Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1900-03-15
= Pleasant Trip to : Big Y.rm.

EoUs u myself 8uV JOuu Hu''Osoo"
left South Branch with u duv. OF
cattle bound for Nels Mi,helson's
farm at the south end OF Iiohghton
Lake. We reached p. Ilanna's at
2:30 D. m, fed and watersd our cattle
and ate good square meal. Started
from there at four o'clock aud nus
tied the cattle along with tches
and hs!looing hep. hep! Neigh there!
and arrived at our destination at
eight o'clock In the evening.
The boys we're ready with lanterns
and relieved US OF the cattle and we
went to the cook shanty and ate q
good warm supper prepared for as ly
the cook who had been notified by
Mr.. Nicholson who had passed Us on
the road. After supper l was tired
enough to retire and did not wake up
until the horn was blowing for break
fast. One foot OF the horn Is enough
to call me Ia case and you can BIT
/ was not the last man at the table.
We had q most excellent break
fast got up In lumber camp style by
first class cook, waiting on the
table with boiled shirt and white
apron. After breakfast Mr.. Michel
son showed me around the farm
which contains seven thousand acres,
one hundred acres being under Guilt
walton. Near the camps Is fine
young orchard OF i've hundred trees.
Passing the orchard we went across
the bridge which spans the Muske-
gon River and came to the barns
where l looked with wonder on three
mountains Of hay which contained
over four hundred tons. then went
into the barn which contains fifty
tons Of hay on the second floor, and
on the first floor / beheid three rows
of cattle as close as they could stand
together the entire length of the
barn which IL one hundred feet long
by ffty feet wide. In front OF each
row Is manger with ample room
for hay, and a watering trough lined
with Tin. The water Is conveyed to
the different troughs by a hydrant In
| the center OF the barn. The cattle
can eat, drink and sleep without
being united. The stables are kept
very neat and clean, the cattle are
all ia good condition and look clean
enough to have just come out of a
band box. The water works are run
by a large wind mill which furnishes
plenty OF good clear water. The
next barn Is flfty by one hundred
feet with two large feed or hay racks
eighty feet long with short racks each
side Of doors. There is a driveway
from one door to the other to draw
the hay in to fill the racks, which
takes large load every day. There
are two hundred and ninety head O.
cattle on this farm and large sheer
barn with fine flock of sheep, a pi,
barn with nice drove of swine, roo
house that will hold ten thousant
bushels, a good slaughter house ant
a good blacksmith shop. These ar,
all good frame buildings and vel
finished. We were watching tn,
men take care of the stock until tn
horn blew for dinner, for which
was on hand as usual. Bill of fare
tea coffee ADD milk, potatoes ant
grav, boiled beef, boiled pork, an,
, stewed onions, bread and butter
mince pie, and three kinds of cake
picked tongue and head cheese
After dinner Mr.. Nicholson had tn
team hitched up and we drove owe
to the Hall farm. About half wa
across the lake we came 10 q crac
in the ice about sixteen feet wide
running clear across the lake. ar
a little shy on ice and I told MI
Nicholson he had better stop tn
team. He said he guessed It was al
right but /, not being so brave as h
q jumped out of the sleigh and he stoy
8 ped the team with their front fee
] about one foot from the seam. too
the whip stock and tried it. Thel
. wus about quarter OF an inch of il
: on top aud the rest was all opel
We had to back up and 60 ashore, bu
we got there just the same. Tt
Hall farm purchased about thre
$ years ago, comprises eight hundre
i acres of splendid land fronting O
i HOughton Lake. Here Is three hui
Z dred acres under cultivation with a
G orchard Of three hundred tree
: Here also Is two large barns contain
;, ing two hundred tons of hay AMI or
o hundred and atty head of cattl
y Here also they have water works |
u the barns with mangers aud wat,
9 troughs on the same plan as the Mu
9 keyon buildings, sheep and hog PEN
II There are thousands of dollars wort