Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1873-09-16
A Favorable Word.

again sojourning in this land Of pin
and prosperity:
Mr.. EDITOR Il trust you wi
allow me, visitor in your CON
munity, to say few words to tn
public through the medium of you
neat and well managed journa
True, much has already been said
but not as much as justly might b.
told Of the queen city of Lake Hu
ron,-Alpena. l can but look up
on this thriving little town with thu
greatest of interest for its welfare
and future progress, as for the past
two years / have at times spent
many pleasant hours, days, and
weeks in the place and country
around. l hardly think there is a
city in Michigan which has devel-
oped itself to greater advantage
during the last two years than has
Alpena. In the summer of 1871, /
was present when the foundation
for your first brick building was
laid,-that handsome and substan-
tial block of Messrs. Bolton d Nc
Rae ; and then, on all sides were
visible nothing but wooden struc-
lures, still everything bore q neat |
and business like appearance, and |
it seemed that Alpena was in fair
way to increase rapidly in business
and population. Then, in 1872,
when the raging fire king laid the .
greater part of the business houses
in ruins, it was, to me, a sad and
sickening spectacle. But the peo-
pie of Alpena having the true bust
ness metal, sulmounted the gloomy .
obstacle, stood up manfully and dis
paired not. They put forth every
conceivable effort to rise, Phoenix
like, from the smouldcring ruins,
and may say that l am more than
happy to see how nobly they have
braved the storm.
Imagine, If you can, what must
be strangers thoughts to leave a
little town like this with many acres
bare from a destructive fire, aud
then at the end of one short year
view on the place made so vacant
and dessolate, such beautiful and
convenient brick blocks and stores
Messrs. Potter, Whitney, Goodrich,
Phelps, Power, Pack, Creighton,
Golling, Bostwick, Blackburn, Me
Donald, aud Gillett may well be
proud of their building, for they
are such as would do honor to cities
many times larger than Alpena, and
too, where material for making
brick is more plentiful.
There are but very faint outlines
to be seen Of the sad work Of that
terrible fire but little more than q
year since, and ere another year
rolls round, they will, no doubt, be
entirely obliterated, and many
more additions made to the stcadi
ly increasing business.
/ see, too, that the citizens are 0
as progressive class as can BE-
found in any town in the universe
On all sides, residences, large ant
small, handsome and comely, ar,
springing up, as it were, like mush
rooms, in a single night. The cit,
fathers have done a noble work il
opening large number of new
streets and making other noticeabl,
improvements, much to the bettet
appearance of the whole place.
one great improvement indeed, i
the new bridge across the river.
The Mineral Well is fast becom
ing more popular, and well it should
as it is, without question, possesse,
of the strongest and best qualitie
of any well of the kind in thi
State, and under the managemer
Of DIR. Maiden, who is the best ma
for that very important position,
will be very strange that it doe
not prove to do all that is elaine
for it, If the patients will but 70
low ha!f Of the doctors directions
Another great and valuable In
provoment will be the erection {
the new bath house, near tn
Fletcher House, as is now talked {
by the proprietor, Mr.. Geo. \
Fletcher, Of Detroit.
Alpena, with the beautiful ba,
interperscd here and there wit
islands, the lumber facilities, IN