THE DESTINY OP NORTHERN MICHIGAN. 55 



there are about ten and a half millions of acres, and about fifteen and a half 

 millions of acres south of the line, and by this division the Northern Eailroad 

 line above mentioned was about fifty miles south of the center of the Lower 

 Peninsula. 



Dividing the Lower Peninsula into equal areas and the dividing line extends 

 along the northern line of township 11 north from Port Sanilac, on Lake 

 Huron, near Saginaw, St. Louis, Howard City and Newaygo to the mouth of 

 White River, on Lake Michigan, about twenty-five miles north of the line of 

 the Northern Eailroad, and having approximately thirteen millions of acres 

 north and the same quantity south of it, so that in fact the central portion of 

 the Lower Peninsula is north of what has heretofore been regarded as Northern. 

 Michigan, and the larger portion of those northern counties, as heretofore 

 called, of Saginaw, Gratiot, Montcalm and Muskegon, are in fact in the south- 

 ern half of the Lower Peninsula. In speaking of what is ordinarily called 

 Northern Michigan I shall be in fact speaking of Central Michigan. 



THE SURFACE AND ELEVATIOISr. 



The general surface of the country through this portion of the State has an 

 altitude above the sea greater than the more southerly portions of the State. 

 Those who judge of the country from some of the earlier maps published, which, 

 assuming to represent swamp lauds by a heavy shade, were found covered with, 

 large black patches extending over a large portion of the surface, form an 

 erroneous notion on this point. Lakes Michigan and Huron are substantially 

 identical in their elevation above the sea. As compared with the surface of 

 Lake Michigan, Kalamazoo has 138 feet elevation; Morley, 300 feet; Big 

 Rapids, 340 feet; Reed City, 455 feet; Clam Lake, 690 feet; the eastern part 

 of Lake County, about 600 feet, and the western part about 150 feet ; Clare 

 County, from 400 to 500 feet, and Osceola County about the same, while there 

 are points on the Grand Rapids & Indiana railroad, and also on the Jackson, 

 Lansing & Saginaw railroad, which reach an elevation of over 800 feet above 

 the level of the lakes. 



THE WATEU. 



This portion of the State is abundantly supplied with numerous springs of 

 pure, cold water, which form the sources from which arise the many streams 

 which flow through this section. 



THE SOIL. 



The soil is greatly diversified, some portions being rich alluvial with clay 

 subsoil, others loam, gravel, and clay intermixed, and for agricultural purposes 

 is unsurpassed by any other portion of the State. 



THE TIMBER. 



The timber is of all qualities, — pine, hemlock, oak, beech, maple, basswood' 

 rock elm, black cherry, white-wood, black ash, etc., etc. 



THE PINE LANDS. 



An erroneous idea is entertained by many concerning the character of the 

 soil on which the pine is found. In most cases the pine grows intermixed 

 with hard wood, or in clumps surrounded by beech and maple, sometimes 

 found in belts interspersed with other timber; but even where pine is almost 

 the only timber upon the ground, it has been found that the soil is capable of 



