are less frequent here,
even in the western part of our State, which
has hitherto enjoyed no enviable reputation
in this respect, than in the State of Connec-
ticut. We will for illustration compare the
county of Litchfield in that State, one of the
healthiest counties of New England with
the county of Ottawa
In May, 1854, the date Of the last State
census, the county of Ottawa consisted of
sixteen townships. Leaving out Chester and
Spring Lake, not included in the census, the
population amounted to 7 1887, and the deaths
of the year previous to IS, nearly one to ev-
cry sc inhabitants. Taking into considera-
ton that at least one-third of the entire pop
ulation of the county then consisted of Hol-
landers, many of them recently arrived from
the mother country, and wholly unacquainted
with the nature of our climate and the pre-
cautions requisite to insure to them good
degree of health, the account is surely ia
vorable one.
In the township of Crockery containing a
population at that time of 275 persons, near
ly all Americans, no death is reported foi
that year, 1853. The population of that
town has steadily and rapidly increased, and
the deaths have probably averaged no more
than three each year since that date.
The townships of White River and Wright
containing at the date referred to above, an
aggregate population of 1875 persons, lost
only eight out of the number by death, dur
ing the preceding year; and in the village
of Grand Haven, containing population Of
500, one-fourth, perhaps, Hollanders, not
one death to 200 of the inhabitants has
probably occurred within the past two years
but can be attributed directly to other causes
than the deleterious influence of the climate
Now, for the consideration OF Litchfeld
county, the population Of this county, accord
ing to the last United States census, in $50
was $4,000, the number of deaths the year
previous was e75, or one to every Sc inhabi-
tants, giving our county as before intimated
decided preference in that respect
We cannot deny the fact, that people emf,
grating from the East to this State are sub.
ject frequently to attacks of intermittent fe.
vers, but generally, such attacks are of nc
very serious nature, and soon pass away, and