Year: 1873

ture OF such excitement As tneIe ID Cuh-
sists In the accelerated absorption Of the
public lands, those belonging TO the Unit
ed States and those belonging 10 the State
Of Michigan, that Is now going on. For
Instance, the country Is alive with explor.
ers with packs on their backs, who are
coming into Marquette every day or two
from trip through the pines and report
ing good attraction" on certain sections
Of these wild lands and offering TO sell their
"notes" for so much cash or for fourth
or half interest in the lands themselves TO
any one who will enter them at the Land
office. / shouldn't be surprised II after this
year very little government or State land
remains unentered In the Peninsula. The
price of these lands varies from dollar
and a quarter an acre up 10 "twenty shil.
lings," Us they say up here when they
mean two dollars and hall, and even as
high as four dollars for school lands. Oh
course tho land Is worthless save tor ita
ore and timber, and those who enter II
must needs loot good many tax bills be-
fore getting their money back, besides
losing a great deal Of interest, IL their
purchases draw q blank instead Of prize
during the present excitement


when Bpeakoi the lands being worth
less should explain the present situs'
ton ct the country, agriculturally. The
Upper Peninsula is mining and lumber
region. Except at the mines 1t is very
sparcely settled. There Is little or no
land cleared for farming purposes. The
seasons are too short, excepting for Ger.
tain speciAlities, such ss potatoes, oats
and grass. You see no fields under
cultivation anywhere, even around Mar
quite where the country has been moro
or less cleared out for years. Neither
do you see any gardens worth men
tioning. Everything to eat Is brought
from below and sells high, as Tor
instance, twelve shillings" for pota
toes in the Potato State Of Michigan. But
this will not always be the case. The soil
of the country produces good grass and
plenty OF it; aud there will be plenty ot
hay here in q few more years. At pres
ent the situation reminds one OF what
John Smith wrote home about his James
town colonists, "their only idea Is to dig
gold, wash gold, and load gold" The
only idea here is to mine and ship ore, and
has time or inclination for any
thing else. But the day Is not for of
when the demands Of the charcoal fur.
naces now built and building here, as
well as of tho lumber trade will clear of
enough Of this country to make farming
and gardening remunerative. It Is q
beautiful country where 1t has been
cleared, and is destined some day to at
tract and support an agricultural popu'
lation.


But enough about the general aspects
and characteristics Of the country. l set
out to write more particularly OF Its min
eral resources. And that l shall now do.
But first, as starting point, must say a
word about Marquette, which is, as I said,
the metropolis Of the mining region. 1t Is
a town, or rather a city Of about six thou
sand inhabitants and Is attracdvely loca-
ed on a slope Of Marquette Bay, and Is in
one Of the most spacious harbors on Lake
Superior. In 1s49 1t could boast Of only
one or two houses and had no other trade
than that OF an Indian station. Now 1t is
more OF a city than some places Of larger
population. It has, for instance, water
works, gas works, docks and shipping, to
say nothing of Its blast furnaces and roll
ing mill. 1t has also any number Of at
tractive homes and not a few quite expen'
sive residences, Inside Of one Of its
churches and listening 10 the choir and
looking over the audience as they rise dur.
Ing the service you would never imagine
yourself on the confines Of United States
Jurisdiction and off the great thorough
fares OF trade and travel. It's people came
here ready made from other cities and
towns and brought municipal and not
rural ideas with them. They also brought
capital and culture with them and deter.
mined at an carly day to make themselves
comfortable. And this they have done as
ANYBODY can see at q glance. They are
the owners or representatives oil the
mines and are a shrewd and world
ly people. Money Is plenty, trade
Is brisk and everybody seems in q
thrifty condition. Boats from Cleveland,
Detroit, Chicago and Duluth touch here
every day and the cars arrive from Chi
cage every evening, bringing the lively
papers Of that wicked city with news only
q day old. Every morning a train leaves
for the mines over the railroad, 90 miles
in length, that Is just finished from Mar


Quette TO LAnse on the KeWeensw bay.


AT Negaunee, IS miles west, 1t inteDects


the Chicago s Northwestern road and


there you make connection once day for


all points south. Negaunee Is several hun.


dred feet higher than Marquette and Is


the first nucleus Of the mining interest


There the famous Jackson mine Is sltua-


ted and also the Cleveland and several


HGmalite mines. It Is place Of say three


thousand people, At tho depot you hear


every known language. The predominant


element is the SWede bdt there Is also
an abundance Of the "rich Irish brogue


and the sweet German accent" The
cans arc generally crowded up to this poin,


but there Is no dlflculty'In getting a seat
after leaving Negaunee. The next place Is


Ishpeming, the Indian namc for heaven


three miles further west What resem'


blsace It bears 70 heaven is q mystery


only known to the fancy Of thenoble saw