Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-08-28
1

SI1AI LEN
About the clear. deep waters OF
Lake Superior, and bounding the
northern sands of Michigan, lies a
realm of forest and of heights, rug
ged, wild, alluring-rich in copper
and iron as are few other regions
of the world. Kingdoms, which won
wide influence, have owned far
meaner materials of power; empire
has warred with empire for stakes
half as great.
In fact, France and her Indian
allies long ago garrisoned forest
stockades in war with England over
this territory. England defended
the region against the colonists.
But later the strength of the
United States confined the struggle
for possession to personal and in
dividuai combat OF man against man
by right. by strength. by wit, by
trick or by violence. open and Sec
ret-for the winning of power and
wealth.
Here and there. where something
had happened-for good or for evil
which a man might never forget,
the ghosts drew back the living.
At least, men thus explained the
return of Lucas Cullen to St. kloren-
tin. Lucas. the younger of the two
Cullen brothers, in 1896 suddenly
appeared and, upon the site of the
cabin where he and his wife lived
when they founded st. Florentin and
bossed the men building the frs;
sawmill, he caused a new, enormous
dwelling to be erected.
Lucas called this a summer cot.
tage: and made it famous by bring
ing there for the summer the French
nobleman, the Marquis de Chenal
"a friend of my daughter Cecilia
The Marquis so well liked Cecilia
and liked the ~place-not to mention
Lucas Cullen's millions that he re
mained at st. Florentin all summer
He married Cecilia that winter
and took her-together with a mil
lion or so of Michigan forest none!
to his chateau in Touraine; ant
neither of them ever returned to thu
peninsula.
But Lucas and his wife and theil
youngest daughter and their two
sons came the next year; ther
Deborah married a westerner anC
moved to Wyoming. Junior" Luca!
and his brother John also married
and their wives preferred the NOR,
fashionable resorts of the asst fol
the next summers.
So, at the turn of the century, ole
Lucas and his wife were coming
alone to the enormous frame houst
on the edge of the ruined old mil
| town above the shores of Lake
Huron.
The real reason for Lucas retrea'
from Chicago was his break with
his brother John. They had always
quarreled; but now they ceased tc
,na,I a-I fl,1 co /, ctrnDt. nnttIf
not hold both.
The purpose Of the builder of the
other great house near st. Florentir
was far more puzzling. The site wa:
upon a tiny island in Lake Huron
half a mile from shore. a rocky
precipitous islet locally known a.
Resurrection Rock.
In the summer of 1912 barges ap
peared and anchored in the smootl
water between Resurrection Rocl
and the shore: artisans of a doZel
trades lived upon the barges Will
| they erected a large. handsom
| house, chimneyed, wide of root
graceful and pleasing.
But no master of the mansion ap
peared. Instead, the newly com
pleted house was closed. doors lock
ed and barred. windows soundly
shattered. A white farmer, who
lived a mile or SO away upon the
opposite mainland, was entrusted
with the keys and was paid to in
spect the premises periodically. Yes
it was an ordinary enough house, hi
reported.
But. after a few inspections alone
he always took some one with him
Speculation and wonder in the
neighborhood oon took weird and
fantastic forms. Poor, pious people
ceased to approach.
At first, old Lucas Cullen laughed
at the stories, but as time went OF