The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1896-09-19
CLEAR CASE OF GET OUT.
Winter Threatens to Overtake
OntOnagOn Villagers i'm Their
Dire DestitutiOn.

Regarding the recent destruction
OF Ontonagon village by fire and the
destitute condition in which the
residents are now placed, the fol
lowing description is taken from the
Mining Journal of last Saturday, as
related by Alfred Meads, the veteran
editor of the Miner
Since the great conflagration
which swept the town of Ontonagon
off the map of the upper peninsula,
information as to the condition oil
it's inhabitants has been scrappy and
unsatisfactory. All reports, how.
ever, agreed that the sutferings OF
the villagers had only been temper
arily ameliorated by the aid sent
them. These reports were confirmed
by Alfred Meads, editor of the Miner,
who arrived in Marquette Friday.
He came here with his wife and
daugher the day following the fire,
and leaving them returned to
look after his property. He gave a
Mining Journal reporter vivid des-
cription of the present state of affairs.
THE scene is desolate indeed, he
said. To-day l could wish never to
go back there. There was never a
place more completely wiped out,
and none can realize it who was not
there before the fire.
A farmer on the outskirts of the
village is building two story build
ing, but aside from that and a store
in the town itself, there are nothing
more than couple dozen shacks and
the tents. There are 200 families
living in tents. The entire village
is a camp and it is controlled and
governed by the militia They keep
order in the camp and if there is any
work to be done they make the men
do it, if they have to prick them up
with bayonets. There is very little
work, though, and it is nothing a
decent man should refuse to do.
What the people are going to do
if they stay there this winter | don t
know. They have got to move, if
| they have got to be made to do SO,
and that is what they are coming to.
The second appeal is being very
poorly responded to and supplies
are coming in slowly. There is some
beef left, and some flour, but coffee,
tea and canned goods are getting
very low. | don believe the reliei
committee has single box oI
matches. A census taken last Mon
day showed that over 100 people
were being fed by relief supplies
The relief committee was the only
ones from whom supplies could be
gotten and they had no authority to
sell. Everybody had to go with his
little basket and get his daily sup
plies.
'There will be a store opened Mon
day by James Donnelly, successor tC
Jonn Hawley, and then everybody
who has money will have to buy his
supplies. 1t won't make any diff
ference if he has only a little he
would like to save, the committee
will say to him, We are sorry fol
you, but we haven. enough pro
visions to give you and you viii have
to buy for yourself.
Measures will have to be takei
by the authorities to force many 0
the people to leave the town
There is absolutely nothing for then
to do, and it is SO late am coniiden
1.-the town will not be rebuilt thi
! fail. The railroad has cut off il
passes, and those who have no none,
VIII have to be assisted by the com
mittec, but this will be cheaper thai
keeping them there over winter
The people who remain win re
quire assistance all winter.
1T is pitiable The people d
not seem to realize their condition
and they won until cold weathe
strikes them. Intelligent men sa,
to me, Oh, we'll get along some
how One man, sixty-eight year
of age. has had little lumber givel
him, and is roofing over the base
ment to his house, and he and hi
wife are going to move in there an,
live through the winter! This i
only one instance.
| Everybody who can leave tn
town, skilled mechanics and peopl
like that who have reason to hop
they can get living elsewhere, ar
leaving town as fast as they can
The town will be practically desert
ed for the winter. Probably man
people will become attached to othe
places, and not come back whe
once away, but | think the town wi
be built up next spring"
Twill the Diamond Match CON
pany build even one mill?" MI
Meads was asked. Il think | al
safe in saying it will not, was hi
answer. Il had talk with the locs
manager, Mr.. Comstock. He ha
come back with orders to build a
office and settle up the affairs of th
company. Diamond Match has gon
into new hands, though, and the
may rebuild. No one can tell. Th
company has $4,000, 900 feet of log
floating in the stream.
, Everything in the village will b
in chaotic state for at least yeal
, Property has been wiped out. Th
, people cannot paw the taxes aSSesSe