The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1888-07-05
Letter from Michigan.

Letter from Michigan.
IoTIlE EDITOR OF THE REPUBLICAN JOUR-
NAL: will not enter into any explanation of
the reason why my promised communication
| has been long delayed. Subjects of deeper
interest are worthy the attention of your read
ers. Your correspondent. with his family, ar
! rived at his destination i'm the State of Mchi-
gan, April 9th, at midnight. But little was
seen OF the state in journey of $50 miles
from cast 10 westward as the shadows of
night were upon us. Too much work has also
been pressing to allow of any extensive travel
through the State since that time. our de-
scriptions of the State, the people and business
must be accordingly limited to the southern
portion of the State; to the radius of Il few
miles around White Pigeon.
WHITE PIGEON.
In an issue of recent date you gave your
readers the pen picture | wrote of this place.
viii! only add Il few details The place takes
its name from an old Indian chief whose re-
mains lie buried but few rods from the town
line, in the adjoining town of Motvil!e, but
short distance from the Chicago road. No
marble slab or polished shaft marks the grave,
hut more expressive. more fitting and to my
mind more beautiful, a SOLITARY tree has been
planted by some loving hand, to mark the
place of rest. | suppose the name of White
Pigeon was given to this chief of his tribe
from some circumstance or fact in connection
with pigeon life. Forty years ago, when the
town was new. pigeons We're thick in this
vicinity that thousands of them would descend
Ipu,lX nF La. I,,fa
was narrowed in, unless some one stood by to
watch it; now not one i, to he seen. Rabbits
and prairie chickens Were also plentiful year
ago. hut they are getting scarce. The lakes.
however have lots of fish in them. As the state
laws prohibit the use of the spear, and make
the sportsman largely dependent on hook and
ine.
THE C1.GiiAIE.
The climate i in most respects beautiful, at
least il >uiIs my taste. except a tendency to cx-
treme heat. This season has been. | am told.
from two to three weeks later than usual. the
cold weather held on longer, but for the past
tive weeks we nave been having GOOD corn
growing weather. The sky has been clear,
the s;In hot and the business of the farmer IL
booming. We have had lettuce. onions and
ra'i>he> for weeks. | picked a peek of peas
from my garden on the Goth, and shall have
new potatoes shortly. Strawberries have been
ripe for more than week and soil at : cts per
quart.
FARMING.
Farming in This vicinity differs materially
from farming in the East. lin the first place
the winters being less severe. as we'll as much
shorter. there is not needed the >llle shelter
ior stock. The barns are generally much small
cr than i'll Maine, and for The most part are not
kept in is good condition.. Comparatiyelv LITTLE
hay is raised. the soil not being ADAPTED to
grass IL in Maine. There is no waste land with
rocks and "runnin" brooks" for pastures
There is some marsh land which. howcver.i is
not adapted to grazing. 80 far is have heard,
| do not think it au extensive practice to
tat the cattle Oh grass. Al the time of har-
vest the wheat is thrc>hed aud the straw
Is piled up into huge stacks in the harn
yard Before the spring TINE j. cone this
largely disappears. cattle and colts eating
considerable portion Of it, and trca,ling other
portion, into manure. In the next place FARM
H. mere differs from farming in Maine in the
richness of the sill and the manner of it, ct,l-
t'Vatlon. only fourteen years ago, Il gentleman
coming from the State OF Pennsylvania burned
up all hi straw 4, Useless. He will iiDt repeat
his mistake" for farmers realize that it pays to
nu; the atrnmulationS Of the barn yard back on
the farm. Yet the fact remains that YOU can
do vastly more here without manure than is
possible in Maine. Artificial l.auurcS are not
used think 10 ANY extent.
TIE CROPS.
The I'riEria! crops are rye, wheat. corn and
potatoes. The rye and wheat are sown in the
Ia" ant viii soon he ready Ior harvest. Corn
Is growing inrl! and is a very important crop,
equally. If not i.ore so. than wheat. Much at
'""iion Is paid to the cultivation of corn. As
som A. it breaks through the soil 50 that the
r"W- can be >ecn th" cutivator i utilized to
stir the soil and Kill the weeds. and 50 on from
time i" time with much greater frequency than
have ever known before. The same i true
"f the soil in which potatoes Hrc planted.
Harvesting | have not Witnessed but it is
ne. la!ioriou- piece OF work is most farmers
use binder which cuts ard binds As the
horses ar" driven along. But y, rhap> more of
this after personal INSPECTION of III, oi,cra-
ton.
WIND MILLS.
In ay former !etjrr >tatc, That 4. Il depth
of Is tccl there j. an abundant supply If pure
water, bit white there are several rivers,
brooks, small streams and >!riu~> are seldom
seen The water for stock and drinking pur-
poses has accordingly to be pumped, This is
quite iahoriou~ task when done by hand
fh' large majDrity OF the wc-lo-tlo farmers
,,,.,.
1'rou.h> are put IN the barn ward ana by ncans
or pipes ave 80 connected with the fountain that
the windmill works automatically. When the
water reaches certain height the mill i thrown
out of gear md stops pumping aud when the
water has h,,n drawn of 10 Il certain depth it
is asain thrown into rear aud with the first
breeze begins ii> work. Most Of the lir@c. .anel
many Of The ~HaIl farm, have Il Wini-nill is
have also some private hou>c>. Ii j. Il great
economy of labor in localities where springs
and running brooks are scarce.
rE"HIBlIIpN AND LICENSE.
We were gratilpd pn our arrival to learn that
the recently enacted Local option Law was 10
90 into effect on the first Of May. Two saloon,
We're lieeH>ed in White Pigeon, hut as St.
Joseph ouuty had voted in favor of Local
Option, the business va> 10 omc TO an end on
the above named date 1t NaS with pleasure
that We >tW the wagon of the proprietor of
one If the saloons loaded with his effect, for
removal Ia the country. and the saloon closed
up and marked For rent" only Il few day.
passed. however. before appeal to the
supreme Court of the state the Law was de-
clared unconstitutional" one of the several
defects of the bill being that It's title declared
its purpose to br au act To regulate the sale.
etc, whereas Local Option was prohibHton
and net regulation. The result is that the
state is sulec; to license law again. This,
however. is guarded that it is Il restriction
upon the liquor traffic ;hut @iycuS prohihition,
first aud last and all the time Rum is Il nlo,i-
>ter of such destructive propcn>itics that III
stead of regulation It nccd> execution; and the
time is coming, in the near future. when Mich
igan will follow in The wake of Maine and
other states by enarting Constitutional Prohibi-
ton.
A good deal of interest is felt in Maine. and
all sorts of rtImorS are alloat as to the success