The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-08-20

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nav marshes on the north, and the Grand,
Looking Glass and Maple rivers, and chain
of lakes on the west and south. SO large
was the district that Judge Comstock could
come from Oakland county, where he was
justice OF the peace, settle in Owosso and
hang out his shingle, still being in his jurls-
diction. Referring to later days Mr.. Gould
told or an experience in the little old school
house, Owosso's first school house. situated
where the new German Lutheran church
now stands. Long four foot wood was used
in the stove and one day when Moses
keyte became unruly the teacher picked
him up by the coat collar and some other
portion Oh his clothing which balanced him
weil' ana tossed him into the stove like
suck OF wook. Mr.. Gould thought he must
have been we'll seasoned out at that time, as
he lived to be an Owosso alderman after
ward.
DIR. hergan, who is a son-in-law of the
president, Mr.. Sloan, was called to the
-stage, and after speaking Of the many
changes which have taken place in Shia-
wassee county, gave very interesting talk.
Mrs. s. Z. Higgins, of Corunna, read a
paper filed with recollections of the early
days of the county. Fifty-three years ago
she taught the Rathbun school in Burns
| township, having the distinction Of being
the first inspected teacher to preside over the
school, the word inspected then being used
instead of examined as now. Later when
she had married Mr.. Huggins they came to
Corunna, where her husband dressed the
| first stones for the Corunna mills and ran
the first grist. Mr.. Higgins was also the
first surveyor after David Gould. The ad-
dress was full of interesting matter but the
wind was so unruly that but little could be
heard by the most Of the audience.
Thomas Hilton, of Brighton, had come
nearly fifty miles to be present, and was
called to the platform. He said that he
had attended old settlers picnics for twenty
years or more and that he preferred saying
words of announcement rather than telling
stories, but he had come to the conclusion
that to be really identified with the old
pioneers he must do the latter. To make
up for the lost time of twenty years, there
fore, he told of the man who left his gun
standing against tree and came back in a
few minutes to see blue racer crawling
out of the barrel. He also gave spirited
version of the story, "How Sally and me
killed the bear" Having told these he felt
he too could really claim to be a pioneer.
Rev. Riley Crawford, of Byron, also had
bear story at hand and Of course, true one.
When child he had started through the
woods with the other children to go to his
grandparents. After awhile his mother
saw bear come up to the house and when
she frightened him off he went In the direc-
ton her children had gone; so she took an
ak and went into the woods, not stopping
until she found her children safe. As for
himself he had come to this region sixty
one years ago with his father and brother
in-law. They built log house on the
banks of the Shiawassee, near Byron.
Later he was appointed Methodist preach.
or, and every four weeks would preach,
Sunday morning in Owosso, in the after
noon at Corunna, and at ShiawasseetOwn in
the evening. Many times he had rode be-
tween Owosso and Corunna when the mud
reached to the horses knees much Of the
way and 1t would take an hour and half
to make the trip.
Music for the afternoon was furnished by
the Corunna Quartette, consisting of Mrs.
Walter Mcbride, Mrs. NJ. e. Kellogg,
George Clutterbuck, and Rudolph Colby,
Mrs. W. e. Rosencrans, pianist. This
feature of the program was much enjoyed
as was also a solo by Mrs. Mcbride.
At the close of the exercises the crowd
began to disperse slowly, taking time to
greet acquaintances and friends again and
to recall past events while waiting for the
cars, which had to make a number of trips
before all had a chance to get away. Ihe
occasion was success from every point of
view.