Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-01-02
Sojourn No. 2.
Dear Record:


ceedmgly comfortable quarters. viz. AT
The Park Place Hotel in Traverse City.
This wide awake town is "beautiful for
situation" among the low bluffs on the
lake and is place to be desired, to live in.
There is considerable wealth among the
four or five thousand people but the bulk
of il is as usual in few hands. Still the
people as a whole have a thrifty, well-to
do look, while the particularly prosper
Gus few wear the appearance OF substantial
rather than showy wealth. The town
is spread over a good deal of ground,
has the hustle of a lake port. in the
season, and the two railroads are
doing good business. But the first build
ings are many of them standing yet and
some parts of the city would be the better
for a fire. The public buildings are fairly
good, the school buildings better than the
average. There is here a fine Asylum
for the insane, but ! did not visit it lest
be retained for they do keep folks there
VINO are more sane than am credited with
being. The country hereabout is good
and we'll adapted TO the growth of most
farm products. Potatoes are particular
ly profitable crop and the farmers are do.
ing large business in the growth of this
vegel able which finds ready sale at good
prices. The lumber trade is the great
source of wealth here as in nearly all our
lake towns and those who are posted tell
me that there is more money in hard wood
than in pine. met an old Vermont ac-
quaintance this morning and we did our
native heath in an hours talk, and felt our
pride newly stirred and our loyalty re.
vived by recalling our boyhood in the
Green Mountain state. Perhaps we Yer
monters are a trifle clannish, indeed |
rather think We are, but we are not ashamed
of our love for the green mills. That little
wedge between Lake Champlain and the
Connecticut, is not very broad in its area,
but as Lewis Higbee used to say OF his
town. our state sis as big, up and down.
as any state in the union BY the way
that Lewis Higbee WAS a character in his
time. One OF the many stories told OF
him, carries US back 10 Henry Clay's visit
TO Burlington sometime in the forties. Hig-
bee was on ther eception committee and in
his eagerness TO welcome his idolized
leader who was expected by the lake boat,
lie ran out on TO pile of lumber on the
wharf on a level with the upper deck of
the steamer where he saw Mr.. Clay stand
ding. Stepping on loose board, he was
about to drop into the lake, when Clay
caugh, his hand and drew him up to the
deck beside him. Quick as thought Hig-
bee burst out in his high shrill voice
"lIenry Clay! you saved your country
twice and Lewis Higbee once" and Yer
monters will never forget the man, nor the
story And now | write from the south
bound train One hears some queer things
AS he lodges about on the railroad and one
of these is just passing as | write. A
young man is talking in most extravagant
words Of praise of his enjoyment OF an
evening of music with a charming singer
and he is saying, ooh do love music, il
has such refining power" and then he
spoke OF a Christmas Carole, and then of
the song beginning, "One sweetly solemn
thought" etc. as being his special favorites,
and yet his conversation was mingled with
the most shocking profanity all the way
through. ] fail 10 understand that sort OF
inconsistency. And yet the young man TO
whom have been compelled to listen, is
only one of thousands of just such thought
less people who in the very mids OF the
enjoyment of the richest of Gods blessings
blaspheme the name of the Giver, like a
very imp from beneath.
This g. r. & I: road on which ride to-
day is an exceptionally good one. Its
rolling, stock is fine, It's arrangements for
the comfort of passengers excellent, and
above all its employers are for the most
part pleasant affable, courteous gentlemen.
Among the whole souled, big hearted,
happy on this line, is my good friend the
Captain. Do you know him? fyou ever
rode hundred miles in his Cal, of course
YOU do, and he is the kind OF man who is
worth knowing. Faithfully attentive to
business, scrupulously careful about every.
thing which can add to the pleasure of his
passengers, he puts just as much real man
" service into his present work as though
he had never done anything else, and yet,
the Captain has had both money and posi-.
tion in the days gone by. like this kind
of man. have heard something of his
story. lie has been financially unfortu-
nate, and sadly afflicted, but he Is neither
sour or melancholy, but always wears a
smile and no matter what occurs on the
road the old captain is always on deck with
good natured word which helps, YOU
know, wonderfully helps, to oil the wheels