Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1878-09-07
Cheboygan and the Burnt Lands of
r..

Out OF some hundreds of inquiries
about the locality, quality and general
character OF tie Burnt Lands OIL the
Munuscong aud Pine Rivers of the Up
per Peninsula, party of ten was made
up at Cheboygan, some of the party go
ing up with us from Detroit. while
others from the western part of the state.
took the route by the Grand Rapids s.
Indiana Railroad 10 Petoskey, and thence
across the state to Cheboygan by the In
land navigation route, which has .now
two small but comfortable steamboats,
plying between the shore OF Lake Michi-
gan aud the shore of Lake Huron. From
Detroit we started by the Milwaukee, of
the Noi thern Transportation line at 10
o clock on Fri lay evening, and after a
Very prosperous and smooth trip, un-
by any accident except the
grand weather that part of the time left
the surface Oi Lake Huron as smooth
as a mirror. we reached Cheboygan OIL
Sunday abouts2 clock in the afternoon.
There we met Mr.. John Mckay on the
dock waiting for us. He distributed the
party and allotted us to the Spencer
House. This favorite hotel, under the
superintendent of the active and atten-
tive proprietor Mr.. Spencer was full to
owe; flowing, and had been i'm this condi-
tion all the season. Each boat from
Mackinaw I>lind, from Chicago, from
the lower lakes. from the inland nayiga-
ton route, seemed to be destined to
bring visitors i'm search of health, cool
air, pure water and exercise i'm open air.
We. had Dr.. q. Ii. Leonard along as one
of our party, and ne WAS perfcc.ly SUR
priscd at the elasticity ana buovancy
which seemed to be Infused into him
and ethtrs by the pure dry atmosphere
which prevails in this latitude The
Very Water Stems 10 have a crispness
purity, and freshness that is medicinal as
well hygienic. and the more it is drank
the better il is liked. 1t seemed TO Us
sometimes that we would not get enough
of the brdcing air into our lungs, nor
swallow all we wan ell of the delicious
water of the BROOKS we fell i'm with.
Here" said The Doctor .'is the place for
consumptives. In this atmosphere the
lnngs will get a chance to be healed il
there is amy cure to them" The Spencer
House is the general resort therefore for
invalids before they they go over to
Mackinaw Island, or bestow themselves
III SOuc iouS ShiS VI pOSliiS Seatlou 0lOIS
the shores OF the strait.
AT Che5oygan Mr.. Mckay had one of
the MackiIaw schooner rugged boats GO,
ready TO carry our stores. tents and and
provisions over to the Pine River. While
he was getting the things ready, wagon
was provided. and cur party visited some
OF the farms III the immediate vicinity
of Cheboygan. We have already stated
the soil is largely cOmpO: :ed of tue red
calcarous clay which prevails as the
subsoil OH both sides OF the straits of
Mackinaw. The large field which we
noticed as being partially turned up un-
der the plow in April last, and belong
ing to Mr.. Nelson, had borne a magniti-
cent crop of peas, sound and free from
the pea insect, and was ready for crop
OF winter wheat. The soil was in the
mell0west condition, and we should not
be at all surprised If from 40 TO so BUSH
els per acre were taken from it next har-
vest We were out still further, and Wis
ited the farm or Mr.. Rollo, the banker.
who has taken a warm interest in the
improvement inf large farm here, as
showing the capacity of the soil tor juct
as good farms as can be made anywhere
i'm the state. Some of the land close to
the lake here is flat. but easily fitted foI
drainage but along the banks
of the Cneboygan river the land is high
and rolling. Here the crops OF wheat
had been heavy, the oats were remarka-
bic weight, plumpness OF berry, aud large
Straw with heavy head. The land on
which the peas and oats hatl grown.
was only freed from the under brush and
fallen or burnt timber in the fall pre-.
ceding. Mr.. Rollo is engaged in getting
his land cleared first, ana then designs
to show that all this section of Michigan
it as capable Of growing live stock rs any
other part of the state.
The Munuscong bottom lands i'm many
places were covered by a heavy growth
of blue joint grass, fully five feet high.
The river itself was low. and generally
the creeks were dried up. 1t has been Il
dry season, and no rains had fallen since
the second week in juno, an unusual
state of things in this region. Going
along the dry channel of the river we
found the tracks of deer and bears that
had come down to the pools of WAGER to
drink. The green, thick underbrush of
the poplar birch, which had sprung up
Oh the surface OF rising grounds which
formed the sides of the valley, was very
fresh and bad prevented the fires of the
season from running over them. But on
the lands that lay fiat and level OH the
plains which compose this section and
stretch away TO the westward, and are
bounded by the Pine Rivcr,the grass had
grown, dried up, taken fire and had been
swept away, leaving only a bed Of ashes
and exposing the surface in the condition
OF a fallow that was ready to be picked
up and cleared Tor sowing with fill
crop. An examination OF the soil below
showed that in spite of the long drouth
and the burning of the grass and brush
on the surface, the clay was mellow and
held moisture underneath sufficient to
promote q healthy and vigorous growth
of what eyer winter grain or grass might
be sOwn. 1t WAS also agreed by ali those
present and amongst them were some rs
good practical farmers as there are in
Michigan. that couple of men, eveII
without a team, could clear, and trim fit
Ter the plow. full an acre to TWO acres per
day. La fact Mr.. Coll, of Antrim Shia
wassee County, thought he would under
take TO average an acre per day alone.
Acres upon acres, as tar as the eye could
reach, had been swept over by the fires
of this summer, and had LETT the Lind in
the most perfect condition for an exami-
nation OF Its state for culture and OF lis
qualify. No timbered land III the state
could be put i'm the condition we found
this for less than $l5 per acre.
Sellers vermifuge.
For expelling the a0otnps from the system.
has nosequali ii this or'nO other county.