The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-09-21
Storm At OltOnag0n.
The People Sheltered
in Tents Have a
Hard Time
With the Snow and Rain.
Up Blown Down Tents--Other
Happenings.

/ VNIONANONf -htNhss s'NtNNhabN'
Ii is now nearly three weeks since the
militia came TO Ontonagon and set up
tents 10 shelter the destitute and home
less people, and the situation has not
changed very materially during the past
two weeks. True, very few people
| have moved out of the tents and left
| town or gone out TO their homesteads,
but great majority OF them are still
under canvass and apparently unable TO
go elsewhere or lind any other place TO
live. Today four more tents were taken
down, which brings the total number
vacated up to twenty four and still there
are over two hundred people under shell
ter OF the tents.
So far we have been blessed with beau
tiful weather for this time OF year on
Lake Superior and living under canvass
is not so disagreable as might be i'm
agined. But what will il be when the
cold winds and wet and frosty weather
set In? There are scores OF small children
q
in the tents and surely, severe weather
will be terrible thing for them to en-
dure. The relief committee realize the
state OF affairs fully but are powerless, il
seems, to avert what now seems eminent
much suffering and distress with the
advent OF cold weather. A great many,
in fact, nearly all of those now in the
tents were either lessees OF property, upon
which they owned little home or rented
the house in which they lived. Those
who were not thus situated, but who
owned both the lot and the house are re-
building.
Ontonagon's future is at the present
moment, trembling In the balance. One
point in favor of prosperous days yet to
come, is the fact that the old time resi-
dents and men, who have always backed
and doomed the place, have not lost faith
in it's future and even predict much
brighter times than have been in the past.
The recently published article in the
Marquette Journal in reference to the
present and future condition of Ontona-
gon, is somewhat misleading and We
think a mistake was made, either in Mr..
Meade's statements or the intervewer's
Interpretation of bis remarks. The state
ment that the Diamond Match company
had only $4,000, 900 feet OF logs cut up
the river and ready to get out is decid-
eddy erroneous. The News correspon.
dent has been informed by those who
should know that the Diamond Match
company's logs now in the river and
ready to be floated to the mill and cut,
wi reach 100, 200, 900 feet. This is the
amount now in the stream and our
informant states there are perhaps ten
years work IN the woods cutting and get
ting out timber.
OF the other possibilities for the future
of Ontonagon, and something in refer
ence TO the Diamond Match compaDy's
industry here, we will have more TO say
in a few days
At the military camp no change has
taken place, either in the health, spirits
or condition OF the militia boys. All are
healthy, hearty and contented Yester-
day we had five ladies visit us from
Rockland They were Mesdames Stan
nard, Jeffs, Shepherd, White and Huddel-
stone. The ladies called at military
headquarters at about IL O'Clock and
remained for dinner. They brought an
appetzing lunch with them doubtless,
laboring under the impression that the
soldier boys were not fed any too well.
They were agreeably surprised, however,
at the meal which was served them and
the boys in turn were equally surprised
and pleased when the ladies passed
around several cakes, peaches, bananas
and other palatable delicacies. Our Wis
itors departed shortly after dinner after
complimenting the cook and walters on
the excelency of the bread and table ser.
vice.
| Tuesday evening dance was gotten
up by the few remaining young ladies in
Ontonagon and OF course the boys in
blue were all invited and accepted. A
pleasant evening was the result and the
chances are, the ladies will edo it again y
within few days, the next time at Rock
| land.