The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1863-09-02
For the Grand Haven News.
CORRESPONDENCE.
VIENNA, NEAR ROME, N. Y, |
August 20, 1868.


Mr.. J. w. BARNs-DEAR SIR: Agree
ably to your solicitation | make use of a
leisure moment to note few incidents OF
interest that came under my observation
and experience during my transit from
Grand Haven to this point: Our pas
sage across the Peninsula State, by way
Of the d. & M. Railway, now rapidly be-
coming one Of the most popular routes
from the Great West, eastward, was de-
void of any unusual incidents, save one
to those individually concerned, to wit:
our arrival in the goodly city of Detroit
Just in time to miss the night express, on
the Great Western Railway, when it be-
came necessary to look about for rations
aud camp for the night. Accordingly
counsel Of co-travelers, consisting Of two
Messrs. Lawton brothers, Dickenson and
Scott, of Wright, and your humble cor
respondent, was had, whereat, out of res
pect to my many infrmities and difficult
ty of Iocomotion, and its proximity to the
starting point of future movements, re-
connoisance was agreed upon, in tie vcin-
ity of the Michigan Central Railway De-
pot, which resulted in the selection of
the Cass House as headquarters for the
night. We, accordingly, took possession,
ordered cooked rations, partook thereof
with keen relish, and "bunked n." AZ
ter lying short time, rejecting on va
rious matters incident to our earthly pill
grimage, we suddenly found our depart
ment besieged by formidable band ol
guerrillas, who were bound to effect an en-
trance, and fually succeeding in their ne
farious design, and there, beside our bed,
demanded n surrender, declaring their iu-
tention of taking our life's blood, drop by
drop, nolens 0olens. To this we demur-
red and commenced violent onslaught up
on the intruders with such carpal weap-
ons rs we had at hand, and a score of
corses, when morning dawned, lay scat
tered all CHASTITY around, a marked result
of our prowess on that formidable band
of musquito tribe, so renowned for their
blood thirstiness and so devoid of all feel
ings of humanity and commisseration to
us ward.
Six-thirty, A. NJ, the following day,
found us seated in a most splendid car,
of the Grand Trunk Railway, en- route
for Buffalo. Passing out some three
miles from the city, the train halted at
the junction of the Michigan Central and
Southern Roads, where half hours de-
lay occurred by reason of the trains on
these roads being behind time. AT length,
once more on our way, we passed very
rapidly over one Of the finest graded and
smoothest of Roads to Port Huron, one
Of the loveliest of our western villages,
situated little below the point where
lake Huron suddenly contracts its broad
expanse of waters TO n narrow issue that
constitutes the northern terminus of the
river st. Clair, the current Of which is
very swift at this point-so much so that
il is quite difficult for vessels to pass into
the lake from below, and when the wind
is down the lake frequently impossible to
do so. Passing over, by means of ferry
boat, we alighted in the semi Canadian
village of Sarna. | say semiCanadian
for it has pariaken so much of enterprise
AN awful contrast to Canadian villages
of its size in general. While waiting
morning rations, at this point, an incident
occurred illustrative of British arrogance
and the disrobing process Of decency, hu'
manity and common sense that little
authority has upon fools and semi-hu
mans. 1t stirred up the Anglo-Saxor
current in my veins, causing it to course
more violently than its wont, for few
minutes, as we'll as that of my travelling
companions:
A gentleman aud his wife were chang