Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1882-02-11
Two WANDERING sCRIBEs HEARD
FROM.

naw Courier, and Geo. +. Lewis, of
the Bay City call, Thinks of Che
boygan and its Future Prospects.
e. Cowles, of the Saginaw Courier,
and Geo. F. Lewis, of the Bay City Morn
ing Call, made flying visit to our town,
coming Saturday, spending Sunday here
and returning home Monday. Both
wrote up newsy articles for their papers,
giving an account of what they OBJ
served on their trip, from which we take
the following extracts in regard to Che
bOygan:
FROM THE COURIER.
The village of ChebOygan is located
on the ChebOygan river. at its mouth, ON
the straits, and twelve miles from Old
Mackinaw, the nOrthernmOst point of
the Lower Peninsula, and the terminus
Of the Mackinaw division of the Central.
The Census gave it a population in 1880,
present population of 1900, which l am
inclined to believe fair estimate. The
village runs parallel with the river; the
buildings, with few exceptions, are of
wood; there are the usual number of
churches-EpiscOpal, Congregational,
Catholic and Methodist graded school,
court house, Jail, and two excellent week.
ly newspapers-the Northern Tribune
and Democrat.
Recently the village voted $4,000 for
water works, and portion of the pipes
at least have been laid. was told that
1t was at first proposed to operate the
works by water power, feasible and in
expensive scheme, rendered more desira-
BILE by the liberality of VIM. Macarthur,
the first man." as it were, of the town
who offered the use of ample water pow
er for thirty years at an annual rental
of $200per annum. Like many older
towns, ChebOygan, am told, is not de-
void of rings" in the management of
official affairs, and the result is the offer
of Mr.. Macarthur, and the water power
plan has been thrown aside, and the
works are to be operated by steam. am
satisfied, as will be any intelligent per-
son who will take pains to investigate,
that the experience of the village with
steam, as compared with water power,
will be costly one, and one that the
people, after short time, will sincere
ly regret. Most new towns need some
thing, and the pressing need of ChebOy-
gan is first class and cOmmOdiOus
Grand Central and Fountain, neither Of
which are sufficiently large to furnish
accommodations required of them. The
Fountain is kept by William Spencer,
who has been at ChebOygan eight years,
and all of his guests will sustain the
assertion that he knows how to keep
hotel. He sets good table, fur
nishes good bed, and better than all
else knows how to make his guests feel
at home. The Fountain Is the resort for
all people from this section of the state,
and in fact for all WHO know or have
heard of VIM. Spencer. hope to see him
in more cOmmOdiOuS house at an early
day. and if the people Of that village are
alive to their interests they will afford
him every facility and encouragement
to attain that result.
The experiment of finding salt at
ChebOygan has proven failure, tempo
rarily at least, owing to the soft crumb-
ling nature of the rock formation. I'm
der the supervision of RObt. COner, for
merly of East Saginaw, well was sunk
near the mouth of the river, distance
of 760 feet, when it was abandoned.
Rock was struck at depth Of 1856 feet,
and great difficulty experienced step by
step until the effort was given up. 1t is
contemplated to make another trial
mile or mile and half inland, and it
is believed that it will prove more sue
cessful. The advent of the railroad has
given the village new impetus, and
the people appear to be alive to the i'm
pOrtance of taking advantage of the OPP
pOrtunities now within reach. Numer-
Gus boat lines have for many years af-
forded ample means of communication
with the great world beyond.
ChebOygan river starts from Mullet
Lake and falls into the straits, distance
Of about seven miles. Mullet Lake is
beautiful sheet of water twelve miles
long and connects with Burt Lake
through Indian River. A small line of
steamers navigated by the Inland Navi-
CATION company run through these lakes
and rivers to PetOskey, and it is a pOpu-
lar route during the summer months. A
large hotel has been erected on Mullet
Lake which, in summer, is favOrite re-
sort. 1t is closed during the winter. A
regularity of the ChebOygan and other
streams i'm that section is that they never
freeze over, and during the coolest wealth
er, when the earth is covered with its
mantle of snow, the streams ripple along
as merrily and careless of the icy ele-
ment as during the summer season.
This is doubtless owing chiefly to the
fact that the streams are fed by innumer-
able springs.
had pleasant visit with VIM. Nc
Arthur. who is to Cheboygan what Jesse
HOyt is to East Saginaw. Besides large
landed interests in and around Cheboy-
gan, he is member Of the numbering
firm of Macarthur, Smith & Co., owning
a1water saw mill and gr:st mill. The
firm will also erect large grist mill
the coming season. They are putting in