76 9 
Iay i8 , 1907 ] 
iHtherly the shore is at quite an elevation of 
lily situated tableland backed by wooded hills, 
fl after passing the prettily located cottages, 
. New Douglas and further beyond the Ingle- 
i and its cluster of summer homes; then as 
turn westerly becomes less bold about that 
lion of the lake and quite low, when after 
<ing the circuit one turns southerly and 
i;hes Bullhead Bay near the outlet, which is 
of the branches of the famous trout stream 
wn as Maple River. Then beyond as the bend 
he deep bay takes you easterly to the beauti- 
point opposite the island, the shores again be- 
ie very attractive and the point itself so hand- 
iely located—with its charming outlook over 
bays, and its fine open grove of pine and 
'ilock, beech, spruce, fir and balsams—is quite 
vorite resort for the guests of the hotel quite 
tiguous. 
have visited many lakes in Michigan and 
where, but outside of some gems in the Adi- 
lacks I have liked none so well as this, which 
a peculiar charm. Mrs. M. E. Hunt, an 
rly lady, from Charlotte, Mich., indited the 
• )wing stanzas, which I obtained the privilege 
i jiving a first appearance in print in Forest 
Stream : 
Lake Douglas, fairest of the band 
Of lovely lakes throughout the land, 
No more we marvel at thy fame, 
Lake Beautiful should be thy name. 
For here the skies, celestial blue, 
Reflected in thy face we view, 
While the deep forests—nature’s pride— 
Enfold thee around on every side. 
In dalliance here the breezes play, 
Bearing the darksome mists away, 
Till the glad sunlight lends its pride 
To shore and forest, lake and isle. 
While through the vista art appears, 
Bringing her trophies of the years, 
Lending her magic skill to grace 
The charms she never can efface; 
And many a structure, tower and dome, 
Bearing the charming watchword “home,” 
Upon thy peaceful banks we see 
Mantled about by vine and tree. 
Lake Douglas has a noble sound, 
That with a noble race is bound, 
But still, old lovely lake, we claim 
Lake Beautiful should be thy name. 
is sentiment met the hearty approval of 
■ visitor present at its reading and the ques- 
f came up as to how the lake received its 
j •, and I constituted myself a committee of 
j to find out. Among the guests was an old 
| er lumberman and merchant of the county, 
i Fohn H. Wachtel, eighty-three years old, and 
ij recently retired from business. “Uncle 
j ” as he is familiarly known, is yet quite 
j ‘, a general favorite, and very fond of a 
I of Sixty-six, and we had formed an early 
Iship and I had heard him tell of how at 
1 equest of Mr. Pells, who owned the sur¬ 
fing lands, he with others had cut the way 
gh the forest land and finally found the 
’! which all had heard of, but none had seen 
that time, now some twenty-three years 
when they emerged from the woods at the 
j of the bay that extends from the outlet 
, and east to the point; hence I sought him, 
t g quite confident that he could inform us. 
•J aid that the question had been asked him 
! t ' me before by an interested party, Mrs. 
. dus, and he could not then answer, but 
I se ^ to try to ascertain. That shortly there- 
i he met an old Indian who had aided the 
1 nment surveying party when they surveyed 
j ortion of Michigan and mapped it, naming 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
lakes and rivers, and who was quite an intelli¬ 
gent old fellow fond of firewater, but sometimes 
inclined to be reticent. Uncle John had aided 
him at times, and was not long in getting his 
tongue in working order, and learned that when 
the party reached, surveyed and mapped the lake 
the question of a name came up, and several 
were suggested, but none adopted until one of 
the party, turning to the chief surveyor, said: 
“Why not name it after you?” As he was popu¬ 
lar, all of the party agreed, and thus was the 
name of Douglas recorded. From another I 
learned that the island was named General's 
Island, but that after Mr. Pells became the owner 
it was changed to Pells’ Island. Before being 
aware that it had a name I suggested that as 
it was such a pearl set in the gem-like lake, Pearl 
Island was most appropriate. The high altitude 
of this lake, some eighty-two feet above Burt 
Lake, which is itself over forty feet higher than 
Lake Huron, together with its distance from 
town or factory, and its forest environment, com¬ 
bine to give to its atmosphere a purity, clearness 
and bracing quality very noticeable and invigorat¬ 
ing. I am informed that it is the highest body 
of water in the State, and it certainly is very 
attractive and many of the sunset views and 
cloud effects were exquisitely fine. 
