Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1879-12-27
THE BLACK RIVER IMPROVE
MENT

)mciaI Paper ofthe County and village
THE BLACK RIVER IMPROVE
MENT.
The future growth of Cheboygan and
he development OF this county depends
argely upon the citizens thereof. A lit
lie enterprise on the part Of our citizens
Just al this time would secure for our
county a benefit that would be lasting.
We refer to the improvement of Black
river. 1t must be conceded that the
opening of the inland route through
Mullet, Burt and Crooked lakes and their
rivers has been the means of
the rapid development of that section of
the county. In proof of this we need
only to refer to the Township of Tusca-
rOra, where, as stated last week. few
years since there were no inhabi-
tants, and now has population of
over 500. That portion of our
county has thus been rapidly set
tied with a class of industrious
and enterprising farmers, who are hew-
ing, as it were, for themselves out of the
wilderness comfortable homes and pro-
ductive farms. We think the merchants
of our village will all acknowledge that
the business of our town has increased
very much within the past few years.
a portion Of this increase may be justly
attributed to the improvement of the
times, but we think there can be no
question that much the greater portion
must be credited to the large increase of
the population Of our county and this
increase has has been been mainly in
that section of the county reached by
the inland route. The merchants of
Cheboygan have derived the benefit with
out having, with few exceptions, con-
tributed to aid in securing the improve
ment, only so far as paying their per-
centage of taxes necessary to meet the
small appropriations made by the
Board of Supervisors to aid the
work. There is too much of a
disposition upon the part OF
our citizens to allow a few of their
more public spirited and enterprising
neighbors to bear the burden in all
measures looking to the benefit of the
public generally, measures in which all
are interested, and which all should do
their part towards securing and
carrying forward to perfection. What
the inland route has done for the Burt
lake section of the county, the improve
ment of Black riuer would accomplish
for the region surrounding Black lake.
The very fact of the improvement being
projected and the encouragement given
the project by the Legislature in grant
ing the Board of Control power to appro-
pirate several sections of swamp lands
in aid of making the desired improve
ment, has already called attention to
the valuable farming lands in that por-
ton of our county, and the adjoining
county of Pressure Isle, and several pur-
chases of land have been made, and the
work of improvement commenced. One
purchaser having already had chopped
twenty acres, and others have been do
ing more or less work on their pur-
chases. Where it is so clearly evident
that so much depends upon the improve
ment, and where the benefits to be de-
rived are to be seen so plainly one would
think that self-interest, to say nothing
about the public good, would induce the
merchants of our village to contribute
what they could to aid in having the
work completed at the earliest practical
BILE period. This is matter in which
all who have the prosperity of our town
and county are interested, diff our cit
liens have any enterprise at all, they
should respond literally to any call that
may be made upon them for aid to ac-
compiish this much desired improve
ment.
With Black river made nayigable, not
only would the territory comprised in
that section of our county be made trib-
utary to Cheboygan, but our village
would become the market for rapidly
developing portion of Pressure Isle,
county bringing in few years large
trade to our merchants.
We have no doubt that the Board of
Control will aid the matter by liberal
appropriation of swamp land just as soon
as they see disposition upon the part
of our citizens to take hold and complete
the work, after receiving such aid as the
state may grant. What aid the state
may give will not do the work, and a
considerable sum of money will have to
be provided, and this money somebody
has got to furnish, and those who are
most directly benefited are the persons
who should supply the sinews of war.
Who is more interested than the bust
ness men and property owners of Che
bOygan?
SENATOR PENDLETON, from the Com
mittee on the Census, reported bill to