The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-02-03
Of the True Northerner.
LOCAL HISTORY.
Rcins' RccOifectiOns and "Reminiscences
Of the Early Settlers.

We were aware before writing the ac
count of the Mccoy Mission, that he
had friends as we'll as enemies, and that
many of the accusations against him
might be exaggerated, and, that his
grossly selfish acts, apparently, might
have been partially justifable by some
palliating circumstances. In the very
first article pertaining to the early set
Element of the valley of the st. Joseph
i: was stated by the writer that Squire
Thompson furnished the Indians the
first fre.water they ever tasted. 1t is
humiliating fact, that, for some cause
the first attempts at christinizing and
civilizing savages, has invariably: made
their condition and morals worse. The
Green Bay Mission, probably instituted
at an earlier date than the Carey Mis-.
sion, was exposed in the public prints
and proved by testimony the most relia.
BILE, to be strong hold of iniquity, and
their right hand, right hand of false.
hood" And yet, there were those,
though but few, who defended them
They amounted to about as much as
the Irishman's witnesses who did not
see him steal That Mr. Mccoy en-
riched himself, in dollars and cents from
the Indians, and those who sent aid from
the east, who ignorant of their real con-
dition, and that he left them in worse
way, morally and financially, at the end
OF six years, than he found them, are
facts that can be established by the
most disinterested testimony, and beyond
a preadventure. 1t was no doubt an
honest Missionary who went to the large
hearted Red Jacket, and his tribe, and
related to them in pathetic tones the
suferings and love Of the Saviour, and
the account of his inglorious death at
the hands of the hated Jews. Why
didn't he come to us " said the plying
savage, {" we would not have killed him,
but we would have given him venison,
and treated him we'll"
But we leave this subject for the
more interesting one, of Mr. Edwin
Barnum's experience in pioneer life, in
Paw Paw and Lawrence. He came in
to that beautiful valley so favoured by
nature, but as yet unpublished by the
chisel of art, from Cayuga county New
York, in 1885. At that early day the
whole of Van Buren, County was then
called Lafayette township, and attached
70 Cass county. There was a rough
wagon track then only, following an In.
dian trail crooking through the openings
and grubs, from Kalamazoo to Paw
Paw. Jesse Abby was the only settler
on this road of nineteen miles in length /;
and of course lived in log house, and
it is another selfevident fact that he
kept hotel for every man in western
Michigan, at that day was obliged to
keep his latch string OUT for travel
lers. The fame of the Wolverine State
was just then reaching the east, and en-
terprising young men were sbouldering
their knapsacks and looking for homes and
fortunes in the far off west. Mr.. Bar
NUNS journey from Kalamazoo to this
log hotel was performed on foot, the dis
tance being only fourteen miles. A mile
and half before reaching the house he
was overtaken by Mr.. Lyle, father of
John and William Lyle, now of Paw
Paw, and John X. Pugsley, Esq, who
were also looking for new homes. The
three young men took dinner together
at Mr.. Abbys. Their dinner was milk
and fried cakes. When they reached
Paw Paw they found but two houses the
east side of the river. Mr.. Dodge kept
a hotel in one-a framed house, sixteen
by twenty-four feet--which was built in
1884, on the same lot where large and
commodious house was afterwards burnt
down; and also the same place where
his widow now resides. Mr.. Barnum
boarded at Mr.. Dodge's at two dollars
per week, until he got house of his
own A large number of travellers put
up from time to time at Mr.. Dodge's,
once hundred in one night who all
found lodgings on the floor of the house,
and the barn or the hay loft. Twenty
o! them went away before breakfast to
Mr.. Freeman's hotel near Christie's
Lake, and Mrs Dodge got breakfast for