The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-05-19

One bright day IN April, 1887, l ar
rived at Owosso, and looked over the
little village. II seemed to oe that
nature had done a grand work Tor trim
place, The ID. G.. HI q N. r. r.
had been built through there months
before, and now the town We being
built up. Enterprising men were
coming in from all directions and
were commencing TO develope the re-
sources of the fertile soil. !
started across the old bridge for
the cluster Of wooden bsildings
neal the mill where / had been
directed to 60 TO find Mr.. J. Aberie.
H. Steiner, the leader Of the Swiss
settlement in Capada had been in this
State and returning he had informed
me as to the advantages Of this beau
tiful peninsula. I was awakened and
my mind filed with enthusiasm.
From him l learned the names of
Germans in Owosso and New Haven,
and then left for Owosso. Isoon
found the grocery store of Mr.. Aberle
and vas kindly received; Vol /
learned the road to the German set
Element, New Haven. It was a warm
spring day, everything was lovely
without and within, / felt like a bird
out of the cage for the first as ! went
through the wilds Of the almost un
broken forest and my imaginations of
what the country was, which had come
to me when a school boy in Switzer-
land. Soon the clearing of Mr.. FIRE.
mont was reached and here at the
five corners l expected to find Mr..
Mutz and Fred Kunle. Mr. K. was
preparing to clear a piece of land on
the farm Of MI. Sterner. As fortune
would have it, | arrived just in time
to attend the marriage of my friend
kunle. He had concluded that keep
ing bachelors hall in a new country
was no better than in the Garden of
Eden, where it is said "it was not
good for nan to be alone" and so
my first night in Uncle Sans domain
was at a wedding. The clergyman,
MFR. Goodell, appeared as happy as
any one in the joyous throng, and
managed to make himself understood
by his German congregation by an
interpreter. This was a good chance
for me to learn a good deal about the
country, which ! improved. Uncle
OFT, a very pleasant old man described
to me very many things which have
since been of great advantage to me.
Land was very cheap-only IS per
acre. Next day l returned to Owosso
and paid one quarter down on $50
acres. My fortune now seemed Ger
tain, 100 acres Of land-almost as
much as the whole of my native
country,-what a fortune. Backwood
life was very pleasant in New Haven,
at Wheeler's tavern was a splendid
hall, where Ella Wheeler and M.
Lindsey, good violin players, used
to fire us with enthusiasm and the
dancing parties were very frequent.
Mr.. Wheeler, who had seen the need
Of a hotel between Corunna and
Chesaning, entertained q good many
people who all seemed pleased with
him. Taken as a whole the people Of
New Haven were a jolly, wholesouled
lot. Mr.. Wheeler had a very fine
and pleasant family, and 20 a stay
with him was to be enjoyed. I can
never forget the mock prayer meet.
ings that were held around the log
heaps at the logging bees and at my
raising the sport came so near home
that my father nearly spoiled the fun
by giving a little Of his opiuion in the
unknown tongue of the Dutchman.
My first years new day vas also a
memorable m Next day an officer
came into town to arrest a number of
young men for disturbing . religious
meeting, and my name was among the
number. But a of the prominent
men Of the town had my name taken
off the list by claiming that my prev