6 



MICHIGAN ROADS AND FORESTS. 



could probably find four or five one-mill super- 

 visors from the townships, and so prevent a 

 higher levy. 



The results of the evolution of your good 

 roads district would be in some respects a 

 county road system with the cities of Niles 

 and St. Joseph left out for purposes of tax- 

 ation, but sharing the benefits of good roads 

 equally with your city, while Benton Harbor 

 would be "donating" the two mill tax. 



And so the "green apple" will have an attack 

 of bitter rot, and the effect would be an epi- 

 demic of suicidal mania for your good roads 

 district, and the only escape for Benton Har- 

 bor would be to go out and induce the people 

 by a majority vote to adopt the county sys- 

 tem, and vote the two mill tax on to Niles and 

 St. Joseph cities, as this appears to be the 

 ultimate end and destiny of a good roads dis- 

 trict, and the only method specifically pro- 

 vided by which a good roads district can 

 legally commit "Hari Kari." 



MICHIGAN ROAD NOTES. 



Kalamazoo county voted April 6 on the adop- 

 tion of the county road system. The vote 

 was 5,140 yes and 6,022 no. The advocates 

 of good roads are already laying plans to 

 submit the matter again next spring. 



Tecumseh and Tecumseh township and Clin- 

 ton and Clinton township voted to adopt the 

 good roads district system April 6, making two 

 villages and two townships in the one district. 

 At last good roads have broken into that rich 

 and conservative county, Lenawee. 



A. J. Spaulding has been elected a county 

 road commissioner of Benzie county for a two- 

 year term, and Samuel Willis for a four-year 

 term. 



Good bridges are an important adjunct of 

 good roads. Muskegon county has voted to 

 build three bridges this year Lake Harbor, 

 Muskegon river at Maple Island, White river 

 at Whitehall and Montague, and placing a 

 swing bridge over Muskegon river on the north 

 Muskegon road. 



At a mass meeting of taxpayers of Iron 

 county a vote was taken on a proposition to 

 bond the county for $100.000 for good roads. 

 The proposition carried two to one, and will 

 be formally presented to the people in the 

 near future. 



The construction of roads on a scientific 

 basis, the plans to that end calling for an 

 initial expenditure of $100,000, is the proposi- 

 tion now receiving serious consideration in 

 Iron county. A bond issue for the sum stated 

 is contemplated if the taxpayers will approve. 



Highway Commissioner Jason Root led all 

 candidates on the Republican ticket in Indian- 

 fields, Tuscola county, receiving 423 votes 

 out of 707. It was a deserved compliment to 

 a capable and efficient officer. 



The first "good roads" district in Tuscola 

 county, under a recent law, has been estab- 

 lished by the vote of the people of Indian- 

 fields, Aimer and Ellington townships. 



Emmet county adopted the county road sys- 

 tem April 6. 



Petoskey City voted strongly in favor of the 

 system, giving the proposition a majority of 

 962. Carp Lake, McKinley, Littlefield, West 

 Traverse, Springvale, Resort, Friendship and 

 Little Traverse townships voted in favor of 

 the system, while Bear Creek, Bliss, Maple 

 River, Readmond and Center townships voted 

 against the proposition. 



One hundred taxpayers have petitioned the 

 board of supervisors of Alpena county to make 

 provision for the improvement of the Presque 

 Isle road. This highway, with the exception 

 of a stretch of four miles from the Beck mill 



to the Presque Isle county line, is an excellent 

 one. This stretch of the road lies low and is 

 heavily shaded, and is usually impassable for 

 several days after a rain. 



The common council of the village of Fen- 

 ton has purchased a gravel pit of large extent, 

 and it proposes that Fenton shall be provided 

 with the best gravel streets in the state. 



Midland county voted April 6 not to adopt 

 the county road system. 



BELIEVES IN GOOD ROADS. 



Calumet township, Houghton county, will 

 probably spend $30,000 on its roads this sea- 

 son. 



Something like $18,000 was expended last 

 year. The roads in the township are in fairly 

 good condition but more improvements are 

 planned. Under Commissioner Roehm's re- 

 gime the Calumet township roads have been 

 greatly improved the last few years. Mr. 

 Roehm is doing everything in his power to 

 make the roads as near perfect as possible. 



Calumet has some of the finest roads in 

 the Upper Peninsula, especially those in and 

 around the C. & H. location. One some of 

 the outlying roads of the township, however, 

 there is room for more improvement. 



The intention to expend an increased amount 

 this year on roads for their betterment will 

 be appreciated by everybody in the township. 

 Good roads are an essential feature in any 

 township and, considering the financial condi- 

 tion of the township, it is argued the appro- 

 priation is not any too much. 



EARLY JACKSON R. R. DAYS. 



Some interesting railroad history of the days 

 when Jackson "got its start" with the establish- 

 ment of the Michigan Central shops at Jackson 

 Junction, and became the center for distributing 

 $110,000 a month in wages alone to railroad men, 

 was discovered during the search for 

 the records of the transactions under which Jack- 

 son secured its biggest industry. 



Lucy W. S. Morgan and Elijah W. Morgan, 

 previous to 1870 owned a large tract of land east 

 of the Mill pond and south of Page avenue. In 

 1866 they sold an 80-acre plot to George H. Lath- 

 rop, the consideration named in the deed being 

 $36,000. Mr. Lathrop did not invest much real 

 money in the transaction, for the records show 

 that at the same time he mortgaged the property 

 to the Morgans for exactly the purchase price. 



