Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-05
THE CITY OF n0UCHT0N
Almost Everybody There Inter-
ested in Copper.
SPECULATION IS GENERAL
Big Business Done by the Stores Of the
Town.
FINE SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES
Thirty-Two Mines In the vicinity.
Millions Expended in Develop
~ment Without q Dividend.
BY WILLIAM r, CURTIS;
Special Correspondence Of The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald

This 10 a copper town. Almost every
body here makes buys sells, talks thinks
and dreams copper, and the inhabitants do
very little else. They don't raise vegeta-
bles enough to feed themselves, because
there is more money in copper. II you see
two men with their heads together on the
street you may be sure that they; ara talk
Ing copper. If you see a man going into a
bank or coming out of 1t you may be GER
tain that he has either sold or bought
stock In some copper mine. The main
street of the town. and there is only one
street. Is lined with handsome cottages and
villas built with the proceeds of copper
mining and the profits of speculation In
copper stocks. + walked along the side
walk with q friend yesterday as far as the
College Of Mines, while he told me where
this man. and the next, and their neigh
bors. made the money to buy or build
their beautiful homes, and it was invaria-
bly, from copper mines. chiefly on the
northern peninsula of Michigan, with
fair share in Arizona and Montana.
The advertisements in the newspapers Of
Houghton and vicinity contain offers to
buy or sell mining stock, and expatiate
ing shares in different companies, Just as
the newspapers Of other cities announce the
bargains that may be found at the depart
ment stores. The reading pages are de-
ferent parts Of the world. and on Satur-
days and Sundays the supplements are
filled with descriptions of new copper
mones and stories Of old ones.
Newspapers Unique Experience.
The Mining Gazette. the Houghton daily,
is the only newspaper 1 know that prints
more copies than there are people in the
town. and that also is accounted for by the
copper craze. The population of Houghton
is 400; the circulation of the Mining
Gazette is 1900, and two-thirds of the
who are interested in copper operations.
The proprietor of the Gazette publishes
separate editions In the neighboring towns
OF Hancock and Calumet for local news and
local consumption.
Hancock has a newspaper called the
Weekly Teddy, in honor of our beloved
President. in whose policies the editor is a
strong believer. and for whose personality
he has profound admiration. His name is
A. d. Petit. and he came to Hancock
thirteen years ago from Ithaca, Mich, as
part owner and editor Of the Houghton
County Progress. That paper has since
Journal and Mr.. Petit started another
with the novel name of The Teddy. The
selection may be criticised as showing too
little reverence for the President of the
United States. but, at the same time It
proves the loyalty of the editor. Mr.. Petit
has served three terms in the Michigan leg
islature as the representative of this dis
trict, and while he is not very polite
politician and Is inclined to make as many
enemies as friends his honesty and good
intentions are unquestioned. He is
eager reformer and strikes at various local
abuses. both real and imaginary. in a man
ner that resembles the habits of our illus
trious President. ! do not know if the
latter is aware of the honor Mr.. Petit has
done him, but he ought to see The Teddy
regularly. and it would not do any harm If
he carried a few copies with him for Sun
day and rainy day reading when he goes
on his bear hunt in Louisiana
Fine Schools and Churches.
Houghton is not much of a town to look
at, and you can see pretty much all there
is Of 1t from the decks of the steamers that
go through Portage lake, because it is set
up ON end. One long street follows the
shore line halfway up the bluff. There is
another street along the shore, and back of
the main street houses are spattered IT.
regularly all over the hillside at various
elevations, with here and there handsome
brownstone church and fine schoolhouse.
l saw report the other day that more than
two million dollars had been expended in
school buildings on the upper peninsula of
Michigan during the past five years. until
now every city and town Of Importance has
new high school building or has con-
tracted for one. Mr.. ]. D. Chubb, a Chi
cagO architect who has designed a great
many, tells of numerous manual training
schools that have been erected in this sec
ton at a cost of $15O,O00 or thereabouts
The same may be said Of churches up in
this country. Education and religion have
shared in the unbounded prosperity of
Michigan. but the pleasures of life have not
been overlooked. At the end of the main
street is pretty and comfortable club
house, with golf grounds, tennis courts,
boats and all other opportunities for exer-
else and enjoyment.
The business blocks are much larger and
more imposing than you generally find In
town of $500 people, and the show win
dows contain more expensive articles than
you would expect to be sold here, but
that Is only another evidence of the wealth
and prosperity of the miners who live in
the handsome houses on both sides of the
long streets.
Money Spent Freely.
The stores do a large business. for this Is
a rich country and people spend their
money freely. The docks are busy places
The mines about Houghton consume a mill
lion tons Of bituminous coal every year,
which is in excess Of the consumption in
any other community ten times its popula-
ton The supply comes from Ohio and
Pennsylvania as return cargoes for the
steamers that take down copper. The Calu-
met and Hecla mine consumes 100000 tons
of coal a year at an average cost of $3.50
ton and always has a years supply on hand
as a precaution against any interruption Of
n.ri~o ffo, mr. cnal mining ODerQ tiOns