Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1883-04-12
Description Of oconto, Wis.

Editor Weekly EXPOSITION
/ believe | promised you, friend
Menzies, at the time OF my late visi
to your place, (my old home) t.
give you description of Ocont,
and its surroundings. | have so lit
tie time 10 spare from my business
that have hitherto neglected to d'
SO, but Will now try and redeem my
promise, though seribbling is not my
fort.
Oconto is city with q population
of 5000. 1t is located upon the west
shore of Green Bay, at the mouth
of the Oconto river and has general
! ly been olassed as a numbering town
though other industries are fast start
ing up and agriculture has become
the leading feature of the county.
There are in the city 8 saw mills,
shingle mills, post and tie mills, 2
planning mills, Touring mills and
one box factory.
The annual cut of the saw mills In
about so, ,0e0,00o feet, which is Near
ly all pine. am unable to give the
amount of shingles, posts, ties, &c,
which are manufactured yearly. but
the figures would be hign. There
are about Is mills, large and small,
in operation in the country outside
the city. The &. & N. w. r. II.
runs through the city from north to
south, and St. 2. Il. G. Q. r. r.
starts here running west. The latter
was commenced last summer and
has twelve miles completed, giving
us connection with the NJ. 81 y. &
w. & Nj. road, which is great ad-
vantage to our shippers. The st. p.
road is to be pushed with vigor the
coming season and we look for live
ly times here.
During the season of navigation
much lumber is shipped by boat, and
being almost opposite the Sturgeon
Bay canal, we have a short cut to
the great lakes. We have the best
natural harbor here oa the bay shore
and government appropriation to
make it still better. We shall soon
have our docks here, as this is the
most convenient and nearest point
for the Lake Superior mines which
are being tapped 10y the w. e NJ.
road and we look for a prosperous
future. The city and county are in
good condition financially, their in
debtedness being small. The land
just around the city ia not very good
but large portion of the country is
as fine hardwood land as can be
found in this or any other state.
Our farmers raise large crops of
grain and cereals and sell them for q
good price. The land is being taken
up very fast but there is still con-
siderable fine land in the county to
be had for low price.
Our city is peopled by the most
social class of any town on the Bay
shore and it is said, | think truthful
~ to, that Oconto has the most, the
smartest, and fairest young ladies Of
any city Of its size in Wisconsin.
Two large and commodious halls
are used for dancing and theatricals
and we have many good troups here
during the season.
Wages range from $50 to $40 per
month including board and the pay
is sure. River drivers command
from 81 to 1925 per day, the drive
usually lastiag about 100 days. Many
people have left here since | have
been in the place, aud have travelled
westward, and in other directions,
seeking to better themselves, but
nearly all return, saying that no
place they found was so good as
Oconto. The fact is that a laboring
man need not be idle here any por-
ton of the time, unless he wants to,
and fhe likes farming we will show
him as fine land as man ever looked
upon which he can buy for low
price. We mean timbered land as
there is 10 prairie hers. The city
has two steam fire engines with well
organized and thoroughly drilled
tirc companies.
am foreman of No ana my