Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1871-11-01
ANN ARBoR, MICHIGAN,
notohar OG 1871

EDITOR CHRONICLE This is a beauti-
ful place Of over eight thousand inhsbi-
tants, situated upon the. railroad, be-
tween thirty-seven and thirty-eight
miles west of Detroit, and is the seat Of
the State University. The attendance
thus far is 1l13 students, ebont equally
divided smong the three departments,
Literary, Medical and Law, each being
a school of unquestionable merit and
good scholarship.
The streets are wide, clean and pleas
ant, and laid out at right angles, having
on each side q row of naples, the widest
having a third row down the center,
thus making two pleasant road ways.
The location is very pleasant and
healthy, and the educational advantages
excellent, enabling q person TO obtain a
first-elass education with but scOmpara-
lively small expenditure Of money. The
climate is very like that Of tho Western
Reserve, bnt not so changable. Wood
Is plenty; but weare Obliged, generally,
10 drink cistern water, owing to the
character Of the soil, which in the i'm
mediate vicinity is so porous that sink
ing wells is not only expensive but
dangerous, as one has TO go through a
graveliy sand nearly one hundred feet
to reach the rock containing water, which
when reached, Is too hard for domestic
purposes.
notwithstanding this draw back in re-
gard u water, stock aud crops Of all
kinds do well, as small streams are
abundant: such things as wet cellars
and heavy roads re unknown.
Just east Of the town is the 0bserva-
tory in charge OF Prof. J. c. Watson,
who has gained a world wide reputation,
on account OF his many and recent dis
coveries. Hers, too, is DIR. Chase's Steam
Printing HSuse, from which he intends
soon to issue another Receipt Book,
which may interest those who have used
his previous work on the same subject.
The drouth is fearful; I have been in
formed that from the first OF July to
date, there has not been enough rain to
thoroughly wet the soil. The woods
twelve or eighteen miles from here are
On fire, and the smoke from thers at
times is quite painful to the eyes. Very
many eisterns in this place are empty,
and were the fire to reach Us, nothing
could save the town from ashes. No one
living on the quiet Western Deserve can
form any conception Of the fearful raw
ages OF the late fires in Wisconsin, and
parts of this state. A feint idea may be
formed of the extent of country visited
and ruined by the fire, when we know
that the Detroit Tribune, spaper eonsid-
erably larger than the CHRONICLE, filed
no less than four columns with short re-
ports from townships and towns that
were burned OF burning in Michigan
alone.
In some sections Of northeast Michi-
gan, the fire has not only swept houses,
barns, crops and wood, both cut and
standing, but even burned the very
ground to the depth of afoot. Comment
as to the possibility of getting full crops
from such a place soon, is unnecessary.
Nor is the burning Of the soil TO be won
dered at, LeeSUse, at this place as far as
the eve can reach, wherever the sun
has had full scope,) not ems single green
spot Of grass that may not be covered
by the crown OF an ordinary hat can bs
see.. Should winter come on without
gain, the situation will be d~eplorable.
J. J. Z,