Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1876-05-17

those wonderful structures called
"beaver DAMS" 10 the construction
Of which the beaver shows IN a.
most human intelligence.
1t was to get the pelts of such
animals as we have Just named, that.
induced man to visit the shores OF
Alpena river, and thus the first step
was taken towards settling the
county. 1t had become known that
valuable tracts Of pine lands and
fishing grounds existed about the
shores Of Thunder Bay. The at
tention Of lumhermen and fisher
men were drawn TO the abundance
of pine and fish, and they were not
long in availing themselves of the
chances offered. Fishermen be-
gan to come up and select their
fishing sites, and soon found rich
harvests on the various spawning
grounds. Lumbermen found AL
pena possessed of the necessary
advantages to make their lumber
ing operations pecuniarily sue
cessfnl. There was an abundance
of pine: there was a long river,
extending through the county, for
floating their logs, when cut, to the
mills, and it was convenient 10
navigation. So land was taken up
by spectators, numbering opera
tions commenced, mills were erect
ed, and soon a small town began
to grow up and extend about the
mouth of the river.
Of these things we shall speak
more fully as we proceed with our
pleasant task, for to us il is q pleas
ant task, and we regret very much
that an abler pen than our own has
not undertaken the narration Of
the history, settlement, and pros
poets Of Alpena.
While numbering and fishing be-
came known for their excellence,
nothing was said, except in dis
paragement, of the farming quail
ties Of this county. No one Doubt
ed the excellencies of the lumber
ing and fishing operations, but
almost everybody ridiculed the
idea Of farming in Alpena. "What,
farm on these sandy plains and
stony points, Why, sir" the croak-
ers would say, ga man would starve
10 death, If he tried TO get living
ny cultivating the soil in such
cold, inhospitable cline. When the
lumber and fish give ont, which
they will in few years, Alpena
will sink into insignificance, and
those who invest their means in
farming or building viii lose all
their investments" But has farm
ing proved failurei Is Alpena
going TO sink into insigni!icance
when its lumber and fish give QUIT
To the first we will prove, as we
proceed, that farming is not fail
ure in the county, but, on the con-
trary, that no better place exists
for the industrious farmer, who is
willing to apply his labor, means,
and intelligence towards cultiva-
ting the wild tracts that await his
coming; and to the second we an
swer, no. for we think that Alpena
has but just experienced the first
CLEANS of her prosperity.
To show what opinions were en-
tertained about the value of pro-
perty in this city, we give the fol-
lowing incident that was related to
us by the participant In 1864:
Mr.. Geo. N. Fletcher, then own
ing what is now known as the
Folkerts & Buttefield saw-mill, had
working for him, ut that time, a
fireman named Day. Mr.. Fletcher
asked Day to buy one of his city
lots. Day answered:
81 will, IL you'll give me flying
deed"
"a Aging deed" said Mr.. Fletch-
er, "what DO you want flying
deed fort" al
"Why," said Day, 81 want a
flying deed so that II the wind
should blow the lot to Detroit, L
could follow and claim it."
Some Of those flying deed lots,
that Day spoke so contemptuously
about, are now worth sixty dollars
a foot front. fr-w
For a new town, Alpena has been
very quiet and orderly. Very lit
tie liquor was sold in the place, and
- Al