125 YEARS AGO

August 26, 1884

St. Ignace News

Marshall Ryerse is looking after the poll tax in the 3d ward, and will be in to the 2d ward the last of this week or the first of next. All interested will please be ready with their labor or their dollars.

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L. F. Childs and wife, book agents, have had a successful run of business in this city for several days, canvassing for a magnificent work, written by Hon. James G. Blaine, entitled “Twenty years of Congress.” They are still at work here and we say to all our readers deal with them and buy the book, as it is well worth double the price asked for it. We will with pleasure show our purchase to anyone who has not seen the work.

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The 10 year old son of D. Carter, general manager of the Detroit and Cleveland Steam Navigation Co., fell off the dock at Mackinac Island Saturday evening, and was drowned.

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Last Sunday morning, between 3 o’clock and daylight, the grocery store and bar of Ald. Reagon were burglariously entered and a considerable quantity of canned goods, cigars and cash from both the tills were carried off. Officers set to work on the case promptly Sunday morning and worked diligently up to this morning, when they found Henry Comstock, with all the missing articles, hid away in the garret of the Wilson House, which building has been vacant for several weeks. This will likely give Henry a trip to where he has been trying to get for some time, his record of late growing very bad. He has been missed off our streets lately and was not known to be in the city. The officers are deserving of praise for their able efforts in this case. On searching him at the jail considerable small change was found in his pockets - part of which was identified by the bartender as having been in the till - and some cold chisels. He was examined this afternoon and committed to jail for trail, in default of $1,000 bail. This last racket will certainly end his lively career in this city and is a surprise to his most intimate friends.

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The woman who has been spreading herself in this city the past two weeks in a very unladylike manner and was arrested twice last week was run in again on Sunday morning by marshal Ryerse, on the old charge of drunk and disorderly. Yesterday she was again convicted and was fined $25.00 and costs and 10 days imprisonment. She calls herself Jessie Willetts. She is liable to get sober by that time and will likely leave the city when she again gets her liberty.

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At the same court, one Geo. Maloney and a Frenchman named Oscar Laronge, were examined on the charge of passing liquor into the jail to a prisoner, and were committed for that. It appears that they passed the liquor through one of the corridor windows to Jessie Willetts, on which she got beastly drunk. It also appears that they promised to

pay her fine at the court and when they refused to do so she squealed on them, which caused their arrest.

When she was incarcerated last week, a couple of property owners in this city looked after the wants of Miss Willetts in the same way and also supplied her with sufficient cash to pay her fine. Such work is not only a disgrace to the parties who would do it, but a dangerous practice if once caught in the act. It is more than likely an example will be made of the men now under arrest and such occurrences be less frequent in the future than in the past.

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Foley’s eagle got away again yesterday morning and soared away over the bluff, with about two feet of chain hanging from one leg.

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The steamer Messenger left here yesterday morning and one of her deckhands broke his right leg between the knee and ankle shortly after leaving. He was landed at Mackinaw City, was brought back here and sent to the island for treatment.

125 YEARS AGO

August 29, 1884

St. Ignace News

The tug Kraemer arrived here yesterday afternoon from Epoufette.

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The are five prisoners in the jail at present, four men and one woman.

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Jas. G. McClintock is in town. He and his partner, Mr. Weller, have quit the livery business at the Soo and are preparing to operate in cedar at the Cheneaux.

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Prof. G. M. Bice, late instructor of the Charlevoix band, called on Prof. Lyons yesterday, on his way to Alpena to take charge of the City Band of that place.

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Mrs. Hill and sister, late of Charlevoix, have started a laundry and shirt making business in the building nearly opposite the Union House and request a share of public patronage.

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The Gospel Tent meetings held here recently did not result satisfactorily to Capt. Bunday and his assistants. There is no use in talking, it seems that nothing short of the aid of dynamite will move the inhabitants of this city towards salvation.

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The band benefit entertainment last evening, though good, was not well attended. We believe that if our band were to turn out once in a while for the benefit of our citizens, our citizens would turn out better to a benefit for them. Try it boys.

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The Newberry Furnace is preparing to start up on Monday for a long run, while our Martel Furnace is discharging men making preparations to shut down.

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From Newberry: Last evening some person shot Squire McGrath’s ox, the bullet striking its front leg. We often wondered some person wasn’t killed before now by shot guns and pistols being fired off, which is a daily occurrence - and right in the middle of our streets.

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From Dollarville: There are 4,500,000 feet of lumber piled in the yard at present.

Last Saturday the mill cut 100,000 ft. of lumber, which is the most that has been cut in one day this season.

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Deer can now be legally shot in Michigan.

