Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1873-08-19
A Strangers Opinion Of Aipena
EDITOR OF THE ARGUS:

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inspection of your many mills anC
manufacturing houses, has to me
proved most interesting and en-
ioyable occasion. To stranger
your city presents many novel ano
attractive features. Imagine, il
you please, Mr.. Editor, the feel
inks" of n visitor who has lived
in a metropolitan city of the east
the most of his life, when he lands
for the first time, and in the night
so to speak, in your saw-dust city
What a flood of thoughts possess
him! In the first place, the scene
so impresses him with wonder and
awe, that for the moment he stand:
like silent spectre and mentally
exclaims, Can this thing be p
! can look back few years, and
remember hearing the name of Al
pena-a little settlement, composed
chiefly of course, uncouth men,
women and children - sturdy,
hard-fisted pioneers-without edu-
cation and with nothing before
them but toll and privation. And
now what do l find. A rapidly
growing city of about five thousand
souls; numberless lumber, lath,
single and siding mills; large and
spacious brick and frame stores I;
beautiful and, some of them, costly
residences churches and schools
on every side; broad streets and
avenues, and more being laid out /;
new enterprises about to be sue
cessfully completed and last, but
not least, generous, hospitable and
wide-awake citizens. Mr.. Editor,
what more is necessary to give the
stranger good impression of your
city! Can any sane man ask for
more advantages or attractions
than you already possessl Yes;
there is one important link which
must be made and connected before
your chain is sufficiently strong to
enable you to continue to retain
and add to your wealth and popu-
lation. You have surrounding you
all the timber, below without
doubt, in my mind,) almost mex
haustable quantities of salt, and
sufficient shipping facilities, for
all the lumber that can be worked
to advantage during the winter
seasons. This being the case. then,
the only thing required-in fact,
an absolute necessity-is a railroad.
1t seems to me that lake shore
road would be, comparatively
speaking, a waste Of money, be-
cause you already have commune
cation with the outer world. A
railroad, then, running in a south
westerly direction, would give you
communication with the western
portion of the State, and open q
section of country that would prove
a source of untold wealth to AL
pena city. Of course, this is only
an outsiders view, and should be
taken for just what it may be
worth. ] set no particular price.
My health being very delicate O.
visited the famous mineral spring
in your city. In fact, to see this
wonder was one of the objects of
my visit, as its reputation "bclow"
Is, to use theatrical phrase, i'm
mense." / was accompanied by
friend-Ill call him John-who
was showing me the " elephant"
When within about three blocks of
the bath house, / stopped on the
corner, and placed an handker-
chief to my nasal organ. John
looked serious when i talked Of
cholera, and predicted that scourge
in this city, unless the Board of
Health speedily abated the nui-
sance. John evidently understood
my ignorance of the situation, and
dispelled my fears. We arrived at
the well, and l got to leeward."
While viewing the stream, which
runs with great force through
three inch pipe, and from depth
of 900 feet, ] asked John to take
me below to see the engine. He
muttered something about "gccen,"
I'd fool and ridiculous" and
then led me to the interior of the
bath housc--a spacious building
kept by DIR. w. p. Maiden and
wife. The baths are well arranged,
and the visitor can have hot or
.old, standing or sitting, plunge or
'hower-or all Of them in turn. !