Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-09-17
GOVERNOR CROSWELEs DRIVE
A Night Ride with n PlcAaure Party
Through the woods.


Through the woods.
The Adrian Times and Expositor
says: When the legislative excur-
sion ended Governor Croswell went
up to Sault Ste. Marie, and started
for home Tuesday morning by the
Cheboygan and Petoskey inland
route, through the inland lakes and
Crooked river.
A number of Chicago ladies and
gentlemen had come into Oheboy-
gan from off the Peerless, a Chi
cago steamer, which had expe-
rienced a fearful time in the gale of
Friday and Saturday of last week,
aud as the Chicago ladies and their
escorts had experienced too much
Of a scare to think Of returning to
Chicago by water, they joined the
governor and a party who were
coming down to Petoskey by the
new inland route. Tuesday morn
ing early, the party, numbering
about thirty, entered little steam
boat, just large enough to carry
them. The trip through the new
route was a delightful experience to
all. The little boat puffed its way
through q short river, then over a
little lake, gliding out again into
another river, and SO the journey
was kept up all day long. In the
afternoon the little boat made
a landing in front of a log
cabin, where the party got
their dinner, his excellency
presiding with good humored dig.
nifty over what they all thought wa;
the best dinner they had ever par
taken of, Finally Crooked river
was reached. That stream is so sex.
aggeratedly" crooked that even oui
conservative Executive himself can
scarcely give straight description
of it. At last the little lake which
ended their journey by water wat
reached, and some moments after
the sun had shot its last golden ar.
row into the tall treetops they
rounded to at the landing, whore {
lumber wagon capable of carrying
seven or eight people was in wait
ing to carry that whole party to Pc
toskey, a distance of six miles
There were satchels and portfolios
and all sorts of baggage, eight la
dies, a governor and fifteen Of
twenty gentlemen upin the wildS o
Michigan, with an Indian village
one side Of the lake and poor lit
tie cabin at the landing. Th,
darkness was fairly swooping dowt
as they decided to get to Betoskey
The ladies must ride and the gen
tlenlen must walk. BY unani
nous vote Governor Croswell wa
elected to drive the wagon. TIL,
ladies had got the idea that his eK
cellency was a good teamster, am
he did make that team stir.
Away went the whole party
Satan, in the shape of a Chicago
man, leading on. The gentlemen
on foot finding it impossible tt
keep the road, or keep together
divided into two parties and mum
beyed theaseIyes, ever and auon tht
leader crying ogt "oue," the mex
gentleman "two," rs ofder to be
assured that none were lost, anl
such an infrgnal hallooing and yell
ing those old woods never heard
before. How faFed it witb the ex
ecutive Jehu aud his load of ladies,
Horrifed reader, dost thou know
what a corduroy road ISL Have
YOU ever iolted Tor miles oYeF log
and rails when the wheels stopped
at every Jolt, or rolled along Owe
half-grown saw logs that were float
ing in the water beneath? All this
with the delightful spring tn
"hind-ex /" of a lumber Wagon
gives? If SO, you have not livet
in vain, and may, in your mind,
picture the governor of Michigal
and eight Goddesses Of Liberty OF
a triumphal procession through tn
pine woods to the town Of camp
meeting fame. This procession
was escorted by a party OF gentle
men transformed into u bowling
whooping mob, bespattered witt