The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-04-21

future fortune. Poor in purse, but rich
with hope and expectation, he embarked
on lifc's tempestuous sea, without com.
pass, chart or guide. He spent eight
dollars of his ten, in a journey to Roch-
ester, N. Y, where he invested his last
two dollars in an axe, and then went to
cutting cord wood at two shillings a
cord. In four years he earned four
hundred dollars besides clothes and
board If this looks like small start,
for so long time, by young men of the
present day, they are here reminded
that John Jacob Astor said that it was
more difficult for him to accumulate
his first thousand dollars, than all the
succeeding millions that made up his
colossal fortune. The proverb, which
says "there is no regal road to learning
might, with equal truth have avered
that there is no rough road to wealth.
The way to it, is open alike to the
prince and the peasant.
The small sum Of one hundred dol.
lars per annum, that Mr.. Conklin act
ually saved over expenses of living,
would, if placed at annual interest,
make any person immensely wealthy at
the age of three score and ten, if he
had commenced his savings at the age
OF twenty-one.
In 1884, two years before his perma-
nent residence was established in Mich
igan, Mr.. Conkln visited Kalamazoo,
where there were but few buildings,
but, almost every man had whiskey
jug, and he was told that the 90 be
joyful" was the one thing essential to
happiness and success, in this new coun-
try. At that time, bilious diseases
were more prevalent than now, and
whiskcy was the grand panacea for all
their ills. Mr.. Conklin was so disgust
ed with this way Of living, that he de-
termined not toyremain, and returned
to New York state, but in 1886 came
back to Michigan, and took up some
fractional quarters Of land, amounting
10 two hundred and twelve acres, in
Hartford township, ON tho line Of Kce-
Ter; then attached to Lawrence, Mr.
Uonkliu's brother James, and Mr.. Sci
lick were with him; their arrival to the
wilderness country was as late in the
year as December. A wagon and yoke
of oxen was their team their first and
only night during that year, which they
spent in Van Buren, county, was de-
cidedly under diHicultes. Their first
work was to fall larso beech tree, and
build fire against it by which they
cooked their supper Their lodging
place was the ground and their shelter
the wagon box turned over them. Be
fore they retired to their "downy"
couch, an Indian came along and sig
nifed by motions and signs, that he was
lost, and wanted to find his way out to
the main road, where they directed him
as well as they could, About midnight
our unsophisticated pioneers were called
on again by strangers, the bowling
wolves Their serenade was somewhat
discordant, and unlike any other music
they had ever heard. A bright fire
burning all night, kept their unwelcome
visitors at safe distance. In that one
night, the snow fell to a depth of two
feet, and the next day the storm con-
tinued, and the weather became intense
ly cold, which forced our new settlers
to give up the PROJECT Tor time, and
they returned to Battle Creek. From
there they went into Allegan county,
and attended sawmill, also commenced
making shingles in different shanties
about half mile apart. One. evening,
alter his days work Mr.. Conklin want
ed to see how the other boys were pros.
pering, he mounted an old horse to 60
and make them a call. The night was
very dark, and the horse could not be
urged or goaded out of slow walk
The wolves beset them with such un.
earthly howlings, that the boys whom
he attempted to visit, heard them at a
long distance, and went out to meet
him, bearing torches, expecting to see
both himself and the horse devoured,