Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1875-03-10


too often unthanlful duties Of the
household; much less, can they
form any proper conception Of how
painfully monotonousit is, TO be
continually sweeping, busting, cook
ing, mendipg, to say nothing of
Swapping, cleaning windows, and
the thousand other duties that per-
tain to that monstrous science
housekeeping. No wonder we
occasionally scold; the wonder is
that we don't get on our dignity,
as we ought to, and give the men
an energetic "trouncing." On We'd
nesday last, however, a few of US
decided upon breaking this miser-
able spell, and for once asserted
our freedom. Preparations were
Immediately begun for visit to
Mr.. Churchills lumber camp. The
whole neighhorhood was ransack-
ed for shawls, mittens. quilts, scarfs,
ministerial and laity) buffalo robes,
and such other articles as were
deemed necessary for the trip. The
day was perhaps not as warm as
might he desired, but with our
feelings elevated, from zero to at
least 80 degrees in the shade, at
the good time anticipated-Jacle
Frost's remonstrances were entire
ly discarded. A team was procured,
and having bid our friends an afiec-
tionate goodbye, at half past one
o'clock we started. Three men, who
had given us satisfactory evidence
of their good moral character, were
permitted to accompany us; not
however, without considerable
coaxing on their part. Before we
returned, we made the unhappy dis
covery. that one may possess a
good moral character, and be at
the same time, so dull and stupid,
as to be almost intolerable. The
driver-a robust, healthy looking
Young gentleman, of Celtic ex-
traction, was in the highest degree
accommodating, and left no avail
able means untried to make US
happy and comfortable. The road
from the city to within a mile of
Ossineke was delightful. We skip
ped over it with the speed of a
locomotive, and with nearly as
much noise-some of our passen-
gers making frantic efforts at dis
playing their musical proclivities
others putting their vocal organs
TO test that would, under other
circumstances, he considered inhu-
manly severe. From the "turn"
ut Ossineke tn the Norway Pains
the road is so outrageously crooked
that one would imagine, the party
who opened it, had followed the
trail of a rattlesnake. On either side
of the road, as far as the eye can
reach are Norway pines swinging
to and fro in their majestic gran
deur, inspiring one with a feeling
of awe, intermingled with a kind
of sublime pleasure that can be
better imagined than described.
Bnt person, whose mind is rufiled
with the imperfections of art, is
in very poor mood for admiring
the beauties of nature. About
dusk we arrived at the camps. i
Columbus and his party were no
more delighted with the sight of
st. Salvador. than we were with
the sight of the camps. In short
time we We're comfortably seated
in the cooks shanty, and from the
kind treatment we received at the
hands of the "boss" cooks, and
others in charge, we soon forgot
our hardships, and settled down to
the enjoymen. OF camp life. The
cook shanty was certainly superior
to any Of its kind that we ever saw,
md in justice to the cooks, we
must state that it presented an
mir OF cleanliness and neatness, that
would be q credit to any Of our
first class hotels. They had place
or everything and kept everything
10 its place. On our arrival, the
men, numbering over forty, were
1t supper and seemed to bc enjoy
ng themselves hugely, as well they
tables being spread
With the best, in our opinion, the
market affords. In a short time,
simmer was announced for our COM .