Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1875-10-23
THE INLAND NAVIGATION.
Commissioner Haviland and Oficials of
the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad
Visit and Inspect the Line of the
Proposed Improvement.

open navigation i'm our chain of inland
lakes was the reference of the matter to
the Swamp Land Commissioner, Hon.
j. B. Haviland, of Traverse City, with
instructions to make personal examina-
ton of the proposed work and make
report thereon at the next meeting OF the
Board, which takes place at Lansing next
Wednesday. The time set for the trip
through the lakes and rivers from the
head of Crooked Lake to ChebOygan was
on Wednesday the twentieth inst. This
much was arranged at the last meeting
Of the Board, and an invitation extended
to as many of the Board as could do so,
to make the trip with the Commissioner.
The editor Of the TRIBUNE then visited
Grand Rapids and presented the project
to Mr.. j. FL. Page, the general passenger
agent of the Grand Rapids and Indiana
Railroad in such manner as to secure the
interest of the road and promise of at
least one representative upon the trip of
examination.
THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE TRIP.
Knowing that the time of the parties
making the examination would be linn
tied, it was decided to make the trip
through in day. The tug Maud Sam
mons was therefore chartered to be light
cred over the bar into Burt Lake and 10
go as far as Grass Lake, UP Crooked
River, and thence to the head of Crooked
Lake in small boats to meet the visitors,
who would come out from Petoskey to
that point. For the return trip the Bis
marck was engaged to go as near Burt
Lake as possible, and on the arrival of
the Maud, the party would be taken over
the bar in small boats, take passage on
the Bismarck and arrive i'm Cheboygan
as early in the evening as possible. How
well this plan worked, and how the party
did not arrive in Cheboygan Wednesday
evening, will be shown later i'm this ar
ticle, for, knowing the general interest
that is felt by all our citizens i'm this i'm
proyement, and all matter pertaining to
it, we shall give rather full particulars
of the trip.
THE TRIP.
In accordance with the foregoing ar
engagements the Maud Summons left Che
boygan Monday afternoon, to allow her
time to get over the bar into Burt Lake.
The writer of this article accompanied
her to see that all arrangements were
properly carried out, and to welcome the
visitors at the head of the proposed navi
CATION. The following morning Mr.. John
Mckay and Merritt Chandler left with
wagon to meet the visitors at Petoskey
and take them through to the lake. On
the road Mr.. VIM. Macarthur was met
returning from his visit to Chicago, and
turned and accompanied them. Wednes-
day morning the visitors. Messrs. Havi-
land, j. III. Page, general passenger agent,
and w. B. Simpson, engineer of the
Grand Bapids and Indiana Railroad, ac-
cOmpanied by the parties named, and Mr..
David Smith, met, according to arrange
ment, at the head of Crooked Lake,
where passage was taken in small boats |
across the lake and down Crooked River
to the point reached by the Summons,
distant about seven or eight miles. This
was made without mishap, and in as
quick time as was probably ever made,
for there was a race between the two
boats for nearly the entire distance,
which added much to the pleasure of
the trip. if it did also to the labor.
Thus far everything had passed pleas
antIy and as near as possible in accord
ance with the arrangements. but when
the Summons was ready to start occurred |
the first serious delay, which finally re-
suited i'm the failure to make the trip in
a day. The propeller wheel had got
misplaced in some way and nearly two
hours was wasted in righting it. This
compelled the navigation of Crooked River
in the dark, difficult matter to do, as
the channel had never been cleared of
fallen logs, and the route new one to
the captain. This resulted in the rudder
being unshipped in running over sunk
EN- log. This ha | to be replaced, when
the balance of the trip was made down
the river without accident, which showed
careful management on the part of Mr..
Summons. The run was then made to
the head of Indian River, but of course
too late in the night to make the neces-
sary examination of the work at that
point. Then the Bismarck had become
wearied of waiting and had returned
home, which, if there was no reason,
compelled the night to be spent there.
However, this was done very pleasantly.
The work was examined the next morn
ing, the tug lightered over the bar, the
party reaching this place shortly after
noon.
The weather was all that could be de-
sired, and, i'm our opinion, the trip
pleasant one to all concerned. In regard
to the results we can only say that all
seemed favorably impressed with the
the situation of affairs and the feasibility |
of the project, and we trust that the nee
tssary aid will be granted to complete
the work.
If the channel is opened and proper
bosts put upon the route to accommo-
date the travelling public, we have no
doubt but that the Grand Rapids and In
diana Railroad would push through their
influence and business north to this
routa This woIld make the establish