The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1921-11-04
(Continued from Last Week.

i decided 10 make an overland Trip
from the Norwich Mine in Ontonagon
county to Goods Country" as any
place other than the Lake Superior
Country was designated in those days.
To strike the trail over which the mail
was being carried from Green Bay,
Wisconsin to the iron and copper reg
ions of Lake Superior, had to trav-
erse the range easterly to the Mime
sofa Mine, now known as the Mchi-
gan.
Starting out with only my big New
foundland dog drawing toboggan
loaded with blankets and my few
personal belongings, l followed the
road leading along the range until /
reached the Forest Hill Mine, now
known as the Victoria. From here a
road went around the foot of the hill,
but l decided tc take the shorter trail
over the hill and soon arrived at Pat
Phelan's store, situated on the road
from Ontonagon to Rockland, where
/ stopped to rest and warm up.
In a short time ! was On the trail
again, headed for the Minnesota Mine
where ! knew several people. After
/ had spent couple of days visiting
my friends at the Minnesota Mine, /
was poined by my partner for the
trip. an itinerant Methodist preacher
by the name of Richards, who was af-
forwards presiding elder of the Lake
Superior District.
Packing cur blankets, provisions
and personal belongings onto the
train and hitching up our faithful
Newfoundland, We struck the trail for
L'Anse bay and, after camping one
night in>the woods, we reached the old
Methodist mission on the east side of
the bay at evening of the secand day.
At that time the National government
maintained a prosperous agency there
for the education Of the Indians and
the Methodists had established mis-
sion for Christianizing them.
We stopped at the minister's house
that night. Here we met man from
Portage, now Houghton village, by
the name Of Charley Page, and a man
from Ontonagon by the name Of Nc
Donald. Each had started out alone
and, meeting here as strangers. they
had agreed to become partners for
the rest Of the journey, and had hired
a stalwart Young Indian with his deg
train to guide them as far as Mar
quette. Richards and I naturally
joined forces with them, although we
had no interest in their guide. Page
was young man but Mcdonald, a
hardy CScotch-Irishman, was sixty
years old and by virtue of having
served as an underground mine boss
had acquired the title CT captain.
Knowing that the trail from Mar
quette was well defined, and that we
could reach stations along the route
where we could stop nights, I sold
my Newfoundland to the Methodist
minister to be returned from Mar
quette by the guide. We therefore
packed our kit onto the guides train,
hitched up the Newfoundland with the
two Indian dogs, and, thus equipped,
we all struck cat together on new
trail running easterly towards the
shore Of Lake Superior. The trail
was quite soft and we had to use snow
shoes most of that day. We camped
that night on the main land shore op-
posite Hlron Islands.
Later that evening, the mail carrier
with his dog train of outgoing mail
came along and camped near us. Be-
fore the rising of the sun next morn
ing we again struck the trail on the
ice, heading our course towards Mar
quette. On cur right was the wooded
shore with the Huron range Of mcun-
tains, in the near distance and at ouI
left, field Of ice, beyond which we
COuiu uiiuiy ncc tHC oPSh WdsSi, vu'
of which the sun rose to us that'morn.
ing. It was a magnificent scene. The
ice was smooth and solid, with little
"scuds" of snow here and there show
ing foot prints which made 1t easy fol
us to follow the trail. The day wa.
still, clear and cold and we Travelled
at rapid pace.
Just before noon the Indian mai
carrier passed and, pushing ahead o.
MS some distance. stopped to feed hi
dogs and get his midday lunch. HI
first built fire with fagots brough
along for that purpose and then Gu
a hole in the ice to obtain water
Warming the "mush" for his dogs
brewing some tea for himself ant
thawing out his frozen bread and
meat, he soon had the meal ready ant
the dogs were ravenously devourini
theirs. Just at this time we caugh