The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1862-04-23

ike q Northern 1ishigan. ! dass not dwell
On thso - would kks 70 d, for &c this aFsi- |
cls i Ekely - become 70 Iosg - 70 defeat the
objeet had in View in writing il. Inay odd, how
ever, that they Are everywhere sunersua. and
iss purity and beAssy have No superioes in any
part II the world. Some Of the lakes are charm
Ing bsyeod description. Their waters are indeed
of crystal purity, and their pebbly bottoms nay
b AissiAssly ssea ss depth q sssssy, tve.ty.
Eve o. thirty feet. had almsss said forty fses,
and had done 20 believe there would have
been more truth than poetry in the stateosnt-
The water Of the Traverse Bays il als Of the
same delightful purity. Stagnans water, the
prsli6e scarce Of fsvsrand-agse, intsrnisssns
and renisssst fsvsn. and their kisdred diseases.
IL exesedisgly rare in the northern part OF the
State Indeed, I have never met With it in that
region. Cedar swamps, a. they are termed, are
not s.eonnon, bat where water ID found in then
il il cold and pure.
Iiss - these lands are their price i. bat tn
fng. In large portion Of the district have
dsscribed-and think in the whole Of 1.-THE
eoet per acre for actual settlers is bat fifty essta
After what has been said q 70 climate, coil,
water, and the general features and charssssriss-
ies of the country it il scarcely necessary to add
that il 10 remarkable for its healthinsss. North
Of Maaistss county am sure bilious diseases
are Of very rare occurrence. At Trsverss Bay,
I have been assured over and over By reliable
residents, that fever analogue never originates n
that vicinity; and that many persons coming
there from regions where they had been long A.
Aicted With it, have been speedily and psrma-
nensly cured By the climate alsne.
Throueh Nanistee, Mason and Oceana csun-
ties perhsps this disease may prevail to limited
extent; but - the coil 10 porous, the surface
rolling and the water pure. know not whence
il 10 come the piasua which produces il.
| One more subject and close. The portion
Of the peninsula north of the north line of Isa-
bella county, 10 not mineral region. Grisssonss
from which superior grindssones are manufAcsur.
ed are found in the extreme northern part Of
Huron eesnty Marble 10 found in PresQue Isle
county Lime is abundant in many parts Of the
country.
| The existence Of black bitumnous shales a
various points-ior instance at xacqua and Pine
lakes in Emmett county, and a. Carp lake and
near the outlet of Grand Traverse Bay in Graud
Traverse county-has led to the very general
belief that coal exists in the vicinity; and not
few fruiless efforts have been made for its dis
forts viii continue unsuccessful. On this subject
Prof Wincbell Gays in his late Report:
''Thsre is not the rsmotsst probability Of the
occurrence of coal within 4 hundred miles Of
Grand Traverse Bay. This statement is made
in full recollection Of the allegation Of . learned
Judge that be had seen anthracite coal that wa
said to have been collected in that region. One
Of the localities, Of Indian notoriety, is at the
southern extremity Of Aucqsa lake, south oil
Little Traverse Bay. The Indians report that they
have often reeorted there for fuel and that they
have burned the coal in their camp fires
statement perfectly credible if they substitute
shaie for coal"
Plaster has been found on Little st. Martins
Island north of Mscknac, and also on the main
Land Of the Upper Peninsula west of Aaekinac.
The writer Of this once had prospective mine
of wealth in . supposed mammoth plaster bed or
the shore Of Little Traverse Bay. A beautiful
spscims. was presented to Prof Fisks, Of the
Agricultural College, for analysis. In due time
= sympathetic and condeIatory note from tbs
Prof. informed me that my specimen, although 9
very 6ne stone was very poor plaster, or rather
no plaster at all. And % it will be probably
with these VINO hunt minerals in the northern
portion of the lower peninsula
1t il simply as - . pleasant, hsalthful agri
cultural region that it eonnends itself to the At
teatiou Of these looking for forest homes. AND
70 s,ch, unless they prefer prairie or open lands
cordially recommend careful personal sxami
nation Of the country, some Of whose character
issics have thus briefly sketched.
Lansing, April IA, 1852. D. G. L.