Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1904-08-02
MOUNTAIN OF SAND
The Indian and the Mound
Builder--Fishins on Hamlin
Lake

Lake.
/ Away back when the contenants
were first formed nature tried hel
hand on pleasure grounds, and Ham
lin Lake was the first product. No.
where within the reach OF steam is
there wilder realm, here is a world
park made to hand where over-civili-
zed man can feel the very pulse of
nature. We left Ludington on a
pleasant afternoon by street
car to Hamlin where we were taken
on board naptha launch and with a
small steel row boat in tow were
taken five miles up the lake and left
on reported excellent fishing grounds.
At this point the lake is separated
from Lake Michigan by range of
sand hills resembling small mountains.
Here we landed for a rest and to
breathe in the spicy odor of the pines
and to explore for time these barren
hills, for this truly is bleak, brown,
barren land with no grass or vege-
tation and nothing but few shriyel-
led pines. But the untamed wilder
ness of lake and sand dunes is not it's
only charm, there are human interests
clinging about that region which fix
the attention and stimulate the
imagination. 1t was here thousands
of years ago that the mound builder
went with his copper spear and
knives at Mackinaw Straits they
crossed in their primitive birch bark
canoes and returned rich with spoils.
That they got copper is certainty
how they found it is mystery. To
this day on the sand hills on the north
bank of the lake may be found their
rude stone hammer and the mass
copper on which they left the imprint
of their labors. Here we climbed to
the top of bare sand hill and found
a hollow tube extending downward
and were not long in discovering that
at one time birch tree had grown
twenty to thirty feet high and then
been covered entirely by sand. As
the years went by the inner wood de-
cayed but the indestructable birch
bark remained forming tube that
with fish line and sinker we found
to be nearly thirty feet to the bottom.
| On another sand hill we found light
ming icicles as they are called, where
the lightning in striking the bare
sand has extended downward from
two to four feet in search Of moisture
and melted the sand 50 that it resem-
bles a hugeicicle. Travelling far back
from the lake among the hills we found
small frame work Of cedar which
doubtless had been used at least fifty
years ago for either bear trap or a
fur traders cabin. Seeing house off
in the distance and being in search Of
water we called for drink, as we ap-
preached trim little woman stood
in the door of an unpainted, rough
board shanty and shouted to a tan,
mud bespatted fellow working in a
ditch "Come to supper Andy" Such
as Andy and his busy little wife are
the makers Of homes in Northern
Michigan you can always find them
on the firing li1e in any new country.
As night was coming on we returned
to fishing and drifted with stout
breeze down the lake for five miles, as
to the kind Of fish caught,
their length or weight or numbers,
or the kind OF bait used, it will not be
necessary here to speak. We returned
with excellent appetites and declared
the day we'll spent.
| Thesair along the shore Of Lake
Michigan is decidedly cool, especially
Il in the evening making thick winter
clothing a necessity. There has been
but three evenings in Ludington so
far this season warm enough to make
| it pleasant to sit on the porch after
supper. There is something in the
air that quickens every sense and
makes one keen for danger or ex-
perience or pleasure especially plea
sure.
This whole country is rich in
Indian legend and early history. On
the bluffs of Lake Michigan many
years ago was located an indian burying
ground and as the winds and waves
have worn away the high banks it is
not uncommon for the birch bark coffin
to not only be revealed but undermined
and go rolling down into the lake. 1t
was at this point that Pere Marquette
was buried more than two hundred
years ago. When the first settlers
came to this country fifty years ago
many thrifty full grown apple trees
were found planted by the indians
many years before the fur trader was
known here.
/ It is region where one can always
find something of deepest interest and
interesting research.
/ A Kansas editor who stopped at
the Inside Inn at st. Louis, writes:
'sThere are more bell boys than guests
in the Inn. They use 'em for change.
When you give the clerk five dollars
he hands you back two dollars and a
bell boy. My room is little far back
for meals but I make it nicely. |
i