Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1883-10-11

Otsego Lake is naturally beautiful
beyond the power of language to por-
tray, with its picturesque shores, fine
gravelly bottom, and surrounding hills
crowned with forests fast giving way
to cultivated fields. The adjoining
village which overlooks the bright ex-
panse of water is being well and sub
stantially built, and evidences of pros
perity are seen on every hand.
Gaylord, the county seat Of Otsego
county, is fast assuming metropolitan
airs, with about /, 200 inhabitants,
large majority of whom are educated
and refined people from the older cit
les of our own and adjoining States.
In their society one forgets that they
are on the frontier, for the social and
business life is equal in all respects to
that of pisces five times as old and
large
The surrounding country is heavily
timbered with maple and elm and is
destined to become famous as an agri-
cultural region. Twelve miles north
west through the forest, where six
years ago was no living thing except
the wild denizens Of its depths we find
farm after farm being started with
from five TO forty acres already im-
proved, and the well-flled barns and
large stacks tell n positive story of the
productive soil, wrung by manly, stur-
dy toll from the wealth Of timber that
covered it, but which is gladly given
for the certain independence which
gleains through i'm the near future.
Over the hills, through the glens, un-
der the shadow of monster elns, gi-
gantic naples, mammoth lynn, with
lofty pine and hcmlock interspersed,
we rumble along in the stage musing
on the changes which are so fast com
| ing; we catch here and there through
the foliage the silvery glcnm of water
from zone little lake nestled in the
valley aEd glistening in the sunlight
like diamond gems on the undGiating
bosom of mother earth, watching the
beauty on every hand we live in dream
land until n sudden turn i'm the road
brings us out OF the farest into the
very midst of the now thriving village
of Elmira, with over SEQ souls, where
three years ago was but n single dwell
ing. From here the iron horse draws
us to the southward for 60 miles, where
but yesterday was an unknown land
but now the way is lined with teeminl
industries. Immense lumber mills
coal burners, manufactures, iron fur
naces, thriving villages everywhere. -
At Walton Junction we have left til,
timbered land and are again OH tn,
familiar "plains, 'lbut taking the 9th
er tack northwest we go and the stor,
of the forest is repeated, only the hill
are higher and the ground more broker
till in 20 miles we reach the beautiful
bay on the shore of which is enter
prising Traverse City. If there be an,
place on earth with greater natura
beauty we do not know it The fin
RI eXpanse of water land locked by min
ature mountains presents natura
, picture unexcelled by art. The cit,
? represents n great amount of wealtl
{ and as u mercantile point is leader o
the north. Its retail stores are magni
ficently arranged and carry stocks tha
would do honor TO great metropolis
Our time permitted a hasty tour thro
' tn. mammoth establishment of Hanna
= Lay g. Co., which is a model i'm all re
? spects. All business is conducted wit
2 mathematical precision 1t is divide,
( in distinct departments yet all CON
bined, and the store which they no'
occupy contains over two acres O
flooring under one roof. Besides thi
! they have immense warehouses; mill
r and factories, and perhaps the larges
s shipping interest of any one Grm il
= the State.
The new asylum for the insane, sit
! uated on n site commanding ful
view Of the city and the bay, has neai
= ly reached the top of the first story
and will be structure worthy of on
great State that gives such care TO on
! unfortunate.
The journey homeward over tn
same line but gave new beauty on e,
cry side and made us glad again an
again that we live in Ny Michigan,
the Queen of States, the home Of la'
and honor and sobriety, and wher
there is ample room for n million mors