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When you see Lew Ryerse come in and commence to unfold a large roll of legal cap, with a big red seal on the lower left hand corner, don’t ask any questions, but get a dollar ready. He is after money or sweat, for poll tax.

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John Cline, real estate agent, of Cleveland, Ohio, arrived here last evening from Marquette, on his way home. He came by the mixed train and all along the route took votes of all passengers on the coming election, which resulted as follows: Blaine, 11; Cleveland, 8; St. John, 2, Butler, nixy.

The mixed train coming down yesterday chased a beautiful deer for quite a distance along the track, at a point west of Seney.

90 YEARS AGO

August 28, 1919

The St. Ignace Enterprise

Next Monday, September 1st, will make Mackinac county history and a red letter day for the county’s men who saw service in the world war and to the residents in general.

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Fred Johnson, superintendent of the Standard Post & Tie Co., says his company is rapidly winding up the season so far as their rafting is concerned, only a few more rafts from nearby points being out. The yards are full of stock and it is hoped that the demands for posts and poles can be filled without delay. The company has employed between 40 and 50 men all during the summer, but the force will be somewhat reduced during the fall and winter.

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William St. James and C. J. Mulcrone, who operate a cattle ranch near Kenneth, made their first shipment of cattle last week, sending out two carloads to Detroit. Owing to a freight accident, it was necessary to unload the cattle here for feeding, and they were greatly admired by those who saw them in the pen. The cattle averaged 934 pounds in weight and were certainly a fine looking bunch. Another car load will go out tomorrow.

The success of their experiment at Kenneth is very pleasing to Messrs. St. James and Mulcrone, and they expect to largely increase the business next season. What they have accomplished should be an incentive to others to engage in the business. Thousands of acres of cutover lands are available in Mackinac county suitable for grazing purposes and no doubt will be gobbled up soon by those who realize the value of it.

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Richardson Rhoades, son of Mr. and Mrs. John H. Rhoades of this city, will represent the county at the state fair in Detroit this year as a result of his taking highest honors in the recent 8th grade examination and also in answering the questions sent out by the fair.

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The public schools of the city will begin functioning on Monday, September 8, with nearly the same personnel of teachers as last year. All the positions have been filled by the board of education with the exception of a principal for the high school.

Prof. G. H. Barr, who was at the head of the Mackinaw City schools, has been engaged as superintendent. Miss Ruth Bellows of Frankfort, will take her old position as assistant in high school; Miss Eloise Johnson of Mt. Pleasant, 8th grade; Miss Mary Gallagher, 6th and 7th grades; Miss Edith Keightley, 3rd and 4th grades; Miss Gertrude McGrath, 2nd grade, and Miss Bertha Benson, kindergarten and 1st grade.

In the Third ward, A. G. Hulbert, principal; Miss Olive Latondress, intermediate; Miss Kathleen F. Murray, primary.

First ward, Miss Ethel Lennon.

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That Chippewa, Mackinac and Luce counties should cooperate their efforts and build a first class sanitarium for the care of the tubercular of the three counties is the opinion of Dr. E. R. Van Der Slice, who has been conducting a tuberculosis clinic in the Soo the past week.

Luce county loses 13 lives a year, Mackinac 10, and Chippewa 20 from the disease. An inter-county y sanitarium could save these lives.

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From Allenville: The Erskine- Pashakarnis Co. has dissolved partnership. Hereafter the firm will be known as Litzner-Pashakarnis Co.

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Miss Nellie Murray, bookkeeper for Fenlon Brothers of Hessel, spent Sunday at the home of her mother, Mrs. Mary J. Murray.

50 YEARS AGO

August 27, 1959

The Republican-News

and St. Ignace Enterprise

Applications are being accepted now for a 5-mile non-stop walk contest from St. Ignace to Mackinaw City over the Mackinac Bridge on Labor Day, September 7, according to the Mackinac County Chamber of Commerce which is sponsoring the event jointly with the International Walkers association by special permission of the bridge authority. The walk will start promptly at 7:30 a.m.

Entry fee for this contest is $1.00 and forms may be obtained at the local C. of C. office.

On Sunday, Sept. 6, at 4 p.m. will be a bridge open walk, open to anyone, any age, free of charge. Awards will be made to all who finish the walk within one hour. All walkers (except racers), are required to do the preliminary non-stop qualifying walk at 4 p.m. Sunday. Those passing this first may register at the finish line for free Labor Day bridge open walk. The five-mile walk on Sunday will start at the abandoned state ferry dock.

Normally closed to pedestrian traffic, the bridge being opened for these walks presents a lure that is expected to attract walkers from may parts of the nation.

