The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-05-12
For the True Northerner.

Mr.. EDITOR.
Dear Sir IL am subscriber to the TRUE
NoRTHERNER and have been much interested
IN reading the "Recollections and Reminis-
cences OF the Early Settlers" Of this and the
adjoining counties The contributions from
your very talented correspondent, under the
above title, have doubtless done much to in
terest the readers Of your enterprising sheet
generally.
If this author should visit Berrlen county,
where the writer of this brief article has been
travelling few weeks past, he might find many
and various items and subjects Of interest
well worthy Of his graphic and descriptive pen.
A large portion OF Berrien county is COM
paratively new, and there is marked popularity
about its forests 1t is common to see or read
of forests of pine, hemlock, maple, beech,
elm &C., but it is quite uncommon to find
large and extensive tracts of Eastwood. Ber-
rien county presents this peculiar novelty
There are thousands of acres Of unbroken
forests yet remaining in this county, large
proportion of which is OF this timber. The
trees are generally very tall and remarkably
straight, and just at this season Of the year
they are in full bloom, impreguating the morn
ing and evening air with the most delicious
fragrance, and presenting a grand and mag
nifcent view to those who have learned to OBJ
serve and admire the works OF nature III her
wild and picturesque aspect.
The honey bee fourishes remarkably well in
this locality. / heard some Of the inhabitants
speak Of what they termed honey de,oS, as If
at times the whole atmosphere was laden with
this delicious article. The culture of bees is
quite an item of industry and enterprise here,
and there is said to be an abundance Of wild
bees in the forest. At this season Of tho year
while the Eastwood trees are in blossom, the
woods are said to be literally alive with them.
At Buchanan, Dayton, Galien, Avery and
Three Oaks, towns which are situated on the
line of the NJ. c. r. Il. west Of Niles, there
are extensive factories for the manufacture of
pitchfork, hoe shovel and spade handles &C.,
and there are millions Of broom handles turned
out in these factories. The Eastwood timber
growing in such abundance is most admirable
for this purpose. ! was told by some parties,
all the broom handles manufactured in the
United States are made in Derrien county
1t Is supposed that ire has burned over the
original forest in some previous time, and
that the Eastwood now covering the grounds
Is of a second growth. The timber is nearly
| all very white and free from knots and blem-
Ishes, 30 that the broom handles as they come
from the turner's lathe. at the rate of one
| thousand five hundred day, or the average
to each lathe, are very nicely polished and
beautifully white and neat in their appearance.
There is class of industrious and enter
prising people in this county. who have some
advantages which do not exist elsewhere
The new railroad running from New Buffalo to
St. Joseph, through this county, has its line
from one to three miles from the shore OF
Lake Michigan. The scenery between the line
of this road and the back Of the lake. is grandly
romantic and picturesque. There are extensive
ranges OF sand hills--in many places these
mountain ranges" as they might be called
present bleak and barren appearance az fal
as the eye can reach. At other points there
are deep gorges or caverns covered with hem.
lock and pine forming refuge for numerous
wild animals. If any Of the readers OF your
| journal would like to see the mountains OF
Colorado or Sierra Nevada in miniature, near al
home let them make tour along the eastern
| coast of tins beautiful lake.