Year: 1868

| i"ihiote liiaJ cnange


OF pastures makes fat calves" Thi,
maxim is of very wide application, and


l think it is universally true. Since nv


last have moved my headquarters from
among the Buckeye people to the State
OF Michigan. l wish to spend a few mo.


ments in writing what | see and hear in
this section.


My present "base" is in Sturgis. A
line town of about three thousand peo.
pie located about 1856 miles from Chica.
go and nearly the same distance from
Toledo, ON the Michigan Southern r. r.
1t is said to be one of the finest sections
of the State. 1t is beautiful country.
Some of the finest lands that lie out of
doors anywhere are situated here.


The farmers are not uniformly as
wealthy here as in the Miami valley in
Ohio, of whom | have spoken before and
the reason for this is obvious. They have
not history dating back as far. They
are however very rich and thriving set
OF people. For New England man
this section has many things to recon-
mend it which Ohio cannot boast, and
among the-frst and most prominent of
these is society. One cannot tell what a
vast difference there is between this lati-
tude and country and that till he visit
both. had ignorantly supposed that
the society of Ohio would be more like
New England than Michigan than far
ther West. OF the northern part of
Ohio, Lake Co. for example, what | have
to say would not be true, but l speak of
the inland portions of the State.


Michigan people, especially in this part
of the State, came largely from New
York, and they retain eastern customs
and habits which make one from the
East feel very much at home among
them.


Grant and Colfax stocks are very high
in Michigan market. The copperheads
claim glorious victory at their late
meeting through the State when the at
tempt was made to adopt new constitu-
tion. Engrafted into this new constitu-
ton was an equal outrage clause
This was lost by large majority, and as
natural consequence drowning men
catch at straws in Michigan as in Ohio
or in any other state We have it how
ever from good authority that there were
several provisions of that constitution
aside from the suffrage clause that were
particularly Objectionable to large por-
ton of the republican party.


There was an attempt to raise the sal
aries of several of the state officers, the
judges of the courts especially, and the
people were strongly opposed to this.


Then also there are many true Grant
and Colfax men here, as in Ohio, who
could not vote for universal suffrage.


The candidates of the respective par
ties in this section take the stump to-
gether. Gen. Stoughton of this town
candidate of the republican party for
representative to Congress from this dis
trict and his opponent Hon. III. Cham
berlain have stumped it all over the dis
trict together in this way. The General
it is said, rather outfanks his enemy
and if reports are true he gives him the
advantage for he allows him to open the
debate and close it, the General only
speaking once. There is no doubt as to
this State.


The wheat crop is good in this section.
At this single depot there are taken some
three thousand bushels per day. Price
is tending down at present. Market op-
ened some time ago at about two dollars
per bushel and it now sells for about L.
65 and still downward.


am yours respectfully, NERO.