Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1873-07-22
tenance wore a most malignant

"Them as come inter the fire
must expect to get their fingers
burned" says he; "and him as
treads on the yaller massasauger
herea%ays is purity sure to get Bit
ten :" and with these rather omi-
nous mutterings and defiant ges-
lures, he strobe off into the thick
ct.
The new settlers went to work
the next morning TO erect some
log shanties for immediate use.
Small clearings were made, and
crops of turnips and buck-wheat
were raised the first season. The
stream, on the bank of which they
had pitched their tents, offered a
fine water-power, and arrange
ments were made for the erection
of mills, which in due time were
completed, and added largely to
the importance of the settlement.
In the pursuit of their avoca-
tons the party of settlers had for
gotten their first and only visitor,
who came and went so mysterious
ly, leaving such an ominous croall-
ing, on the evening of their arri-
val at the settlement. Other adj
ventures followed them, and soon
the little colony augmented to
quite a respectable village.
Across the river from the settle
ment the heavy timbercd land
stretched away to the north none
Of the settlers knew how for. Not
clearing had been made nor q
shanty erected, on that side of the
river, and the region was perfect
terra 6ac0gnito. Quite q large
stream camc down out of this I'M
known forest, and cmptied itself
into the river opposite the settle
ment, whose waters had peculiar
feIruginous tinge that was distin,
guishable in the river for mile
below its mouth; but where the
stream had its rise, or what gave
to its waters thoir peculiar color
was as much q mystery as th'
source of the Nile.
Among tho first party of settler:
was Arthur S., a young man O
peculiar disposition. He loved
nothing so well as lonely strolls
through the deep and silent for.
csts, where he could look through
Nature to Natures God. Thi
youth determined to devote hi.
next holiday to tracing the myster
ious stream to its source, and sat
isfying himself at least as to the
cause of its colercd waters, for al
the other streams in the neighbor.
bood were perfectly limpid.
The opportunity soon offered
1t was bright cxhilarating day il
June. Nature had put on her gar
ments of green, and many a strange
and beautiful spring flower glad.
dencd the eye of the lover of Ma.
turc. Early in the morning the
young explorer had set himself
across the river in n small black.
walnut dug-out or canoe, and alone
started into the unlIroken forests
following up the yellow Creek,
as the stream had been named
For some distance it meandereC
through level, heavy timbereC
country, over a pebbly bottom
with little of the picturesque OF
romantic in scenery. The gloon
of the forest was unbroken, saw,
by an occasional note of the wood
lark in the leafy canopy, and now
and then the whir of a partridge
frightened at the unwonted intlus
ion upon its silent haunts.
Three or four miles brought tho
lonely explorer into a hilly portion
of the country, though still heavily
timbercd. The stream made fire.
quent and sudden turnings to ac.
comodate itself to the uneven sur.
face, and several picturesque water
falls were passed. A half-hour's
walk through the romantic scenery
brought him to the edge of a darl,
and dismal tamarack swamp. The
underbrush was thick, and pro
gress through it was by no means
pleasant or easy. But our explor-
er, once enlisted, had no idea oi
turning back. He therefore push
ed ON. He found through this
many springs that fed the stream
strongly impregnated with mineral
and large deposits of an oily sub.
stance of the consistency of paint