The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-09-04
Summer LOiterings.


and all the region south OF that latitude 10 'h'
trop,cs were swelterlug under thermomete
in the nineties, to enjoy existence for the pas
week or two in this vicinity under thermom
etrical range between 65 and So both gratitude
and inclination prompt him to say WORD IL
behalf of this locality and its surroundings
Plymouth is beautiful and pleasant little
CITY OF some 1900 inhabitants situated at the
crossing of the Sheboygan and Fon Du Lac
and Wisconsin Central Railroads, in about the
centre of Sheboygan county, fifteen miles wes
of Sbeboygan and 50 north of Milwaukee, Inc
county Is one of the best in Wisconsin, and
though containing, believe, but 20 congress
sional townships, has over 10000 inhabitants
SO that it is nearly as thickly settled as La
Sale county From Plymouth eastward to
Sheboygan the land is gently unduating and
nearly all cleared and in cultivation; but the
western half of the county is more rugged, the
surface being broken particularly by very
curious range of hills and dales known as the
Potash Kettles. These kettles" commence
in the vicinity of Elkhart Lake, seven miles
west of Plymouth, and succeed each other In
a western direction with curious regularity Tor
distance of sixty miles They are apparent
Iy from quarter to half a mile in diameter
and look as If some Titanic race in the remote
ages had for some untathomable purpose,
made a series of huge circular excavations
leaving the interior in the form OF kettle
with a rim from twenty to fifty feet IN height
around it, The design of the Tltans aforesaid
IN constructing these monster "kcttles" may
have been to provide IA succession OF giants
bathing holes, or they may have been connect
ed IN some way with navigation purposes.
This, however, is only the crude guess OF the
writer, the prevailing opinion OF BIOLOGISTS be,
ing that these kettles" apd the general mark
ed unevenness of the surface in this region,
are the result of huge icebergs in the remote
pons ploughlng up the surface, at the same
time leaving that copious deposit of granite
boulders which abound everywhere and are
the special grief and veXation of the agricul-
turist That all the country was at one time
under water is manifest at every turn to even
tie most unscienttic eye.
The first settlements in Sheboygan county
were made in about 1915, the migrants turn
Ing their attention mainly to wheat raising to
which the soil was admirably adapted. OF late
wears, however wheat has been measurahly
neglected and more attention given TO grazing
and cheese and butter making. The cheese
factories in the county number some fifty.
which manufacture about 2,50O,OOO lbs. "A year,
most of which finds market IN England. AS
to the quality of the article some judgment
may be formed by the fact that while northern
Illinois cheese brings from 10 to 1Ola IN the
market, the offerings for Sheboygan county
cheese are II . to II cts. per h. The cheese
factories are nearly all owned by joint stock
companies or partner2hlps. A dozen or 50 OF
farmers club together and erect a factory, each
agreeing to supply certain quantity daily OF
milk At the end of the season (abOut the LIST
of Oct) the product of the summer Is disposed
Of the profits are divided, and the factory clos.
ed until next season, the farmers meantime
turning their attention to butter. That they
find the business profitable IS attestcd by the
unmistakabe signs of thrift, prosperity and
comfort that everywhere abound. The remark
10 strangers is a very common one of these
sturdy grangers "Well, we amt very rich
there are no millionaire among us; but we
have no poor people"
All this, however, is aside from the main
purpose Of this communication, Its more i'm
mediate object being to throw out some ideas
in regard to this region viewed IN the light OF
a summer resort In this aspect it certainly
presents many attractive features. In the first
place no climate IN summer can be more de
hghltul. The thermometer never Except on
very rare occasions) goes above IS, nor from
May to October falls below GO. TO say nothing
of Sheboygan itself beautiful city Of some
5000 people on lake Michigan, with good ho
tells, good society and the pleasantest surround
ings, the county inland abounds in the finest
scenery and within circuit of twelve miles
from It's center plymouth are no less than
twenty titul lakelcts, from half mile to
thrcem in diameter, OF great depth, and all
OF then ore or less abundantly supplied with
fish, al g which the perch, the bass, picker
ell and one of them at least (ElkharO the
cisco, are abundant. Indeed they claim at
Elkhart that the cisco for which Geneva lake
has become 50 famous we're originally stolen
from Elkhart lake, To the enthusiastic disci
pie Of lzaak Walton not even Lake Superior
or the seashore affords more attractive sport
than these lakelets. Besides, to the man with
Nimrod leanlngs as well as piscatorial the
woods afford attractions IN September and Oc-
tober in the shape of abundant pigeons and
squirrels, and the lakes and marshes in swarms
of ducks, brant and geese.
My plan would be TO make my headquarters
at Plymouth The town has three or four pas
SADLY good hotels, but what is more agreeable,
1t has for its sizo an uncommOnly
large share Of generous, wholesouled people
and exceptionally good society" The popu.
lation is largely made up of New Workers and
New Enganders with quite an infusion of
thrifty welltOdo Germans, and thin sprink.
ling of jolly Irishmen. From this center ply
mouth) all the lakelets and shooting grounds
are of easy access, livery rigs" boats (when
necessary and other fixtures can be obtained
or hired at reasonable figures, and then some
glorious good fellow-like DR.. f., Mr. H., Ed.
ID. and others 1 might mention-is always
ready to accompany you to the best lake for
fishing and to anchor you over the best moss
patch or 10 accompany you to the best shoot
ing ground. Or ify0u prefer it, you can 90
with camping equipments and drop down on
The border Of a lake, or, il encountered by a
family rent villa, Of which there are several
around lake Elkhart ana | presume other
lakes or you can take up quarters al a sum
mer hostelTy on the borders of your chosen
lake
But am extending this altogether beyond
the prescribed limits and must stop reserving