East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1861-01-10
A "Trip va TuseoIa i'o,--Ketchsin's
GamD. &c.


southeast quarter OF section 4, are located
lhe large, comfortable and substantial
buildings which constitute "Ketcham's
Camp" amid clearing of near ten acres,
from which last year crop of over six
hundred bushels of excellent potatoes
was raised. The dwelling house is 30
y 6Oft built oflogs, with "chinking and
iaubing" complete, shingle roof, boarded
and battened from the plates, on the ga.
bic ends; and is as warm and comfortable
as need be. The upper part is used as
the general sleeping apartment for the
men, who are provided with beadsteads
aud an abundant supply of warm and
comfortable bedding. At the West end,
in the lower story, is model fireplace, of
that glorious old kind which we some
times read about but seldom see; 10 feet
between the jams with clay back, and
clay hearth covering an area of 100 feet,
more or less; when piled full high of fuel
il sends out a genial, healthful heat, such
as those who grunt over furnaces, and
air-tight stoves and steam heaters, have
but little conception Of. This is in the
general convention room 32X2O where
every evening the whole men force con-
gregatcs to spin yarns, crack jokes, listen
10 the inspiring music Of the inevitable
fiddle, aud fix up thousand things which
need putting "to rights The next
room is the kitchen and dining room, 20
NO, as neat as a new dime, and tastefully
decorated within scores Of pictures on the
walls. The rest of the building is divided
into store rooms, and bed rooms, and un-
dcrneath is cellar of sufficient capacity
for storing all necessary Vegetables
The barn is 120X32 feet, Single roof
also, and is warm, comfortable, and stored
full in the loft with an abundance Of hay,
and oats in the sheaf A blacksmith S
shop, completes the buildings of the
Scamp" which we have mentioned more
particularly as it is known far and wide,
as one of the best, If not the best lum
Der camp in all the lum Der regions of
this section. Great difficulty was ex-
perienced in finding good water on the
premises, and well had to be sunk -
feet, % feet of which was through yellow
clay, and 80 feet through fine, dry sand
before supply of that article was OBJ
tanned. .sa
The township of Dayton was settled
IN the fall of 1896, and now has popu.
lation of $50, which is fast increasing.
There arc not 1000 acres of land in the
township which is not takenlup, and the
character Of the land is in the main ex.
cellent for agricultural purposes, being
high and rolling, and timbered with
white oak, buttenut, birch, beech, ma
pie, scattering cork pine and hemlock.-
Settlers under the graduation act arc
scattered all about Oh the different sec
tion line roads, and every day new ones
are coming in. While we were in camp
q very respectable English family who
had come by way Of Lapeer county, aud
An hofr 10 al i.
miles further East, with furniture, BAG
and baggage, stopped over night, ant
resumed their journey in the morning
and they, they said, had friends who
would follow them another season, and s.
it goes, friends follow friends, and W,
hazard nothing in saying-that il tn,
system Of State Roads, projected by tho
Legislature of 1859, is fully carried ont
IN. less than ton years tic whole countrl
between Saginaw River and Lake Huron
will be settled, and great share of III
land under cultivation, notwithstandin.
the difficulties which seem now to bose
che pioneers who are making head way il
That quarter.
.m The roads to and through this section
are already much better than is gcher
ally supposed; as we mentioned, there i
road from Watrousville through /
Sa,ilac on Lake Huron, which is traverse
bya weekly mail, and along which Sc,
tiers are scattered almost the entir
length another runs south on the mort
aud south centre section line of Dayto
township to Lspecr, making only the io
OF one mile from direct course; fou
and half miles south of Ketcham'
camp this road crosses the Port Huro
and Bay City State Road. The sverag
distance through to Lake Huron frol
tho north and south line mentioned, j
i3S miles, and to Saginaw River abou