Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1884-03-13
IN THE LUMBER WOODS.

AN OCCASIONAL CONTRIBUTOR MAKES
A FLYING VISIT TO THE GREAT PIN
ERIEs-THE JOURNEY-20 MINUTES
FOR DI:NER-IN THE wooDs-THE
VILLAGE OF GRAyLING-A HEART
LESS SCHOOL MA'AM-sUPPER IN
CAMP.
If you will take q map of Michigan
and finding the Macknaw division of
the Michigan Central railroad, run
your finger along its route until about
midway between Bay City and Macki
nav, you will find the little town of
Crawling, pleasantly situated on the
Au Sable river, the south branch of
the Au Sable river, now the center of
great numbering operations. This way
my obj9ctiTe point on n Saturday
morning in February as | sailed forth
pa ked grip in hand. to take tn, 9:01
u. III. & n. w. train.
Ny big brother call him big for
the reason he is five years my senior -
nad written Ia that besides his large
general stors he Was, this winter,
branching out into numbering opera
tions, and very cordially invited NE
| sorJ of postscript he added that mat
rers at the camps were Just smoking
aid if | wish to see the modus Operandi
in It's full bloom, / had better make
arrangements for an early visit.
Thc temptation was great. ! had
never visited hiIa since We had parted
at the OH home, aud although we hau
met IN tde meantime, Yet only semi
occasionally ani more s4aIi than oc
casloaaiiy. And then. there we til
iunber WOODS. | hal heard of til,
vast piuerieS, the camps, the big loads
ana h.:i even seen the boy' as tlry
ceturned froIn s!Ieir winters work,
clad ia red pant,--aud ,lir;s. but hac
never been 10 the woods. | resolved
TO go and go / did.
"All aboard, came the word from
Conductor Beal and before mtny
minutes We had left the Sylvan citS
J behind u. III. ears were we'll flllet
and all seemed to be happy. Aero 4
the isle at my left was tall, slim pas
senger. From his make up | tool
him TO be one of those omnipresen
travelling men, and so he proved to be
| Elake mention of him for the reason
| will speak of him again. | abstract
ed the March Century from my satch
el and was soon buried in its iterest
ing pages. An occasional glance showed
me that the t. :. p. was vainly endeav
oring TO fill himself from a volumin
GUS copy OF Morning Telegraph. b,
the time Brockway Centre was reach
ed its contents had been perused AM
turning uneasily about lie caugll
sight of my Century. The newsbo
soon hove in 81 pt and an intens
longing for II classical magazine seen
ed to fill his Who'll, being But tn
bog did not have such for sale How
ever, he would be pleased to suppl
him with Frank Lesiie's Monthly. Nc
he wanted Century or Harper
Great was his disappointment as h
thought Of the long hours to be pas.
ed b.fors Bay City would be reached
Philanthropically | went to the res
cue by offering him mine and assul
ing him | had more reading in IN
sateheL H. remonstrated-I insiste
he accepted The ice was ken
From that on we were friends. w
read, we chittel, we laughed, We joke
until Vassar Junction was reached
when we packed up our belonging
and bid the y. H. g. N. W. train an
its genial conductor good bye
IL was a cold day. The NJ. G. trai
was n little late, which gave US an OF
portunity to pace the plotform.
s1on hove in sight, however, and "
were soon on our'way to Bay Cit
Here we exchanged cards. passed GOO
wishes and bade each other fon
farewell
| began to feel hungry. My trust
chronometer said il was 80 p. m .an
| verify believe il. Could il be that
must go without nv dinnerl | col
suited a time card and learned tn,
my destination was still some ninet
miles away. Good heavens must
starvel The train moved out of tl
depot and | began to be resigned
M fate When the train suddenly sto
pc and began backing up, and q
. nelOJiOus tones of n dinner bs