The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-08-31
Mackinaw Lette.
From The Press.


FROM The Press.
This is delightful place for rest and
enjoyment. The island has large
patronage at present. From the window
of my room | can look out upon the
walls, block-houses and parapets OF old
Fort Mackinac and watch the white
gloved sentry as he PAGES to and fro.
We have climbed the stairway OF nearly
200 steps leading from the street to the
plaza inside the FORT we have also
reached the interior of the fort by the
roadway and postern gate. A portion OF
the 10Th y. S. Infantry is now stationed
here. We witnessed the firing OF the
sunset gun and the striking OF the
colors.
The trip of ten miles by small
steamer around the island is grand.
Pontiac's Lookout, Devils Kitchen,
Lovers Leap, British Landing, Robin
sons Folly; Chimney Rock, Giants
staircase, Fot Mackinac, the Grand
Hotel, the town, and numerous beauti-
full villas, are seen from the steamers
deck in all their beauty and magnif-
cence.
One must not only go around the
island but through it to know it well.
In the interior is sugar Loaf rising lao
feet above plateau the level of which
is $50 feet above Lake Huron. We
climbed high enough to reach Devils
Oven but preferred to go some distance
into the interior and scale Plummer's
Outlook which placed us far above the
tops of q large part Of the Island for
ests. We could see Round Island, Bots
Blanc Island, Old Mackinaw City, st.
Ignace, and look westward through
the Straits of Mackinaw far out upon
the green waters Of Lake Michigan.
Steamers, barges, schooners, yachts,
whalebacks, and craft of all descrip-
ton were coming and going. We
stood within the walls of old Fort
Holmes and could easily make out the
points of advantage the British had
when they dislodged the Americans
from Fort Mackinac. This island has
been the scene of terrible conflicts.
Pontiac's conspiracy was carried out
here with wonderful sagacity in 1868;
and during the war of 1872 the red
coats of Britain spilled American blood
in several battles. The old block
houses bearing the date of 1850 are
relics of "ye olden tyne" The ceme-
teries have dates reading back long
before Michigan became state.
1t is interesting to sit in the presence
of some towering cliff or climb TO its
dizzy summit and read from the an
mails the account Of how Win-te-mo-
yeh the dusky maiden, was seized by
her chieftain ia her, Pee-Zhick-i, and
hurled from the dizzy hight 200 feet
upon the rocks below, because she had
dared to look with affection upon the
white man. 1t is gratifying to know
that the chieftain followed her after he
had. given his last despairing war
Whoop.
Lovers Leap SO named because
Me-che-ne-mock-e-nung-O-qua failed to
see her lover. Ge-niW. e-gWon, among
the returning braves, and threw her
self 200 feet upon the rocks at the
base of the bluff
There are more than two score points
of interest that we would like to men
ton but time forbids Today we go
by steamer up the St. Marys river to
the famous old town of Sault st. Marie
and will return to the island tomorrow
evening, and take the magnificent side
wheel steamer, Alpena, for Detroit and
home, reaching Owosso Thursday
evening.
A week among the great numbering
industries of Alpena and nearly an
other week among these island re-
treats, breathing the pure air of this
north land and sea have given us a
new lease of life and we return to our
school work renewed in spirit and good
intentions for the year to come.
| might add that / never thought
more of our red white and blue than |
did today, when a Canadian steamer
came in flying the Union Jack of Brit
ain. Nv. SIMMONS.