Mr. Lathrop had an idea that he could sell 

 some of the property for building lots, and to pro- 

 mote their sale he conceived the idea of a city 

 park. A month after he secured the deed to the 

 property he offered to donate 30 of the 80 acres to 

 the city, on condition that the land be used for a 

 public park and nothing else. This is the tract 

 still known as the "Old City Park." The city 

 accepted the gift which had a string attached, in 

 the shape of the $16,000 mortgage. But in June, 

 1866, the city secured the release of this mort- 

 gage, by paying the Morgans' agent the sum of 

 $6,000, obtained through the sale of bonds. It 

 thus had a clear title, subject to whatever limita- 

 tions were contained in the deed from Lathrop. 



In January, 1871, the negotiations of the repre- 

 sentatives of the city with the Michigan Central 

 Railroad for the removal of the shops from Mar- 

 shall came to a head. Officials of the company 

 looked the ground over, and declared that they 

 wanted 80 acres of land, besides other things. It 

 was a "Louisiana Purchase" for Jackson, and the 

 city's representatives were not slow to accede to 

 the railroad's requirements. W. M. Bennett was 

 mayor and Thomas A. Wilson recorder, and in 

 January, 1S71, for the consideration of one dollar, 

 these officials transferred to James F. Joy, presi- 

 dent of the road, the 30 acres, besides the other 

 land required to make the 80 acres. 



Real estate immediately took a boom, and 

 prices soared after the deal was consummated. 

 Jackson had sanguine hopes. Perhaps the com- 

 pany at that time intended to embark in car 

 building; certain it is that in the agreement with 



the city the company agreed to build the cars 

 for the equipment of its road here. East of the 

 Michigan Central shops a big building was con- 

 structed by a private company, of which the late 

 Edward A. Webster was president, and a begin- 

 ning was made in car building. Later this indus- 

 try was moved to Detroit, and Jackson had to be 

 content with the railroad shops. It is probable 

 that the panic which struck the whole country 

 about this time had much to do with hipping the 

 car-manufacturing industry in the bud. 



Millions of dollars have flowed into the coffers 

 of Jackson merchants as a result of the transac- 

 tion. The monthly pay roll of the company in 

 Jackson is now close to $110,000, and from 1,200 

 to 1,500 men, mostly high-paid and skilled rail- 

 roaders, each -month draw wages from the com- 

 pany. 



TO HARNESS GRAND RAPIDS. 



Interests closely identified with the Meno- 

 minee and Marinette Light & Traction Com- 

 pany have purchased from William Holmes 

 1,600 acres of land on either side of Grand 

 rapids on the Menominee river, seventeen 

 miles from Menominee, and will develop the 

 waterpower to its fullest extent. The pur- 

 chase includes the flowage rights secured by 

 Mr. Holmes a year ago, when he contemplated 

 using the power. He had secured the neces- 

 sary permission to build the dam. 



Manager Edward Danlell, of the traction 

 company, says: 



"This purchase marks the close of what my- 

 self and other interested people have been 

 trying for years to accomplish to light the 

 twin cities and operate our cars by water 

 power. In 1896 the project first developed. 

 In 1899 and 1900 we first began negotiations, 

 and have been working along water lines 

 since that time. 



"There are no other parties to see regard- 

 ing the purchase of the property, because 

 every inch of the ground, every ounce of the 

 water is owned by William Holmes. Every 

 foot of the land needed for the developing 

 of the power and more is included in the 

 purchase from William Holmes. There will 

 be an engineer with a crew of men on the 

 ground at once to begin the survey. 



"As soon as this is completed we will get 

 estimates and advertise for bids, so that the 

 work of construction can commence within 

 thirty days.. When the work begins it will 

 give employment to all the idle labor in the 

 twin cities, skilled and unskilled. No man 

 will be refused work if he really wants it. 

 The construction of the dam will be about 

 two miles south of the rapids and between 

 two and three miles from Wallace. The dam 

 will be of the most substantial kind, com- 

 posed entirely of brick and concrete, and the 

 power house will be installed with every bit 

 of modern apparatus necessary. Three lines 

 will be run to the twin cities in the most 

 advantageous manner. One of the three wires 

 will be used only when repairs are to be 

 made on 'one of the other two. 



"Nothing has been left undone. With the 

 purchase of the property goes the contract 

 from the Menominee River Boom Company 

 to erect a dam across the river." 



Just exactly how much water power the 

 falls will develop cannot be determined as 

 yet, but experts state that it will not fall 

 short of 4,500. The closest estimate which 

 can be made at present fixes the total power 

 at about 5,000 horse-power, although a Mari- 

 nette power expert, in discussing the matter, 

 states that the falls will generate close to 

 7,000 horse-power. 



ALPENA COUNTY DRIVES. 



The Thunder Bay Boom Company has ar- 

 ranged for its drives on Thunder Bay river and 

 tributaries. Dave Green will superintend the 

 North Branch drive. The American Cedar & 

 Lumber Company will drive Wolf creek. 

 George Holmes will drive the main river, from 

 the mouth of the Upper South up. John Mc- 

 Donald will drive Hubbard lake and the Lower 

 South. 



