The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-10-06

rich mellow fruit that finds its way
from every Lake port into Chicago
ever ready market, suggests the cold aud
dreary past, when all the coarse provis-
ions which were consumed by the day
laborers, who nave made these woods
"blossom as the rose," were brought
from a distance, and with the utmos'
difficulty. All those trying times are
buried in the cheerful present But we
like to look back, if we can not 90.
The year spent in White Pigeon the
Myers boys earned two hundred dollars,
besides provisions for the family, by
clearing land and husking corn for
those farmers who had made a start
there years before. During this year of
struggle and triumph, all the spending
money the three boys had was fifty cents
each, which they had left after the (x-
penses of moving from n. Y. In the
fall OF 1881 they hired one hundred
dollars for six months, by promising to
pay twenty-five dollars interest, and gave
security by entering their three lots of
land in the name Of the man who lent
them he money at fifty per cent inter-
est. In December of that year, the
three boys went alone with little pro
vision and two or three cotton sheets
for . tent which they pitched near the
present line OF Bloomingdale, on land
now owned by Mallory IL. Myers. One
week in this cool hab tation, in rather i
cool time of year, and the brothers has
: completed ahanty for the family resi-
dencc where they moved in January
with 10 floor but the earth. 10 some
} way, at the end Of six months, the boys
) had earned the one hundred and twenty
five dollars, which gave them an undis-
/ puted title Of their three lots. Max.
ing shingles and choppins were the prin-
, cipal employment until enough land
: was cleared to commence farming. The
first year they raised little corn and
potatoes, planted between the fallen
+ trees aud so life commenced in the
1 north woods" Their nearest market
place for shingles was Three Rivers and
= White Pigeon distant fifty miles. The
y first year they hired an OK team six
. miles away, to haul their shingles. 1t
7 took one day to get the team and load
) up, and five more days 10 market the
u one load and return. besides five dollar,
: for the use Of the team To Flower
field orConstantiue, in st. Joseph coun
Is ty, was their nearest mill. The mex
| settler in the township was Ashbel Her
ron, who came in the mex. year with ;
e team, and the first tear. owned in tn,
" township. Afterwards. in the same sea
r sou, Daniel G. Robinson made begin
ming in the neigbborhood just acres
the line of the present town Of Blooming
dale 1t was six miles from this new
settlement TO any other inhabitants, an,
=" no road. The nearest neighbor wa
. at a saw mill four miles north of Pax
~ Paw, known as Brown and Morrill,
" and afterwards a: Dolge's mil. All q
IN the inconvenience, trouble and labor
~ 50 often described il these rcmini.
ID eenccs, wcrc experienced by these piou
b GERS. On orc occasion, two years afte
/ the first opening, VIM. Nureh, who wa
v q son.in.law Of the widow Myers, wa
G. travelling on foot to Breclsyilie, he wa
h beset by wolves who were 50 fierce ant
Y persistent that be was obliged to ge
t. out Of their way by climbing tree
:. where he remained over night only on
e mile from his journeys end. He tie,
8 himself against strong limb of tn
d tree with large silk handkerchief, 8
} az not To fall out if he CHANGED to re
= asleep. His uncomfortable position
and unwelcome visitors, the howliDs
wolves, made sorry nights lodging
The first marriage in the town was VIM
f Murch to Sarah o. Myers, in 1910
the first birth was son of Isaac Brown
, in 1889, and the first death was a sor
of Rezin Bell, a child six years of age
< The township was settled quite slow
= ly, for at its first separate organization
n from Clinch in 1S42, and then united
Q with Bloomingdale, the whole number o.
\