Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1881-11-02
Fred. Lewis and Alnena.

Geo. I. Lewis, one Of the best friends
Alpena ever had, who visited the shore
last week, writes TO his paper, the Bay
City Morning Call, several commune
cations, from which we clip the follow
ing extracts:
Some time ago the Call said six hundred
new buildings would be erected in Alpena
the present year, ard the Call was right.
They are everywhere and Of every discrip-
tion-court house, church, school houses,
business blocks and private residences the
most notable in the latter class being the
very handsome modern mansard-capped
dwelling Of Mayor Churchill, now fast APP
preaching completion.
On Trowbridge Point, the most slightly sit
nation in the bay, mile from the entrance
Of the river, the site of the little mill built
some sixteen years ago by the Trowbridge
brothers, and afterwards burned, whence ran
the pioneer logging railroad of this section
some seven miles up river, +. O. Avery has
built modern, practical circular saw mill
whercunto gang will no doubt soon be adj
ded-that means business. The main build
ing, gable looking prone down the bay, is
jOxlOO feet inside measure; foundation bed
rock and piling. First story l5I feet in the
with planed lumber, battened and painted :
iron roof and framework stalwart beyond
pcradventure. On the east is stone engine
house 32x50 feet, walls 26 inches in thick
ness to upper story of mill, above that Is
inches, roof Of iron same as mill. Over the
south line Of the engine house is the filing
room l2x32 feet facing the bay with light
enough for conservatory.
Steam is furnished by three two huc boil
crs Is feet long, Al inch shell and modern
saw dust carrier will convey fuel to the fire.
box.
The engine is l7x23 inches runs without a
Jar and will drive the present machinery at
full capacity like play. Stearns' mill ma
chinery furnishes the manufacturing facili-
ties, a 66 inch circular with steam feed,
patent cdger and cutoff saw.
The logs, previous to and during saving
viii be agitated by one Of W. T.. Smiths
patent log turner's the only one rs vet in
PRODUCED in Alpena but which are favoritc
device with the modern mills upon the Sag
NAV.
The premises have about mile of bav
front. with space for all the boomage half n
dozen mills would require. One thousand
feet Of tram way will be built at once with
immediate boom facilities for 100000 feet
OF logs. There is water sufficient for any
lake vessel 10 within fifty feet Of the mill,
and as soon as the requisite docks, for which
the piles are driven, are completed, the ia.
cilities for shipment will be complete.
There is on the premises two story board.
ing house, 50x70 feet, with wing thirty feet
square, barn for ten horses, blacksmith
shop and shed. In four months to day
from the time Of commencing operations
steam was raised, the machinery turned and
the first log sawed, and a month later the
mill was in complete running order. We do
not allude to this mill as a marvel Of saw
mill architecture or miracle of wood slaue-
iering ingenuity. 1t is not like John Pho
nix's Royal San Francisco river steam pack
e, coal bunkers, lined with sandal wood or
bull wheel chains Of sterling silver, but il is
q prudent, practical, sensible mill, that is
worth about twice what Il cost, is comforta-
bic to work in, can be run economically, and
il in shape 10 be added 10 without building
over or to rum ss 4 is Of fair margin for
profit.
W. n. Phelps and Sam Boegr, the con-
tractors, have made fair progross with the
new count house on the county grounds ON