Evening journal., 1913-07-24
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
When the Upper Peninsula
Of Michigan Went Begging
By Holland


In August. 1882, ] was the guest for
several weeks of Charles hebard at his
simmer home ON the upper peninsula OF
Michigan. Mr.. llebard mad a very large.
lumber mill plant and he was engaged
for some twenty years 10 extensive lum-'
bering operations on the upper peninsula.
His summer home was upon the shores
OF LAnse bay, and was almost directly
opposite the eastern entrance OF the
Portage canal, oy means OF which a dif
rect route TO Duluth is made possible.
One afternoon Mr.. lIebard told me
something of his own Investigations into
the history of that marvelouslye .rich
portion of the State OF Michigan which
is known as the upper peninsula and
which is bounded on the north by Lake
Superior As Mr. Hebard was for some
years one of the trustees Of the Ahchi-
gan State University at Ann Arbor, he
vas in position 10 fortify the informa-
tion he had CLEANED from old inhabitants
Of chat weird and wonderfully rich SER
tion of the country.
II suppose" said Mr.. Hebard. that IL
cannot be authoritatively denied that
this upper peninsula of Michigan has
proved TO be in proprotion 10 rs area the
richest and the most maryelously rich
,little region in the entire l.nitcd States,
and do not except some Of the gold
fields.
''hes there was n time when nobody
wanted this land I have met a man
who when he was youmg man could
have bought a good deal Of this upper
peninsula for a fcw thousand dollars.
presume he would not have Nenturcd the
speculation even if he had had the
money. yct if he had bought it and kept
il he would have been by this time prob
ably the richest man IN the United
States.
THIS section was regarded as worth
less wild tract with plenty Of timber
but the cost Of transportation and Of
numbering made that timber practically
worthless. I was once told by one OF
tho early citizens Of Michigan that the
United States had actually brijed the
state of Michigan to accept the upper
peninsula.
II made some inquiries and | found
the statement was correct Michigan
territory had a dispute with Ohio about
the southern boundary. Michigan want.
ed 10 take IN AL the territory north of
the line running from the southernmost
point Of Lake Michigan to Lake Eric
That would have included Toledo
"Ohiu wouldn't listen TO the PROPOSE
ticn aud at hast the government at
Washington was appcalcd TO, and the
government was yrrl miich cmharra sscd
finnliy The government proposed tc
Michigan that il. she would give mp tc
Ohp her claim for strip along the
southern shore of Lake Eric the govern.
mcif would ccde To Michigan what was
known as the upper peninsula.
We'll, do You know that proposition
was objected 10 at first. but at last
Michigan reluctantly consented. mot car
ing much for the desolate and wild
upper peninsula.
The lumber alone on this upper pen
| nsula has been of a money value o
+ hundreds of millions of dollars. Tn
stumpace which is the land .rcmainin:
after the trees have been cut down. ha
been cultivated 20 great profit, espc
oiolly in otoialming.
Then there Was.the opening of th
/ extraordinary rich iron mines. the yalu
of which is incouccNably great, and III
! existence of which was scarcely know
when the upper peninsula became a par
of the State of Michigan.
Ncn there came aioug some expert
from fioston ! think the. son Of Pro
fcssor Agassz was among them an
they discovered the outcroppines Of th
copper ,cius an that little peninsula
which YOU see inst across the bay. Hun
dreds of millions Of dollars worth q
copper have hccn and will he taken on
of those mines. for they are now regard
ed as among the richest of the world.
Lumber. iron and copper have yield
ed in this once despised upper peuinsul
material wealth within the past fit
years. which was going TO say aggr'
gated thousand million doiiars. an
yet tho upper peninsula was once de
spised as Worthless
Copyright lol3. by =. J. Edward
All rights roser,cdl
Tomorrow Mr. Edwards viii telNof -"
Famou. birthplace of Governors