The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-06-27


two miles from Alpena City. 1t borders
on Thunder Bay. Not long ago he found
n trail through his plowed field, which
trail was about foot wide, and its SER
pentine course led him to the belief that
it was made by monstrous snake. On
the bay shore he discovered signs where
some animal had been eaten, also long
hair. On the 18th inst. Mr. Isaacson's
boy. Grant N. was planting potatoes in
field near the house, and between 10
and ii a. m. he was surprised to see
huge snake moving toward him. The
boy had with him double barreled shot
gun, having taken the precaution to carry
the gun with him when he went into the
fields since the snake track was discov-
cred. The boy fired twice at the mon
ster, but did not appear to infict much
| injury on the snake. He says it went
over stones and sticks as lively as
horse, and glided to the bay water. After
he shot at il the snake made a great
slashing with his tail. The boys father
then cane along, having been attracted
by the gun reports, and the two followed
the snakes track to the water. The boy
describes the snake as about twenty five
feet long ana over one foot thick The
body is black. with yellow spots and
yellow tail The head was covered with
long black hair Eyes as large as a sill
yer dollar. Where the snake went under
board fence was found some dark hair
about eight iuches long. The hair is fine
and not curly.
"A trip through the jack-pine plains of
Oscoda County was a relevation of an en-
tirely new order to the scientists of the
Agricultural College. The imposing pine
forests of Altoona County gave place to
miles and miles of bluff and valley, which
were covered only with the short, scraggy,
and bristling jack pine, and shining white
and yellow sand. The professors were in
an entirely new ecstasy of delight. This
is what we have been waiting for all
along, said DR.. Beal to Free Press re-
porter, as he sprang down from a rude
wagon and clawed fercely at the roots of
peculiar botanical specimen indigenous
to the locality. "We have now struck the
great pine barrens which have heretofore
been popularity supposed to be wholly
worthless for agricultural, or any other,
purposes. If we can prove this SUPPOSE
ton unfounded, our journey arduous
as it is, will be eminently worth while.
AS far as my own opinion is concerned,
l firmly believe our experiments will
establish the fact that there are certain
varieties of grasses and other vegetation
that will flourish we'll in this dry sand, es-
pecially if fertilizers are freely used. AS
it now appears, however, am free to con-
fess that these pine barrens form about
the most gloomy perspective imaginable.
An hour later the prairie schooner"
brought up at Potts Headquarters,
lumber camp made up of about a dozen
cabins, saw mill, and rude hotel. 1t
is owned and operated by the same enter
prising gentleman who is the proprietor
of the Potts farm. Here Mr.. Comins, the
owner, makes speciality of breeding
Jersey cattle, pasturage being rank and
abundant, proving again that certain va
rieties of grasses thrive encouragingly in
that sandy region. Mr. Comins derives
large income from his stock experiments,
and is very enthusiastic regarding the
possibilities of the much DETAINED pine
barrens.
Citizens of Schoolcraft must go home
early now. At q special meeting of the
Village Board it was voted to take down
the street lamps.
There are fifty-four regulars in the
Monroe County Poor House, an unusually
large number for this season of the year.
The business of the Dundee cheese
factory is larger than it ever was before.
The concern consumes nearly three and
half tons of milk daily.
The only one in the world: There is
a l6-year-old miss attending the Lansing
High School who has never chewed gum.
She is deserving of a reward of merit
The Michigan Land Company has
bought 80 900 acres of timber in Conecuh
/
planning mills.
The Board of Education of West Bay
City has let the contract for building
brick school house to Donavan & Hol-
land of Bay City, for SS,926
The Lansing X. OF p. s have dedicated
their new hall. The dedicatory exercises
took place in the afternoon and in the
evening the hall was thrown opea to the
public and dancing INDUCED in, followed
by banquet. Grand Chancellor p L.
Colgrove was present.
Stephenson q Co.'S new mill near
Escanaba has one hand saw and one cir
cular, and cuts about IS, 900 feet of lumber
per day.
H. w. Sage & Co, of Bay City, are
reported to have lost recently over $780,
900 feet of aw-logs by forest fires at their
camps in ogemaw County.
Il n. - IN