The hotel accommodations are as good as one 
can expect for the prices charged. The fishing 
better than in waters more convenient of access, 
and comprises the great northern pike, pickerel, 
bass, blue gills, perch and bullheads. If guides 
are desired they can be had. Among the guides 
Gene Hamlin, an Ottawa Indian, was in most 
demand, and is a genial companion and a good 
out-of-door dinner cook. While no large catches 
have been made this season the fish are there, 
and several brought in from three to twelve bass 
with other fish as the result of a day’s outing. 
Near by are the two famous trout streams of 
this section, the Maple River and the Big Springs 
Stream. The latter heads in a wonderful cir¬ 
cular ravine about sixty feet in depth and per¬ 
haps twenty rods in diameter with numerous 
large springs gushing forth and uniting within 
a comparatively small space, forming a strong 
stream that is augmented by others that flow 
in as it makes its rapid way to the north arm of 
Burt Lake. Mr. Bryant with three others have 
purchased quite a tract of land along the stream, 
and at Burt Lake are clearing out the underbrush 
so that cottages, etc., may be erected, and also 
making foothpaths along the stream so as to 
facilitate trout fishing, and will make a nominal 
charge per rod, restricting also the catch. A 
narrow winding roadway has been cut through 
the dense wilderness covering the undulating 
ground between the lake and the springs, which 
is picturesque and entrancing, and in time when 
the new resort is opened and telephone estab¬ 
lished between it and his Douglas Lake House, 
he will open a hack line to convey passengers 
between the two, which are three and one-half 
miles apart, and the drive through will please 
and astonish many and become another very 
popular inland route, and thus open communica¬ 
tion from Burt to Douglas, and this fine trout 
stream has many an enthusiast to ply its limpid 
waters. The lake frontage, owned by the syn¬ 
dicate on the north shore of the north arm of 
Burt, is very pleasantly situated and will make 
handsome summer homes, and as it is in the 
vicinity of the best fishing waters of the lake, 
and with a trout stream at the door, is bound to 
become a popular resort. Mr. George Reeves, 
whom I found to be an expert hunter and skilled 
fisherman, resides on the tract and will have 
charge at present. 
Col. Chas. Bogardus and wife, of Pellston, who 
inherit from the Pells estate about 20,000 acres 
extending from Pellston through to and about 
half way around Douglas Lake, have done much 
to help open it up as a first class family resort. 
While to the right persons they offer choice lots 
of from sixty to seventy feet frontage by 120 
in depth at prices ranging from $150 to $250, they 
will not sell to objectionable parties or for ob¬ 
jectionable purposes, wishing to keep its char¬ 
acter high toned. Their summer house, known 
as Cayuga Lodge, is very neat and commodious, 
and is handosmely located on a prominent point. 
The Colonel is interested in a company that was 
organized to build a railroad from Pellston to 
Cheboygan, and the road bed has already been 
graded from Pellston some eight miles, passing 
quite near to the lake, and it is thought that ere 
long rails will be laid and for the present this 
part utilized as an electric railway. Should this 
occur it will much facilitate transportation, which 
is now only by team over a road quite sandy 
until reaching the big woods as you near the 
lake. Should the road be completed it will prove 
quite an advantage to Pellston, which is a young 
PELLS ISLAND IN DOUGLAS LAKE. 
At the time the photograph was taken the water was very low, showing a bar between the island and 
the point of the mainland. 
