226 SPARKS FROM A GEOLOGIST'S HAMMER. 



tant bearing of the facts disclosed upon a great enter- 

 prise so vigorously advocated a few years since by Hon. 

 Edgar Conkling, in reference to the founding and endow- 

 ment of a national university at Mackinac. They furnish 

 the exact and inductive basis of the reputation for 

 salubrity which has long been enjoyed, to some extent, 

 by the region of the northern lakes. They demonstrate 

 that Mackinac possesses, both in its summer and its 

 winter climate, those conditions of comfortable equability 

 of temperature, freedom.^ from violent winds, and entire 

 exemption from malarial influences, which constitute the 

 medical man's ideal of a resort for invalids, and a 

 region suited to the rearing of vigorous, strong-bodied and 

 strong-minded men and women. Though the university 

 project never advanced beyond the stage of energetic 

 advocacy, one can clearly perceive that with the open- 

 ing of railroad communication and the dissemination of 

 a knowledge of the facts, Mackinac is destined speedily 

 to assume the character of a summer resort more de- 

 lightful than Long Branch, and only less frequented in 

 consequence of the latter's proximity to New York. But 

 no one can anticipate at Mackinac, that unpleasant and 

 expensive herding of so many thousands within limited 

 quarters, which characterizes some seaside resorts, since 

 the region of Mackinac extends on the east to Cheboy- 

 gan, and on the west to Grand Traverse Bay. Already, 

 at the head of Little Traverse Bay, Petoskey has be- 

 come the summer Mecca of thousands fleeing from tropic 

 heats, and exhausting business, and annoying hay- fevers, 

 and pernicious malaria. 



Suppose we note the lowest point reached by the ther- 

 mometer in a series of years at each of fifty localities. 



