Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1876-07-26

Alpena, began TO poke fun at the
farmers of this section, inquiring
if they were going to separate the
sawdust from the sand. The ig-
norance of the Bay City itemizer
may be overlooked, when we con-
slider that the same lot of flaming
mills was the cause of much won
der to the city people, for it is a
well known fact that the people OF
Alpena city knew very little about
the progress that was going on
among the farmers, being altogeth-
er occupied by lumber and the
business connected with it. Re-
ports had been circulated from
time to time about what was going
on, but very few believed them.
The time came at last when the
most doubtful among the disbe-
levers were forced to confess that
farming was a successful pursuit.
The honor of establishing this fact
belongs to Mr.. Geo. F. Lewis, ed
itor Of the Saginawian, Saginaw
City, who, during the summer Of
1875. made a short tour among
some of the settlements. Mr.. Lewis
wrote to his paper the following
account of what he saw:
Surely, says the Bay City man, who
can account for the recent shipment of
tanning mills to Alpena only upon the
suppostion that they are 10 be used for
separating sand from sawdust," there
must be some sell in any communica-
tion that follows 80 absurd a caption,
and the average citizen of any portion
of Michigan, the city Of Alpena included
has as little practical knowledge Of the
recent astonishing agricultural devel-
opments in Alpena county, as had the
author of this sand and sawdust item
of the construction and legitimate pur-
pose Of fanningmill, whenever operated.
The enterprise which has given to the
city of Alpena its prominent position as
a manufacturing and commercial place,
has been active for many years ~ MAX
ing farms ut points convenient to the |
city or to the lumber camps in the for
nsts beyond. In nearly every instance |
these have proved successful and re- /
nature thus aiding the tough |
Job OF cleaning many Of the tracts which .
have been brought under cultivation, /
md the difficulty, especially near Alpena, I
Is getting rid of the intCrminable tor /.
dressing of scaly limestone which is over /,
all the earth in fragments from square !
inch 10 a foot in size. About two miles /.
from the Fletcher House, ON the Long
Lake road. there is now standing on the .
lime rock farm of Mr.. Phelps a ten-acre ,
Held of as promising wheat rs can be .
found in Michigan-fencc high, stout, .
thick, long-headcd-as was not that BAY |
City tanning mill itemizer. Yet after il |
was sowed last fall YOU could scarcely /
zee the land for the stones" Morse,
Minor, Richardson, Campbell, Potter &
Co., and many other prominent lumber
ncn have creditable improvements near
own, and the feeling among the "solid .
men" is earnest and in favor of encour- |
iging agricultural development both by |
Drecept andexample. But those tanning
mills, they have gone to
THE BURNT LANDS,
where there Is development of the |
arming interest, made within the past |
three years, which seems incredible
Fourteen miles in a direct course from |
Alpena, eighteen miles by the road, in |
.own 80 north of range east are located /
most OF the farms visited, but I'm sever
Il towns adjoining this are large tracts |
" what are known as burnt lands"
Why they arc so called and why they
nave proved such a providential inter
position In favor of Alpena is thus ex-
planned, which explanation is best intro
luced with the original remark that the
ace of all these lands is clay, the sur
ace soil being light or dark loom, ac-
,ordlng to the situation and the pre-
rious growth Of timber. Formerly this 1
and was heavily timbered, the best of /
L with beach and maple, and an occa.
,ional cork pine; the lighter qualities |
with hemlock, some beach and maple, /
md pine In groves. Fires killed the /
timber many years ago, afterwards this /
was blown down, and still later il was 4
burned up, root and branch, as clean In /
many instances as that which formerly /
stood upon the cleanest pine plains In /
my portion of the State. Before any
had been made as to the .
character of the soil on these lands, a
iense underground Of poplar, birch, bass /
wood and other small timber covered /
The entire surface of the country, and /
the land has mainly
proved so valuable, as the outset appear |
lnces were against it, and those who |
made the first break into this unkempt
were called fools by all the |
very wisest men in the Alpena region,
except Hon. j. X. Lockwood, who holds |
so sublime faith concerning that quar-
ter OF Michigan, that he can see therein
hope for the development of
every industry and enterprise under
Heaven, gold and copper mining not
excepted. And, by the way, his faith
has been the means Of developing many
incidental resources that have added
to the business and prosper
ity of that whole section.
Some years ago the first improvements
were commenced, but little had been ac-
up to 1918, when the sue
cess of the first farmers began 10 be I'M
by few outside, and then
there was rapid settlement and civiliza-
tion In all quarters of the burnt lands.
Three years ago Mr.. Thwslts, the only
man as yet who has nothing TO do with
numbering, winter or summer, but makes
farming his sole business. OF 3S3 acres
he has 100 under cultivation, and his
crops this year will be worth at least
q 900 n, ~ ,~l,o.. L.. h.a .