The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-08-04
LETTER FROM oCoNTo, WIS.
OcoNTo, Wis, July 25th, 1870.

DEAR SIR Thinking you might like
to heac from this region, l proceed to
write you few lines. We left Kenosha
on Saturday night, July 10th, and spent
the Sunday with our former pastor, Rev.
Mr.. Mead, at Bayview, just south of Mil
waukee. On Tuesday evening We arrived
at Oshkosh, where we visited an old res.
ident Of Kenosha. Mr. Lines.
Oshkosh is very pleasant. lively place,
doing an immense business in lumber. /
visited one saw-mill, and saw log, con-
tanning between three and four hundred
feet of board, cut up by single circular
saw, in three minutes and half; this
seemed to me very quick work. There
are between forty and fifty saw-milis and
other lumber works in the city. I also
visited the High School, and State Nor
NAL School buildings of which the citi-
zens are justly very proud. The High
School is really magnificent structure.
costing the city some $4,000, quite
sum for a city of less than $4,000 inhabi
tants. The various rooms are fitted up
with all the modern Improvements, and
| it is situated on very handsome grounds.
The upper story is occupied by large
hall. for graduating exercises, and exhibit
tions, &c. From the roof arises tower
which gives one splendid view of the
city, and Winnebago Lake. The State
Normal School stands on the same street,
and is also very fine, but not yet finished.
| 1t will be great hon or to both the city
aud the State. On this same street, there
are many elegant residences, with beauti-
ful grounds.
| We left Osh kosh at about noon on
Wednesday, and stopped next at Apple
ton This too is very pleasant place,
with quiet hills and ravines near the
river which gives very picturesque APP
/ pearance. The college is now closed,
which makes the place appear rather
dull but there is really good deal of
manufacturing done here there is large
WOODEN factory, and several saw and
other mills. A large blast furnace has
ALSO been Just commenced, which will
add much to the business of the place
One great advantage of Appleton is its
water power, which is very great, and
when it is all employed will make very
great manufacturing town of it. The
Fox and Wisconsin river improvement,
which now seems likely to be put through,
will probably be great assistance to all
this region.
We were next bound for Green Bay,
where we arrived in tn e night. Lumber
is almost the only business here, and con
sequently have nothing new to tell of
it, and Saturday morning found US on
board the steamer Union, hea ded for
Oconto. The trip was very pleasant, but
devoid of any partic ular incident. We
stopped at only one port, Pensaukee'
though we passed one or two small settle
ments. Early in the afternoon we were
off Ocont river, and were received on
board a small steamer, an conveyed up
the river some two or three mil es to the
city. The stream is very crooked, and
with low and swampy banks, not very
inviting. The banks however, were
lined with huge RATS of lumber, and al
number Of vessels that were loading with
it. / was told by resident of this place
that the amount of lumber shipped down
this river annually, is between eighty
and ninety millions Of feet. And this is
only very small portion of the pine
country.
Oconto ia town of about 4, 600 inhabi
tants, am told, but it is not very
handsome place, being on very low wet
land, and without any very elegant
houses l havnt seen brick house in
the place. On Sunday we attended the
Methodist church and heard the Rev. Mr..
Pease, the presiding elder of the district,
and formerly pastor in Kenosha.
He had quite an adventure in getting
here. He was on the other side OF the
Bay, and took passage for this place on a
small sloop. When about three miles
from the mouth Of Oconto river, at about
nine P. NJ. they were struck by violent
squall, which parted the cable Ghey
we're at anchor and drove them before