Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-09-04
LETTER FROM TnE HoRTHwEsT.
GRAED RAPfDs, Aug. 26.
j. II. HoLT.


ter reached me some time since. | was
sojourning at Petoskey, a town at the
northern terminus of the Grand Rapids Il
Indiana Railroad, due north Of this city,
distant 1873 miles, and situate at the head
Of Little Traverse Bay. 1t is he summer
resort Of this State. The Methodist State
Camp.mecting grounds are one mile north
of the town on the shore Of the bay. They
call the grounds " Bay View," and it Ia
we'll named, as there Is n delightful view
Of the bay, which Is seven miles long.
Tho view extends out on Lake Michigan
as far rs the eye can reach. The scenery
Ia grand, the mir quite invigorati.g, and
consequently a great many inyalids go
there every summer. Tho Methodist
grounds contain 800 acres, covered princi.
pally with fine hard maple, beech aud
birch timber. On the fret Sabbath Of the
camp.mcc,ing the number of people were
estimated at ten thousand that t., In and
about Pet0skcy, Bay View, &c. The
Presbytedans have a summer resort across
the bay, four miles from Petoskcy. This
l. only it, second year, and and they did
not have hotel room TO accommodate more
than half the number who applied. Tho
way they arrange matters IS this, viz
They form nm association, &c. II incorpo.
rated, elect officers, purchase the grounds,
have them laid out ia small lou and sell
the lot. at low rates TO parties who erect
summer cotiACcs Tho asaociaiion buills
large boarding -housc, where al who
prefer to do 20 can take their meals and
lodge in their cottage. They lh1 each lot
holder two dollars Il year to rai.c 8 fund
for improving the ground, clearing out
strccis, walk, &c Tho number of visi-
tors 20 these resort Il increasing each year.
The number here this year was ht lca.,
double that Of last year, and think 1t
will 60 on incrcasing year after year until
IL will become in reality what it l. now 10
name, the " Saraicra of the Wet
spcut mo-; Of my time about eight
miles east Of Pcioskoy, on the inland lake..
fishing. had grand spor,. and enjoyed
myself A. much A. Il was possible to do.
The lakes are we'll stoc kcd wiih black bas..
rock ba's, and piokcrel, the latter called
pike in Pennsylvania There arc two
ways 81 taking them: still fishing with
live minuows for bait, and trolling with
artificial bait. The lAiicr Is the bes, wsv
for sport The trolling line Is IT,, ou; from
the boat from sixty 10 two hundred feet
Tho boat is roWcd slowly, the artificial
bait, or a. wc call IT, the "syoon hook 90
revolvcs on a swivel, and ~ it passes the
hiding place Of the pickcrcl or bass they
dash out and seize ii. When the fisher
men feel tho jerk, or strike, " As they call
1t, they bring them into the boa; hand over
hand. tell you {, is decidedly exciting
sport TO get big fellow on at the end Of
eighty to ono hundred and sixty feet of
line, struggling, and alternately plunging
into deep wate- and ihcn' ,o the surface 10
try 80 shake tho hook ou, of his mouth.
I will conclude my hsh story by telling
you that caught one pickcFe! thiriy-seven
inches long and weighing eleven and =
half pounds, another Of eight pounds, an
other Of six pounds, and cannot tell you
how many ranging from two and hall
10 five pounds, for did not pretend 10
keep an account Of All I caught The
largcs, bass that caugh, weighed five and
a half pounds.
! went north July 18th and remained
ivc weeks. was compelled 70 qui, busi.
meas for short rest on account Of my
health. vas failing very fast, and began
to feel as did two years ago when | sent
TO Pennsylvania so ! thought would
try what the climate Of northern Michi-
gan would do for me. Itprovcd decidedly
beneficial for me in one way only the
change Of air and getting out OF the mala-
rial region improved my general health !;
my appetite got better and could sleep
we'll at night and get up in the morning
feeling rested and refreshed by sleep; but
when remained for day or two on the
bay, the air being so damp, would feel
my lung trouble growing worse, hence
spent most Of the FIVE weeks that re-
maincd eight miles inland, cast Of the
coast range Of hills. The air at that dis-
tance from the lake was quite different,
being warmer, and not loaded with mois-
iurc. IL could have remained one month
longer the Improvement would have been
more decided and permanent, but you
know that when physician stops work
everything stops but the outlay, and l
could not afford TO remain any longer.
For pure, invigorating air give me the
Alleghcnies yet to all others.
linn Mo(slafn xrrn4a mo ahns,t tha paun.