St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-02-05
From Northern Michigan.
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich, Jan. 81.


Traverse CITY, Mich, Jan. p.
To the Editor of The Caledopian;
In the northern part of Michigan
numbering is the chief interest, and is
conducted under different auspices
from the same business in Maine or
Minnesota, because the facilities of
lake transportation enter az an impor-
tant factor in its cost when delivered
at market.
The northern half of the southern
peninsula Of Michigan is indented by
bays and inlets from the lakes that
surround il, and thus offer facilities to
the destruction OF the forests that the
landowners have been quick to inn
prove. Ii is but "a question of time,
and that of but few years, when the
timber lands will be denuded, and new
interests must come in or the country
become Il waste. ......
The railroad from Chicago along the
western side of the state, passes through
an endless succession of newly cleared
land, with stumps, fallen trees and
poor timber, extending as far as the
eye can reach, with occasional tracts
of yet untouched forest. Now and
then the stumps and fallen trees have
been pushed aside to give room for
saw-milI and its large piles of lumber,
while Il raw, rough hamlet has grown
up around. Sometimes these hamlets,
owing to favorable situations, such as
the surrounding farming interests or IL
rare water privilege, have grown up
into cities, and flourish even after the
lumber has all been removed. Then,
again, when the lumber has gone, the
Getty" falls to pieces, or is taken down
and set mp somewhere else.
But the country is being cut mp into
farms, and in all available localities,
farm houses, some of them quite pre-
tentiOus, spring mp among the stumps.
Land newly cleared is comparatively
cheap, and all the nations of Europe
seem to have sent their represen tatives
into this region.
Traverse City, from its location aud
natural advantages, seems likely TO
grow, and become the metropolis of
this part Of the state, even after the
lumber has been all taken away. It's
site, at the head Of one of the bays that
push into the land from the straits of
Mackinaw, is one of the most beauG-
full in the whole region of the great
lakes, and commands in summer the
entrance to the hunting and fishing
grounds of northern Michigan. Han
nah, Lay x Co., who, next to the
Grand Rapids aud Indian r. r., are
the largest land owners in this section,
have done much to develop the inter
ests of the place. The pine lands
around it are sandy, cedar lands are
swamps, but the ''maple lands" as
they are called, have deep. strong
soil, on which most crops flourish. This
will be a great region for apples which
seem to take kindly to the climate.
The firm above mentioned have an or
chard of eighty acres i'll one tract in a
fiourishing condition, and every new
family, after getting shelter, sets
out an orchard as the next thing to be
desired.
The northern hospital for the insane,
which has been in building several
years, approaches completion, and will
give "A prestige to the place. Somehow
the long range of buildings, of light
cOlored brick, seen against the dark
back ground of hill and forest, has
something cheerless in its appearance.
These remote towns have many in
congruities. Many Iawless characters
abound liquor saloons flourish and
multiply and dissslute characters of
both sexes fluid their prey i'll the young
men who earn good wages, aud spend
as they go.
There is another side to the picture.
Churches flourish also. and Sunday
schools are held, even in this hard
winter, in the district school houses.
Towns that reckon their settlement
within ten years have already flourish
ing libraries, and well-selected Oucs,
too. One sees ia rough log houses,
scientific works. and the writings of
Emerson and Carlyle, and especially
works upon geology and mineralogy.
There are in rude farm houses collec-
tions of minerals, Indian relies, fossils,
aud rare stones that would do credit
to eastern museums. Some of the finest
specimens Of petrified wood are found
here.
1t is wonderful region, this, around
the meeting place of three great lakes.
+. Z. W.
The Liquor Curse in the United
States.