Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1904-07-26
LETTER FROM A. DECKER

vi DEAR NJ Il. = EONTA1NE: VaKlul
summer vacation for rest, recreation
and pleasure or taking q summer
vacation, visiting ten families, OF
relatives, one hundred miles apart
are two entirely different PROPOSE tiont
and should never be mixed. We are
now paying that debt that we all owe
to relatives, known as visit. Wher
this is complete, we return to Luding.
ton for weeks rest and recreation,
Here we will attend the .Epworth
Training Assembly attended by three
or four thousand people, where We
can hear some OF the best speakers In
the land. The State Encampment is
also held at Ludington at the same
time, where the entire state troops,
together with three companies Of
infantry, two Of cavelry, and one OF
artillery of the United States regular
army will be present. Our first days
run from Ludington to Detroit for
two hundred and fifty miles was
largely through poor farming
country. Crops in the eastern half of
Michigan are decidedly poor and
backward this season. Drought has
been more or less severe and in many
of the pasture fields IRE has broken
out along the railroad and destroyed
what dry grass remained. Detroit as
city is we'll entitled to the reputa-
tion it has gained Of being enc OF the
neatest and cleanest city in the union.
1t manufactures today more auto
mobiles than any other city In the
union and has two thousand in daily
use on their streets. Coldwater q city
about the size OF Grand Rapids has
thirty-fve automobiles and the
merchants complain OF their being a
detriment to trade, as they keep the
farmer away from the cities to a
certain extent on account OF frighten-
ing horses. Our trip yesterday for
two hundred miles from Detroit to
Vicksburg, led US through an excellent
farming country. but. even here the
effects of drouth was yisable on every
hand. The winter wheat and clover
is more than two-thirds winter killed,
yet farmers in general are in q pros
porous condition.
Vicksburg is one OF the biggest
little towns we have found in Michi-
gan and is enjoying wave Of unsual
prosperity. One OF the largest paper
mills in the state is being erected
here for the manufacture OF high
grade writing pape-s. bends and
ledgers. It is driven entirely Oy steam
power and is from three to i've stories
high. We leave here today for
Indiana and the farther we 90 south,
the less evidence we find of drOughts.
Belle Isle is without doubt one of
the finest parks in the United States,
1t is an island in the middle of the
Detroit river, containing over seven
hundred acres and covered with q
of splendid grass and shaded
by immense forest trees, that excludes
the sun nearly over the entire island.
Here, nearly all kinds of animals are,
kept. There are parks containing
buffalo, elk, deer aud moose and dens
and caves where the black cinnamon,
grizzly and polar bear may be seen.
There is large variety of animals,
as we'll as different kinds Of nsh and
sea lion. In fact, there is everything
ON the island to make it pleasant and
restful for the city people to spend an
or evening here. It is hard
to comprehend the immense traffic,
that passes this island. The large
freight and passenger boats are con-
stantly in sight, going and coming up
and down the lakes. The stars and
strips float over the island, but just
on the opposite shore. the Union j ok
is floating over Canadian soil. IT is
pleasant visiting the large cities for
a day or two and note their. constant
rush and hus5le OF doing business, but
for every day life. my wife and have
concluded that Grand Rapids, Wiscon
sin is good enough for US.
Yours as ever,
A