Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1881-09-14

Arrived at Alpena. The Denton
stage carries its passengers from the
steamboat dock direct to Mcdonald,
hotel ON Long Lake or to Harris
Halls, and Edgeley's Houses, all OF
which are situated ON the west border
of the lake, and all Of which accommo-
date visitors. The lake is body
of pullucid water ten miles in length
by a mile in width. The water is
peculiarly cold and transparent, and
the land on each side sufficiently high
to drain easily so that there is no swamp
land within Il radius of ten miles but
can be turned into available farm with
the trouble of clearing off the fine tim.
Der and ploughing the soil The tim
Der land is intersperscd with pine and
hardwood, noble in growth and proper
tions but in this section waiting for
contrivanccS To transfer ii into lumber.
The temperature in the summer Is
mildly hot with cool nights, but the
winters are no colder than further
south in the State. Snow is abundant
and the season is,long but the spring is
really season here and the autumns
delightfully."- pleasant and bracing. No
malaria turks about for the unwary
and the comet is just as easily observed
here as elsewhere.
For grass, wheat, barley, oats and
early vegetables, no part of Michigan is
the equal Of this part of the Peninsula.
Large deposits of lime are abundant,
80 much that in wet seasons the pota-
toes grown on old ground are eaten
and perforated by the too abundant
presence of lime in solution
The borders of Long Lake in the
adjacent region are geologically among
the most noted and notable points on
tie continent from the abundance of
the fossils of that period called the
Hamilton, which are found on the sur
face. Spirafer mucronatus, atrypa ret
iculari>, cyratia, fossil corals of the
cyathaphyllaid. Series and Favorites
are abundant, and not at all difficult to
find among the stones which line the
beaches of the lake, or even in the
fields following the plough. There is
on the cast side of the lake a short dis
lance from the margin of the water a
bed of coral rock lying exposed on the
surface so large and distinct as TO be
wonderfully surprising. The fact that
coral is found nowhere in the world en-
cept where the sea water covers the fos-
sill shells above named are cetaceous
and found in the. sea, naturally obliges
the geologi>t to affirm that this region
was once the bottom of the ocean and
that some wild upheaval of nature in
the early period of the earth's life
pushed thi, Devonian rock to the sur
face and the glacier brought down the
loose soil and rock from the upper
Plutonic regions Of the North and de-
posted them upon the barren rocks so
upheavcd and then the growth of the
vegetation hereabouts commenced.
What this region was anterior to its
formation to Your section is positively
proved from the fact Of the deposits of
salt found with you and those deposits
glacierized by debris from the region.
You are younger and hattened out by
the pressure of the ice which once
swept over the surface of your section.
will rcctify the erroneous ideas
about this county held by the people
south. This county is settling up so
fast, the ncighbors are so near together,
the lands are so we'll cleared, the crops
of grass and grain so abundant that
there j, no land TO be taken up any
more but is held at as high figure as
in any other portion of the State, and
any one who proposes to settle i'll this
section need not start with the idea that
he is about camping out in the wilder
ness away from all civilization, for he
will find himself at the end of his route
a house Of Il neighbor to welcome
him and a land agent to locate him and
make him pay for his assistance.
1t is shame that there is not line
of steamers on these lakes fit for the
conveyance Of decent people to and
from this part of the country; but the
railroad which is rapidly approaching
completion, and which it is hoped will
center in Bay City, will partly alleviate
this nuisance, but not wholly cure
it, Traffic is getting to be such
an item now to these upper lake
ports that good boats are demanded,
and another season these people are
promised line that will fully satisfy