Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1882-08-23


order to accommodate a customer
BY the time Port Huron was reached
the Pearl was again ahead, and had to
wait few minutes for her time to
leave. The captain had received a
dispatch from Port Sanilac, stating
that there was number of passen-
gers there who desired to 60 aboard
the Pearl. Being ahead of time, the
captain called at that port, to find on
ly one man to take passage. This
trick had cost the Pearl about half an
hours time, but it seemed to afford
the deck hands immense amusement
to think that their boat had been tax
en- off her course, to call at q strange
port for solitary woodsman who
could not pay his fair, was too much
for their gravity.
The Pearl had now some lost time
to make up, but she was equal to the
emergency, and while she was rapidly
blowing her way to Sand Beach, the
musicians aboard favored the passen-
gers with music and singing. Dane
ing followed, and those who were fond
of such amusements, we're enjoying
themselves. Sand Beach was reach
ed all right, and the Pearl had made
such lively time that she had to wait
few minutes for her hour to leave.
The passage across the bay was
smooth, and nothing occurred to pre-
vent the passengers from having a
good, sound sleep; and at Z o'clock A.
NJ. the Pearl arrived at Alpena, hav-
ing made the run from Detroit in
twenty hours and fifteen minutes, be-
sides stopping at Marine City, st.
Clair, Port Huron, Fort Gratiot, Lex
ington, Port Sanilac, Sand Beach and
Oscoda.
At S:25 A. NJ, Sunday, passed the
light house on her way to Mackinaw,
and little over half an hour is re-
quired to get to the mouth of Thun-
der Bay. Weather and lake pleasant
as usual, and no signs of appetite
failing. Arrived at Cheboygan river
shortly after three o'clock P. NJ, and
stepping ashore, enquired where the
"great metropolis" was. Fright over
there" said the man, pointing to a
small collection of houses that looked
as if they. had been picked at random
out of some decayed city, put into a
dice box and then scattered promiscu-
ously on a piece of low land. 80
that's the great metropolis of the
north?" we exclaimed, in astonish-
ment. In our innocence we had taken
it for some thriving little village, such
as is found in numbering country,
and whose greatness is yet to come.
A short distance from the wharf is
the main avenue running through the
burg, fanked on either side by four
foot sidewalk. The town, however,
has bright future before it, and is
destined to become populous city.
The Pearl went to Duncan City,
where she took on a quantity of lath,
leaving for St. Ignace few minutes
after six. BY the time st. Ignace was
reached, it was dark, and we were I'M
able to see the beauties of the other
metropolis. Had it been daylight,
it would probably have been difficult
to see the magnifcence of the town.
One traveller described it as one long
street, the buildings along which are
all stores. and he couldn't see where
they all found customers. He thought
tine bottom would drop out of TIE
town in few years, but as the foun-
dation Of the town is said to be rock,
we doubt the bottom giving way very
soon. From st. Ignace to Mackinaw
some thirty minutes steaming is re-
quired. All that could be seen of
that noted place was a part of wharf,
large number of people on the dock,
who came to see the Pearl, to meet or
bid good bye to friends, and varie-
gated assortment of hotel runners,
who shouted the recommendations of
their respective houses. Nearly all
the Pearls passengers got off at Mack
NAV, but their places were taken by
Others who were returning home. The
run from Mackinaw to Cheboygan
was made in one hour and fifteen min
utes, and at z A. NJ. Monday the Pearl
arrived at Alpena, where we took leave
of the boat. Our remembrances of
Capt. Edwards and his two officers, of
Mr.. Clark, the genial clerk, and of
Mr.. Knox, the popular and agreeable
steward, are very pleasant, and such
we know are the remembrances of the
many persons who were aboard
Everything that could be done TO
make the trip pleasant and agreeable
was done. Politeness and attention
to the comforts of the passengers was
the rule from the captain down to the
cabin boy.