The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1862-04-23
VOL. 8, NO. l.-WHOLE NO. 365.


TIE nersAsru nalf OF sAe Lever Psns.suls
ef Michigan. .I-.t
The Lower Penins.la Of Michigan contains Q
pspulatioo nunhering three -fourshs sf milice,
and yet large portion Of this vast region y Q
dense and almoss IN unbrcken wilderness
Many counties have no inhabitants ct al
while many others have Q few score or . fsv
hundred cnly. By the census Of 1860, Ten
counties, at least, are shown to be wholly dessi.
tuse OF Inhabitants while the aggregate pspu-
laticn Of tea others b only S,s6s-an avsrageof
les than ioar Aundred TO . county. .-
Pursuing the examination still further, ws Cad
eight esunsies whose entire population 10 Il, leA,
or triAe over / $50 for each county. Thea ve
End seven additional counties with an aggregate
population Of ss,ls7-as average Of about
$500
Here, then, We have ten counties wholly dee.
titute Of inhabitants, and tsenty -fve others con-
taining only 4i,coo souls. To those might be
sddsd several other counties very sparscly set.
tied, large portion Of their surface being vet
covered with the native forest.
| II Ne draw q line from east to west through
the State, from Lake Hsrou to Lake Michigan.
running between townships l2 and Is north
the north line OF Gratiot and Mon,calm eoun-
ties-we shall end We have divided the pcpula.
| tion nearly a follows: South Of the line Teo,-
600, north Of il $1,000. Garry the line FAR
enough south 70 divide the Lower Peninsula in
to two equal parts, and We shall have north Of
the line but little, If any, over $4,000 soul,
while south of it dwell come zoo, 900 Of our peo.
pie. Hence, II appears that the entire pcpula.
tisu of the northern half Of the Lower Peniusu.
Ii 10 considerably less than that Of the counties
Of Oakland and Genesee.
Here, then, 10 q wilderness measuring from
eighty miles, and in lie wider portions crowding
hard upon tvo hundred miles. And from The
north line Of Gratiot county to the Strsts Of
Mackinac, the distance 10 at least one hundred
and fifty miles.
On three sides this mighty wilderness il bor-
dered by the great lakes Huron and Michigan.
Several large bays-Sagiuaw and Thunder on
Lake Huron, and Grand and Little Traverse On
Lake Michigan-extend far inland, Offering har.
Dor and eemmsrcia facilities Of incalculsbls val
3 ue.
Throughout this vast region springs, rivulets.
1 brooks. creeks and rivers are Eunsrous Few
parts Of the world, perhaps, are better ~atsrcd
than the northern portion Of the Lower Penusu- :
Ia Of Michigan. And resting in the stIlnsss Of
this great forest, are tbousandt Of silvery ponds
and quiet lakes. Many of them are PeIfcci
gems, and have no superors Ter purity OF beauty
in the vide world. -f
And here. tso. in the shade and sccsrity ol
d this vast wilderness, are many animals which
long since disappeared from the older portions
), Of the State. Here are found the deer, elk
. moose, volt, bear. beaver, wild cat, lynx foA
otter, wolverine. aud grss, number Of otheI
animals Of lesser note.
J.. A have wandered through portions Of sbI
' Wild region. YEARLY following the winding Indi
An trail, or floating dswn its rivers, or sailing IL
= placid lakes. the two following questions hsv,
often presented themselves to my mind, viz
- Why has this country remained 90 loug unia
le habited! Is the character OF the cosA,ry sucl
c, a. to warrant its speedy settlement!
Ibeiisve, Mr. Editor, I can give sa,isiac.or,
4. answer TO both these questions.
e. One reason, Iapprehend Why this region ha
settled 80 slowly is because Of the heavy growt
Of timber which covers almost tbi. entire pot
:, ton Of the State Probably large majority q
ir those seeking now homes in the west, prefer 9
Of locate on prairies or oak openings. All such, Q
" eosrse would either 20 70 Southern Michigan o
farther west. Hence, the How Of this huma
y tide has Get 10 other directions, and multitude
Of have been borne onward BY il without reslI
Gu Gu knowing ~hy they were seeking some partieula
II: locality in Illinois, Wisconsin, or Iows.
On n, Those who prefer open or prairie lands vi
stiIl continue to ehun the country under consd
"a. ration. But there are shose-and they are ne
's ther few nor fcoIish-~ho prefer well timberc
in lands All such should know something
ne ne Northern Michigan before purchasing.
u But another aod moro po,en, reason Why th
n. region has remained long in lie Wild state,
re. bscaus. erroneous views have very generally pr
~ vailed With regard TO iss coil and climate.
o. OF Even among the people Of cur own State the'
errors have been common They hsvs suI
tns ~ posed the climate and the soil of this region
be unfavsr.ble 70 agricultural psrsui,s. II vi
he he ssii, the country 10 log and s~ampy and Esb
'o 70 late and early fro.ts. II was believed, sis
.ch that fever and ague was the rightfrl propries
Of al this region, and that he was sure to lay
oleut bands on oil ~ho ventured upon his
Su. main. -.
ees Let M zee how i'll. founded are these opinion
-. Asd 6rst - to the agricultural resources
she this portion Of the State. shall speak in Pc
M from What have learned frsm others, in ps
from Houghton's ssd Wiacheiis Geological X
~ ports, and in part from my own observation.
,e. rss In 1889 DR.. Heugnton wrote a. follows:
ado "The country north Of the southern bound
-sr ~ of Arensc county (now ncladed 10 Bay cou
dis ty) aud eass Of the msridisn far a. examine
be IL, on the whole, but i'll adapted TO the purpoa
nc mo Of agriculture, being chiefly conposed o: -.
ais ridges with intervening svales, and risisg
NJ, gradually teWarAs the central portions Of
red Sssse as 70 leavs the country extremely Hai.n
,ha These reo~ts are applicable probably to 6
90 90 or Elk counties. Of there counties tOsess
~ Ioscs, Aieeaa, Oseoda, Montmorency, a
cec parts Of Alpsna and Presque Isie) know sothr
ose perso0ally.