The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1878-07-11
OF the Charlotte Leader.
From Northern MiChigan.
FORMAN, LAKE Co., MICH,
Juna "a lS7S.

|
! have been spending week here In
the pine woods, or rather on the pine
plains, and have enjoyed myself so well
want to tell the readers of the Leader
something about what have seen. ]
am stopping six miles south of Forinan
station, and will speak Of this immedi-
ate neighborhood.
Forman is "flag-station" on tho +.
x =. Nj. II. r., Is miles west of Reed
City, and ~ miles east of Baldwin, the
county seat. There Is u steam saw mill,
shingIe mill, blacksmith and repair
shop, hotel, two stores, postoffice, two
boarding houses and Is or 20 dwelling
houses. The business Is nearly all con-
nected with numbering. 1Httt
| Two and One-half miles south of the
station Is F0rman's saw-mill, built In
1874, runs by water, with n capacity of
10000 feet daily. This mill is not run
ming this Summer. Near the mill are
halfa dozen dwelling houses and quite a
tract offine farming land under cultiva-
ton. slta
Most of the farmers here are home
stcaders, with small means.
These plains are covered with a
species ofpine, called jack pine, AMI oak
grubs. But there are streaks and spots
of Norway and white pine suitable for
numbering operations, and along tho
small streams considerable business Is
done.
There Is but one thing to prevent
farming from becoming a successful
business, and that is late spring frosts.
The soil Is sandy and easily worked,
and with proper care and free use Of
manures good crops can be grown.
Wheat was I'm splendid condition until
the frost cut 1t, but now farmers will
jump for joy at half a crop. Corn,
| potatoes, and garden stuff are late be-
| time of planting. But the same COM
plaint Is made this spring all over the
State. There are times when the sand
gets very hot, but In drouth it never
balSes hard ike clay soils, and can be
readily worked i'm all kinds of weather.
There Is never any mud here, either in
roads or fields.
Three to five years viii fit any Of
these plains for machine work, and
some portions can be grubbed and flied
In a single seasOir for u reaper. The
heavy tinbered tracts, of course, take
longer time to get the stumps out. i
have not seen enough stone for found
alton to u house.
Some tracts of land from which the
timber has been taken can be bou ght
for one to two dollars per acre, and
Most of it is now in fine condition to
clear for farming purposes. II left ten
or fifteen years it will he covered with n
forest of oak. Wherever the pine Is
cut oak grubs spring up thick and
thrifty.
Where fire has been kept out of these
plains and clearings for u number of
years the oak leaves rot and make
rich black soil, and any kind of crops
will grow well, but when the fire has
ragged every year or two even the sod
Is burned out, leaving acres and acres
of bare sand. Notwithstanding the
barren spots, feed for cattle and sheep
wood along streams. Were j to Judge,
| should say raising stock would he
govd business, because the markets are
sure and transportation direct, without
transfer. Butter, eggs, and poultry
bring extra high prices for home coil-
sumption ny well rs for shipment to
Detroit AMI the East.
Deer are quite plenty, but other game
Is scarce.
Before numbering operations COM
menced the small streams were full OF
fish, but the running logs have killed
or driven them nearly AL out.
The plains are covered with strawber-
ry vines and whortleberry bushes, but
the frosts killed all the buds and blOs-
SONS this year. Wild strawberry vines
grow almost as large and thrifty us
tame ones. There Is comparatively
little sickness in this region. Every
one has an indication of excellent
health, especially children. But two
interments have made in q cemetery
laid out three years ago.
School-hOuscs have been built and
schools are In operation here the same
as In older settled countries, but per-
haps not so far advanced.
A weekly paper is supported at Bald
win; Mr.. G. X. Radcliffe, editor. The
majority of the settlers are q reading
class, and several families / have Wis
tied take from two to four weekly pa
pers.