East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1863-08-12

ing Major Biddle for his advice, they
determined to take it in contrar,
sense. Had they understood the char
acter of that Gentleman, they would
not have felt themselves compelled Il
practice such u rUSe to have obtained
the desired information. There was
no gentleman in tho territory more
honorable or high-minded than Major
Biddle: not one who would have beer
more gratifed TO dispense with the hos.
FATALITIES of his mansion, or who would
have more cordially entered into tho
plans of the distinguished strangers,
and given them the desired Informal
ton, had they frankly disclosed their
purposes. The next day they proceed
cd on horseback on their way, towards
Saginaw, taking Pontiac on thir route.
The writer gives graphic description
Of the wild scenery which he and his
companion beheld for the first time on
their journey through tho wilderness,
of their arrival after shutdown at Pom
tiac, then containing "about twenty
very neat and pretty houses" clus-
tered within a clearing Of about a
square half mile; of their stay in Pom
tiac, and Of the words of advice that
were uttered by one of those oracles
of wisdom, known as avillage landlord.
They left Pontiac the next morning,
and called at Mr.. Williams, some
miles in the forest, to obtain informa-
ton as to the route, the dangers from
Indians, &c Mr.. Williams had long
dealt with the Chippeways, and had a
son then established at Saginaw, who
gave them all needful information
They pursued thoir journey, OCCASION
ally meeting Indians and pioneer
woodsmen, and long after dark they
reached the settlement at Flint river,
then consistiog Of two or three huts.
Upon their approach towards one of
the huts, and as they were about to
climb over fence, they were saluted
by great black bear, that, standing
on his hind legs and at the very ex-
tremity of his chain, showed as clearly
as he could, his intention TO give them
a fraternal hug. No attempt to reason
with such IA porter would be observed,
and hallooing at the tep of their voices
they were relieved by the appearance
of a man coming from one of the huts,
who invited them TO come in, whore
they rested over night, and the next
morning, with Indian guides they pro-
ceeded through Wilderness of forty
miles to Saginaw, having lost their
way once or twice on their journey
Nightfall came, and thus the writer
describes his impressions i'll the solemn
woods. "lhe air under the trees be-
"came damp and cold. In the dark,
''the forest assumed new and terri
"ble aspect. Our eyes could distin-
"guish nothing but confused masses
"without shape or order: strange and
"disproportioned forms; the sort of inn
cages which haunt the imagination in
clever. The echo of our steps had new
Ger seemed so loud, nor the silence of
"the forest SO awful. The only sign
"of life in this sleeping world was the
cumming Of the musquito." They
arrived at the Saginaw River, rather
late in the evening, and were conveyed
across i'll canoe, swimming their
horses, and landed at the point now
known as "Saginaw City" 1t was
then a small, cultivated plain, with
few huts, the fartherst point inhabited
by Europeans to the Northwest Of the
peninsula; an advanced post, picket
guard Of white men placed in the
midst of the Indian nations. 1t then
contained thirty persons, men, women,
old people and children. De Tocque-
Vile remained at Saginaw for a few
days, for the purpose of gratifying the
passions which led him there, and du-
ring his visit indulged in some philo-
sophie reflections and-predictions that
turn out to have been as true as proph-
esy itself We copy:
1--WE asked ourselves, by what sim
"gular fate it happened that we, to
"whom it had been granted to look on
"the ruins Of extinct empires, and
"tread the deserts made by human
''hands,-we, children of an ancient
'people, should be called on to witness
"this scene of the primitive world, and
"to contemplate the, as yet unocupied
"cradle Of great nation. These are
mot the more or less probable specu-
Cations in philosophy. The facts are
Gas certain as if they had already TIA
"ken place. In few years these inn
'penetrable forests will have fallen:
'the sons of civilization and industry
twill break the silence of the Saginaw;
cts echoes will cease; the banks will
"be imprisoned by quays; its current,
(Which now flows on unnoticed and
''tranquil through nameless waste,
twill be stemmed by the prows of ves-
'sels. More than one hundred miles
'sever the solitude, from the great
European settlements, and we were,
perhaps, the last travellers allowed to
'see its primitiue granduer."
Such is the account given by an in
telhgent and observing foreigner of
the early approaches by land to the
Saginaw valley; the appearance which
it presented in its primitive days; and
his predictions of its future greatness.
Thirty-one years ago the whole district
between Pontiac and Saginaw was an
unbroken forest, with no avenue thro'
it except the Indians trail: now it is
accessible by railroad and stages, with
two lines running each day, the whole
country along the route under a fine
state of cultivation, with neat villages,
elegant villas and farm houses, and
everything indicating the thrift and
maturity Of advanced civilization
Then Saginaw City was mere post,
with about thirty persons, depending
chiefly on the Indian trade, hunting
and fishing for their living: now it is
a thriving city with a population of
some ., 500 inhabitants, several church