The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-08-13
model CITY IN WI[D'S
GLADSTONE, MICH, A THRIVING
INDIAN COMMUNITY.
Town Owned by Lumber Company ls
Full of industrious, Happy Red.
skins Who Have Govern
ment That Is Ideal.


Gladstone, Mich---Few II any com.
munities in the lumber districts OF the
north country. can boast of conditions
more ideal than the village of Nahma,
Delta county. The town possesses an
electric lighting system, water.
works plant, well-equipped fire de-
partment, an opera house. first class
hotel, schools, churches wide, well.
graded streets that are lined with
shade trees, a natural park of pictnr.
esque beauty and a fine water front.
Nahma and the country for 40 miles
back are owned by the Bay de Noquet
Lumber company This concern is
one OF the largest and most successful
In the upper peninsula, and It shares
its prosperity with its employees. Dur
ing the busy season the mills of the
company employ over 800 men, and
the logging camps use 400 more. To
transport the timber from forest TO
town a private railroad is operated
It possesses 40 miles OF trackage, its
own telegraph system and 100 cars
and four locomotives.
Every board of the many millions of
feet of lumber produced is sold on the
dock at Nahma and transported from
there by the purchasers. But little Of
the product is moved by rail and the
great portion of 1t is taken south and
east on vessels AS a consequence the
winters output accumulates on doz'
ems of docks that aggregate several
miles of water frontage.
The ships which transport the lum
ber are loaded by Indians, branch
of the Chippewa tribe, who live al
Nahma. The men are paid 45 cents
an hour for this work The Indian
village is ruled over by Chief Kissis
a venerable red man Of S4 years. His
habits are perfect, but his example
of right living is not generally follow
ed by his tribesmen. In fact they are
gluttons, when their financial circum
! stances permit. Big feasts and bis
sprees are their chief forms of pleas
ure.
After spending in a riotous "jam
| boree" the money they have made In
| the woods in winter they sober dowI
and wait for the first boat to come in
Then they work like beavers, anC
when the vessel is loaded anothe
orgie Is held. Hard work and jubilees
in fact. alternate until navigation
closes in the fall The squaws can i'm
bibe as much as the bucks when the.
get the chance. Chief Kissis ha
never taken a drink, used tobacco o
uttered an oath In his life. He labor
industri1usly in the endeavor to teac
thrift and sobriety to his followers
but his efforts thus far have been a
most futile.
The residents of Nahma, instea
of finding life lonely and irksomt
have many amusements and are haI
py lot. They have literary and dane
ing clubs, theatrical entertainments
snow-shoeing and tobogganing durin
the winter. while in the summer recr,
alton Is found In baseball and boatin
and picnic parties The day of tn
heavy drinking. gambling mill worke
is gone; In his place is to be foun
well-dressed, intelligent man of goo
habits
The government OF the village is
model. There is only one saloon a
lowed to do business of Nahma, and
is under the supervision of the lumbe
company. Gambling is strictly forbic
den. The place closes at nine o'cloc
at night and does not open until seve
o'clock in the morning. All electri
lights in the town are extlnguished {
$3.50 o'clock, and, except when som
sort of entertainment is going on. th
community retlres at a healthful hou
There Is one physician in the town.
man of unusual ability. an he Is pal
for his services on the assessmer
plan.
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