The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-07-16

The following has been received with the re-
quest that we publish it, We comply with the
request and give the article for what il is worth,
leaving the reader to place his own estimate on
the matter:
Rejoice, oh Decatur Pride and JOY of Van
Buren, County How shall we sufficiently re-
joice in thee, for this that but three tardy
scholars are found in thee True, some have
stood by the wayside seeming to wait for thy
tolling bell to cease, then they Lave wondered
at their own sweet will in thy delightful high
ways and by-ways. True, some have, upon
entering thy halls Of learning, been meekly
told they were not wanted, being late, and have
as meekly turned upon the heel and wandered
away to spend the three hours OF school accord
ing to the measure OF their own discretlon.-
Some, being late, have spent the hours with
the neighbors, much to their own and their
neighbors' edfication. Some, being late in a
bad storm, stay in the hall through the three
hours OF school. Some, being late, have re-
turned ond quckened their blood by chasing
the swlft-going horse with the cutter. But only
three bear this overwhelming brand. True,
some Of thy youth swear with startling emphasis
upon the hallowed school ground; and some,
chewing the fragrant weed, pass it most friend
ly within thy sacred halls OF learning. Some
OF thy scholars (et us speak most lamentably)
do seem to pilfer most audaciously, but thew
are never known to be tardy
Oh! how shall we sufficiently lament for thee,
all the balance OF the State OF Michigan? Oh !!
how shall we sufficiently shame thee, Paw Paw !!
with thy three hundred and some more cases
of hardness? How do we know there were
but three in our school? Has it not been the
theme OF three 'valedictories. some young
ladies' essays, and as many newspaper articles I?
Is it not the theme OF our annual circulars
Rejoice. oh Decatur Has not a Detroit
paper commented upon tiny particular good
fortune Will not our foreign scholars and
their folks, many of whom now live, and al
ways have lived within few miles OF our
town, come and buy our calico, and tea, and
tobacco and shoestrngs, and plows?
Verify, Decatur is to be the admiration of
many nations, the commercial center OF great
trade and traffic, the only hope Of our great
and growing Republic
\ great deal has been said lately about cer-
tain artificial embankmen's in Ogemaw and
other counties IN the ne bern part of the
State, some asserting that ney were the work
of the mound builders, aud Others that they
were only the work OF beavers. An examlna-
ton OF some Of those on the borders of Otsego
Lake show that they are the graves OF IA ,e
probably long since extinct. 4 recent number
OF the Otsego Herald says OF them:
Numerous mounds are to be seen on the
east. west and south borders of the lake, all
containing remains OF human beings. These
mounds are mostly OF a uniform size and shape,
being about ID feet square and about . feet
above the surface OF the ground. Two OF these
mounds were excavated last evening, aud found
to contain the bones OF three and four persons
respectively. Many OF the bones, such as the
long bones, skull. superior and inferior max
.ary, clavicle and vertebra. were In a coed
state OF preservation, others were gradually
crumbling back to their mother earth. Tradi-
ton asserts that there was heavy battle fought
here in the past ages, between the mound build
ers and some Southern tribe, probably one Of
the Six Nations. and that the bones found are
the remains of those killed in that battle, and
from the promiscuous manner in which they
seem TO be inferred, we should say there was
some truth in the tradition, We understand
that there is going to be more thorough ex-
ANIMATION made Of some OF these mounds,
with view OF searching for relics which may
give some clue to the history OF this tribe OF
primitive inhabitants.