Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1877-10-10
ALPENA WEEKLY ARGUS,
Wednesday, October 10, 1877.
Saunterings In the County.

miles to the front, right and left
Farm houses, barns, fields, etc.
meet the eye in every direction
the yellow wheat stubble fields con
trasting with the green color o
the clover fields, and the dark ap
pearance of the newly ploughe'
lands. 1t is indeed a fair scene t,
look upon, aud one that gladden.
the eye, wearied by the long rid
through the burnt woods. Pros
perity smiles at You from ever,
quarter, and the very winds as they
sweep gently past, laden will
the perfume of the fields, whisper
of the comfort they have sweep
over.
The country we are now gazing
at, is of a rolling nature, not suffi-
cient to be an hindrance to cult
walton, but just enough to make
the scene a pleasant one and di-
vest it of the sameness which a
level country presents.
Before we go any further, there
are several things to be remember
ed. The settlement is only six
years old, and the settlers COM
menced cultivating and clearing
their farms, when possessed of but
little means. Consequently you
mustn't expect to see the same as
you would in country that has
been under cultivation for twenty
or fifty years, where fields extend
side by side, for miles, without a
break. 1t takes time and money
to make farm out of the wilder
ness. Therefore, if you see clumps
of dead trees and patches of I'M
derbrush between the various clear
ings, you mustn't be disappointed,
for the settlers have cleared those
parts of their farms which were
the easiest cleared, and, in a new
country, the ornamental must al
ways follow the useful. The first
thing to be done in a new country
is for the settler to get his land in
shape so that he can get a comfor-
table living for himself and family,
from it, and when the living is Sc
cure, the farmer is at liberty to in
vest his surplus earnings in orna-
menting his place. 1t is the only
safe way. 1t is evident that the
settlers, whose farms we are look
ing at, have passed through the
first stage of backwoods life, and
have entered on the second.
But it won't do to remain here,
moralizing, pleasant though the
scene and subject is, so we must be
on the move once more. Straight
in front of Us is the main road, ex-
tending until it is lost to sight over
Q raise of land, then reappearing
on the top of another gentle eleva-
ton, and so on until it disappears
entirely over q distant swell of
land. The road is in capital con-
dition, both sides being fanked by
a ditch, and the Louden House is
but half a mile ahead, on the left
side of the road. There is a fence
on the Louden side, but none on
the other until you get to the cor
ner.
We may as we'll state here, that,
as rule, no fences are erected in
the "Burnt Lands" owing, princi-
pally to the scarcity of fencing tim
Der. The only fences put up are
about the gardens, pastures, etc.
Cattle are not allowed to run at
large, SO that there is no particular
need of fences. The absence of
fences gives an odd appearance to
the farms, and person can hardly |
realize that he is on a public road.
The land on the left is the Lou
den farm, that on the right be-
Iongs to John Martin, and good
farms they are. Arriving at Lou
lens we leave the main road, and
inter the road on our right. On
he corner on the left is tall flag
taft; on the right is Mr.. Martins
esidence, and back from it a good
lied barn, which appears to be |
Iell filed with farm produce. A I
tack in the rear of the barn, is
retty good evidence Of visit of q
10 tbresbing machine. Adjoining {
fartin's is the farm of Mr.. An
rus. Down the side road we go q
bout half a mile and right In front Q
us is the farm house, barn, etc, @
William f. Jones. A stop for a a
" minutes; a stroll through the q
ell filed garden ; a glance at the b
side of the barn, full Of farm pro- 4