The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-04-28
were grateful for their dellverance from drown

uent OF tne township or bangor. he had
made three or four visits to this wilderness
territory before he fully made mp his mind tn
leave all ola associations and make a home
here His former residence was in Rodman,
Jefferson County, N. Y. From this place he
visited Michigan the first time as early as 1925,
making his stopping place, for few days only,
at Ann Arbor, where he visited an old friend
Aaron Barney, afterwards resident Of Ham
ilton in this county. From Sackett's Harbor
he came as far west as Lewiston in a steam
boat. and then went overland TO the mouth uf
Tonawanda Greek, where he embarked on the
famous canal boat Red Jacket for Bnffalo-this
was the first canal boat that he ever saw, tho
ne had heard much discussion on the feasibility
Of the project which was sneeringly called De
Witt Chnton's ditch, by the numerous weak
kneed family OF Holdbacks. By the way, b
Holdbacks are not all dead yet. They are just
as ready with their dish Of cold water to throw
on every enterprise that bespeaks improve
ment in the arts, sciences, and mechanism, as
they were when the grand project of the Erie
Canal was first conceived. They are OF the
same race who applied the respectful epithets
Of STOOL, and madman," to the immortal
Robert Fulton, because he had the impudence
to behave that he could propel boat With
steam at the astonishing rate of four miles an
hour; about the same speed an old lady would
travel on foot.
Well, we pass by.that era in our history and
try to keep pace with the times that have gone
by. The subject Of our sketch went through
with the exciting scene Of visiting the three
Thayer brothers, the murdereas Of John Love,
while confined in their cells in the city prison
at Buffalo; which was about q week before
their execution. Major Heath intended to
witness the awful scene, but he could not en-
dure 1t, after seeing the unfortunate brothers.
From Buffalo to Detroit the journey was per-
formed on the old steamer Superior" 9th
ers Of his acquaintance in old Jefferson county
joined him at different points on the route,
until the party numbered four persons-Capt.
Levi Heath, brother Of the subject OF our
sketch, Dennis Waite and VIM. Hurd. At De-
troit the four men hired two Indian PONIES at
dollar day each, and took turns riding them
TO Ann Arbor, the journey being performed in
one day. Two first rode few mules while the
other two walked behind. The men on the
ponies tied them to trees on the road, and the
footmen coming up mounted them and rode
past, and tied them again; and 80 they walked
and rode alternately all day. This operation
was called "ude and tie." At Ann Arbor they
had to ford the Huron river, two Of them on
the ponies and the other two wadlng. The
"eity" then contained five log buildings all
told; every one OF them being hotel. One OF
them kept by Mr. Allen and his wife mentioned
in former sketch. Here we will relate little
bit of romance which our young readers will
not find uninteresting, and the old people are
requested not to read 1t.
Mrs. Aliens parents lived n Virginia, and
for some reason, very seriously objected to the
particular attention that young Allen bestowed
on their daughter Ann, but the old adage that
"young folks h,nk that old folks are fools,
and old folks kno,o that Young folks are" was
here put to . practical test. The brave and
tender lover provided himself with two ponies,
aud Ann rode one and he the otner into the
wilds Of the territory Of Michigan At the
precise time or place in the programme where
the hopeful and conhding damsel WAS made
Mrs Allen, we are not informed MIR. Hesth
thinks that Mrs. Aliens maiden name was Ann
Arbor, from which the name or the place was
taken. Another rendering Of it ID that the
three first pioneers to the place had wives
named Ann; hence the name AIMS Arbor."
This is not essential, though the precise facts
would be desirable.
On his first visit to Ann Arbor, Major Heath
only stayed two nights and then walked back to
Detroit in company with Dennis Waite by
somewhat circultous route down the Huron
river to Woodruff's Grove, distance Of TWEEN
ty-two miles, our travellers did not taste food
or water. Before reaching their stopping
place for tho night they suffered intolerable
thirst. They staid over night with Judge Ten
Ryck. From Detroit to Buffalo their return
passage was on q schooner. The motion of
the rough waters had wholly untitled them for
foot navigation, and they reeled and staggered
through the streets like drunken men. In
1923 Major Heath visited Ann Arbor the second
time and found some improvement. A mill
was being built, and some stores and houses
the latter then numbered about twenty. De
Witt Clinton's "ditch" had become a successful
avenue OF navigation, and in the spring Of that
year the proprietors took extraordinary meas.
ures to secure patronage, and one of their pro-
jects was greet success. They advertised for
months that on certain day IN May, o full
rigged vessel with o cargo OF live animals
would 60 over the falls Of Niagara. Among
them was buffalo, bear, q goose, monkeys,
etc. Poor Bruin climbed to the top of the
mast and looked over in despair. The feat
was performed as advertised, and no part Of
the vessel or the passengers were ever after
ward eeen. except the goose, which SWAN
ashore several miles down the river. How
strange are the uses that men sometimes make
Of their power. The great rush from Oil parts
Of the east to see the abuse which the propris-
tor Of the Ene Canal practiced on those inno-
cent animals, filed their Golfers with gold
The poor goose that escaped the wreck ought
TO have been kept as lasting memorial Of hu-
man weakness and folly, aud after death her
SKIN should have been filed and given to Bar
mum.