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E. C. Noland and Jaruick Construction Co. of Centerline were low bidders on a $266,764 bridge to carry the new US-2 expressway over the D. S. S. & A. railroad tracks and county road near the west limits of St. Ignace.

The bridge is part of the four-mile long $3,396,552 St. Ignace by-pass let July 15 which will extend the expressway from the Mackinac Bridge approaches north to the completed expressway at Castle Rock. This expressway later will be designated Interstate Rte. 75.

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A six-man justice of the peace jury on Thursday convicted Burton Gough, Mackinac Island carriage driver, of operating without a license and ordered him to pay fine and costs of $46.

Gough is one of three men brought to court by the Mackinac Island State Park commission for not being licensed by the state. The other two are Island Police Chief Bernard Gough and Garrett Chapman, who are scheduled to appear before Justice Roland Beeck.

This was the first recent court victory for the commission which contends carriage drivers must be licensed by the state to operate over the entire Island.

A similar case in 1902 went to the supreme court which held that a state license was needed. It is possible that the battle may again go to the state court.

Requests by the Goughs and Chapman for operating livery carriages in the 1,600-acre park were rejected when the commission said additional carriages would be against safety interests.

Prosecutor James J. Brown represented the people in the case against the carriageman.

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Efforts are being made in congress to get a federal appropriation for harbor improvement at Bois Blanc Island.

Congressman Victor A. Knox is sponsoring effort to have a good harbor at the island.

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Mr. and Mrs. Bud Pscheid of Milwaukee, Wis., accompanied by their three children, called on friends here Monday. They were en route on a vacation trip and crossed the bridge, traveling home thorugh southern Michigan. Bud was Linotype oeprator at The Republican-News 20 years ago and is now with The Milwaukee Journal.

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Dr. H. Yochum, president of Capitol university, Columbus, Ohio, spoke of Education and What it Means at the last regular meeting of the Les Cheneaux Lions club held at the high school in Cedarville.

Dr. Yochum talked of the delinquency found in our teen agers of today and the lack of adequate teaching in the home, and also that no enough of the families of today are looking to God for guidance in family life. He said that education begins in the home and is carried through in the school class room.

Guests at the dinner included Stanley Kasper of Chicago, father of Chester Kasper, Dr. C. L. Beckline, guest of Leonard Rye, and also Jewel West, past president of the Romeo, Michigan, Lions club. Mr. West is spending the summer on Drummond Island.

30 YEARS AGO

August 23, 1979

The Weekly Wave

Five persons will be appointed to a sewer advisory board by Clark Township Supervisor John Griffin, following the approval of an ordinance creating the panel at the August 14 township board meeting.

The board was proposed to alleviate some of the problems in instituting the sewer ordinances for the Cedarville sewer system and to give the township board more time to deal with other matters.

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Caribou Lake Association members are enjoying a higher lake level this year thanks to the cooperation of its members and other interested parties.

Several years ago, the property owners, alarmed by the increasingly low level of the lake, banded together into an association, under the leadership of Robert Hagen.

Guided by the Inland Lake Act . . . a dam controlling the level of the lake was installed on the shoreline property of cooperating owner Leonard Dutcher.

Judge Nicholas Lambros was instrumental in guiding the association through the final legal aspects of the project.

30 YEARS AGO

August 23, 1979

The St. Ignace News

A unique opportunity to tour the guided missile frigate U.S.S. Oliver Hazard Perry, one of the newest ships in the U.S. Navy fleet, will be afforded to persons in the Mackinac Straits area Wednesday, August 29, when the vessel docks at the U.S. Coast Guard station in St. Ignace.

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Elementary students at McCann will be greeted with some creative wall work in their classrooms when they return to school on September 4 for the 1979 to 1980 school year.

Through the summer months while the school had been getting a thorough “scrub” job it also had the majority of its rooms brightened up with colorful paints and patterns. The artwork was done by Ceta crews under the guidance of Larry Waldecker, custodian for McCann, who demonstrates his artistic abilities with his murals and guided designs.

The kids will just love it, said Elementary Principal Mike Lehto, when discussing Waldecker’s talented work, and that of the employees who’d helped.

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Mackinaw City: The Michigan Waterways Commission wants the village to build restrooms on the Marina Property for tourists who will be touring the “Welcome” at its mooring at the Municipal Marina. The council feels that because there are public restrooms in City Hall just across the street from the Marina, it is unnecessary to build more. The Council intends to begin negotiations with the Mackinac Island State Park Commission in regard to financing the mooring for the “Welcome.”

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St. Ignace shooter Bud Hill captured the Ray Laakko Memorial Trophy by winning a challenge match Sunday, August 19, at the Mackinac Straits Shooters Association range at Moran.