Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-04-28
JoTqTxGs RI THE WAY.

| that its main street Is about rs crooked as
Brosdway, Albany, which was originally
built along a coE-path. Just to the south
east of the present town are fine springs
around which was noted camping ground
of the Indians. II was the rendezvous of
the various tribes to the north and west
the Saginaws and those about Chicago's To-
eation-as they went to Detroit to get their
annuity from the Government agents, and
on their return, it is said, they would come
to this point the first day, camp for the
night, and the next day separate-some
going TO the Saginaw valley and farther
north, and Others westward. What an
amount Of fire-water must have been guz-
zled around those springs! More, l will
venture, than was drank of the pure wa
ter; and then, the powwows, and dances,
and grand councils around the campfire! !!
Doubtless the silent forest echoed their
bachanalian revels and orgies as from time
to time they came to obtain the Great
Fathers bounty.
Wonderful have been the changes and
improvements in Grand Rapids-especially
in Canal and Monroe streets, since my last
visit, in September. They were then rails
ing the buildings up 81 feet, and filing in
the streets to the same depth. That work
is nearly all completed and the cars rum
ming as usual. The city expended on these
improvements $25, 900. The manufactures
are in very prosperous condition. Fur
niture manufacturers are driven with or
ders-far behind, and are pushing their
works to their utmost capacity. Orders Of
| $4,000 to $S5, 900 are pouring in from all
parts of the country. Nelson & Matter are
about putting on a night force. They have
large orders from Philadelphia to furnish
some centennial hotels-S. Berkey & Sons.
One reason for their success is this fact:
very many of the furniture factories in
the West and some at the East, have
collapsed or closed for time-no orders
and nothing to do.
saw photograph of Nelson & Matters
Centennial set" of tlOo pieces-bedstead
and dressing-case-ma of black walnut
and ebony, standing IA feet high, Of most
beautiful, elaborate and unique design,
costing So, GOO, and valued at 5000. The
fortunate possessor Of that viii no doubt
have many pleasant dreams-of greenbacks
Take look at it, friend Reed-you may
wish to have it-and you will see the finest
specimen in that line you have ever seen.
In other respects, trade at Grand Rapids
was very dull-so all classes of merchants
complained.
At Grand Haven, l found that naviga-
tion was fully opened, even for lumber
shipments, for several vessels were lading
with lumber-March 31st. But the Cd.
Haven & Milwaukee line of steamers, three
in number, have made regular trips all
winter, and each boat has made $50, 600
so was told. The amount of freight was
enormous; during the month Of March
alone they handled 2S,0OOt Otons-the largest
ever handled in one month. It has been a
harvest season also for the D. & NJ. R. R.,
the outlet for all that freight to Detroit,
&c. The road has been compelled to run
a host of extra trains to keep things NOV
j ing.
Muskegon was dull as to trade, and the
! mills had not yet started-the ice being
solid and the logs fast. Muskegon has the
honor of producing the most lumber o.
J any one town in the q. s., or the world
viz, 400, ,OOO, 900 #. annually. This veal
it viii be short-only about 325, 900, 600 #
She has thirty large mills, so you can i'm.
agine there must be lively work during the
season for manufacturing.
Building is progressing rapidly-over u
then being under contract. Muskegon i.
destined to be large and prosperous town
Many elegant and substantial busines:
houses were erected this last season.
April 1st was in Maple Valley, and
there came into town three loads of pint
limber-air-seasonod having been sawI
last fall-which beg leave to mention a.
something extraordinary. One contained
zoos it., one s,O07 and the last 9,Os6 #.
each hauled by one team of horses for foul
miles. How are those for loadsl Perhaps
Denmark parties imagine they can beai
that! The last mentioned lacked only few
feet of carload.
Ionia has had its big failure, and loss
too. Messrs. Colby & Co., lumber dealers
failed to the amount of $500, OOO-taking
$15O,OOO out of the city alone. This was
the coolest, most deliberately planned piece
of rascality and fraud ever perpetrated
thereabouts.
When at Pontiac, last week, great wa;
the excitement and indignation there ovel
the failure and breach of trust Of the Nc
Kinley Bros.-bankers and city treasurer,
But notice that their affairs will moi
{ prove as mixed as was feared at the first.
Flint, isolated as it is from all large
towns, is seemingly suffering less than
most towns from the effect of the panieky
times. Though she manufactures a large
amount of lumber, brought down the Flint
river, yet she relies, in the. imain, upon the
rich farming country around the city. Il
some of your Ashtabulians, who imagine
you have the hu6-the centre of the world,
ETC., would just see Flint, its broad, Mich
olson-paved Main. street, its uniformly
good and substantial brick stores-mostly
with plate-glass fronts-ine churches and
$75,O0O school building--I think you would
I :
go home feeling very much chagrined, and
satisfied that It will take a score Of years
for you to come up to Flint's present sta
tus.
Saginaw City and E. Saginaw are hav-
ing a pretty hard time of 1.-THE lattersuf-
fering most. Her great improvements have
been made mostly with hired capital; she
has about $500, 600 in school buildings and
property alone; then. the depressed condi-
ton of the lumber and salt markets make
it altogether trying time for them. Sag
inaw City and Bay City have more real,
substantial wealth among their citizens,
and they have gone slowly in their i'm
provements, and have less debt to cripple
their energies.
| E.. Saginaw is a miniature Chicago in
very many respects. Bay City is growing
/