The diamond drill., 1913-08-09

STATE OF INDIANA
HAS BEST ROADS
OlLlNG COMING INTO MORE
GENERAL USE
INTERESTING HISTORICAL FACT
Csa County Colored Settlement 0ecend-
snts OF Run-a. way Slaves In The
Days Before The WN

/ Monday morning FOUND as ready 20
start from Vicksburg on our way back
10 Crystal Falls. and while we detour-
cd some and thus delayed the final
arrival, We: the old car seemed 10 un'
derstand that she was on the home.
ward course for sitter her nose was
turned TO the north she seemed 70 pull
better AZ least Tom said 40
II was necessary for ne 70 80 20
Kalamazoo where Mrs. Conlin had
some matters in regard TO selecting
headquarters for the annual session ot
the Rebkaha Assembly to look after 20
that we didn' get away from Ksla.
mazoo until after II 30 o'clock We
found COOL gravel road west 10
Paw Paw, our next stop, where We
visited few hours with friends and
then continued on our way 10 South
Bend The roads were Of gravel con.
struction all Of the way, and while
they are narrow, they are very good.
Paw Paw is in the heart ~ the
grape section and the large vineyards
were objects Of interest 10 rs Our
friend has a vineyard OF 80 acres and
informed rs that the grape crop IN
Michigan this year Will be about 30
per cent. Late frosts and cold weather
in the spring is the reason.
on our way to South Bend we
passed through Cass county and on
the edge OF the negro settlement 1t
may be news 10 many Of our readers to
know that the negro population uf one
Michigan county is very large and in
teresting TO learn that the negros are
the defendants Of slaves who escaped
from their masters via the under
ground route IN ante bellum days.
Cass county was one OF the important
stations on that route ia the
county from the south To Canada and
many Of the escaped slaves stayed in
the county. One township is entirely
populated 10y negroes VINO elect their
own race TO Offices in the township.
In fact all over Cass comfy there is a
heavy sprinkling Of heroes as the result
Of this historical fact cited.
We were interested in comparing the
negro homes we passed with those Of
their white neighbors. We may not
have seen the best of those homes and
again we may he prejudiced judges,
but IL seemed 70 as that there was not
the air Of tidyness about thier farms /;
the the attention TO "sicking up"
both living quarters and buildings
that were in evidence at most OF the
''whlte farms Of eqnal size and
we suppose equal productivity.
Many Of these negroes have excellent
farms and we were told that over in
the "black belt they are very pros
porous
our route brought us through
Dowagiac, one OF the most beautiful
little cities that we passed through.
Niles was next and there too. We were
struck by the beauty Of the streets we
passed through but 10 orr notion.
Dowagiac had il over any city that we
visited in Michigan
We bade good by to Michigan about
five o'clock Monday evening, sign
marking the place where the road
from Niles 10 South Bend crosses the
line. The road TO South Bend was a
good one but not as good IA the roads
OF Indiana south ana west. We got
supper at South Bend ana decided
10 drive along as far as we could be.
fore dark 30 we pulled ont about OC
o'clock on the Chicago road for any
old place we felt like stopping AT and
that happened to be New Carlisle. The
hotel had burned ont few weeks
previous 70 our visit and we had a
hard time TO get sleeping quarters for
the night but we finally got fine pri-
vate residenter TO take us in.
Wnen we found conditions 80 bad
for hotel accommodations we decided
TO get up early and drive 10 Michigan
City for breakfast and at six o'cIocI
next morning we were ON our way
The twenty mile drive made ne hun
cry for breakfast but we were cheereC
by the knowledge that we has
elegant" roads to drive over.
Indiana, at least that portion WI
drove through has II over the othe
fozr states in its roads They ar,
all Of stone construction. the maca
dam being carefully rolled into plsc
and while in some places we foun'