125 YEARS AGO

St. Ignace News

November 28, 1884

Thanksgiving Day passed off very pleasantly here. The weather was mild and a little snow fell during the forenoon. Services were held in different churches and excellent discourses were heard by a great many. In the afternoon the band turned out in a double rig and played from end to end of the city. The concert in the evening was grand. Those who attended the Band ball enjoyed themselves. The "Hallelujah Jubilee Singers" also did good service along State street, perfectly astonishing their hearers by their sweet (?) song and good time.

•••

A great newspaper-reader was out hunting recently, and a storm coming up he crept into a hollow log for shelter. After the storm abated, he endeavored to crawl out, but found that the log had swelled so that it was impossible to make his exit. He endeavored to compress himself as much as possible, but with indifferent success. He thought of all the mean things he had ever done, until finally his mind reverted to the fact that instead of subscribing for his local paper he was in the habit of borrowing it from his neighbor, and thus defrauding the printer. At this, he felt so small that he slid out of the log without an effort.

•••

The band played a tune for the prisoners at the ail yesterday.

•••

Just a little more snow and we will have sleighing; there is an excellent foundation for it.

•••

Juillerett has made a round trip over his stage route between here and Naubinway. The right man for the job.

•••

The Council of the Knights of Columbia, recently organized here, have surrendered their charter through lack of interest of members.

••• There were two runaways yesterday afternoon when the band struck up a tune at Pauly & Dickinson's drug store. No serious damage done to either team.

•••

J. W. Haskins has closed up his barber business here, sold out, and left with his wife for Pennsylvania last Wednesday evening. Mrs. H. did not enjoy good health here.

•••

The steamer Lady May was laid up at Cheboygan last night for the season. She is still the property of the Petoskey's who are anxious to sell. Mr. Church, of Drummond's Island, has been unable to procure sufficient means to buy her at present.

•••

A vein of silver-bearing slate which promises to develop into a bonanza, has been opened up at the Nonesuch mine, upper peninsula, and the owners wish they had several such. At the Jackson mine a new shaft has been sunk, encountering a fine boy of hematite ore at a depth of 150 feet. The find will materially increase the producing capacity of the mine.

•••

The St. Ignace covered rink will open up Monday night, December 1st, weather permitting.

The exercise of the evening will be opened with an address by rev. C. M. Bruce, after which the St. Ignace Cornet Band will furnish music for the evening. The rink is completed and is a fine structure. The main building is 40x100 feet, which a self-supporting truss roof. It is the largest ice rink in the u.p. It has in connection a dressing room 12x24 feet, from which spectators can watch the skaters and be perfectly happy.

To parties not securing season tickets, the following rates will be charged: Gentlemen, 15 cents; Ladies, 10 cents; Children, 10 cents.

90 YEARS AGO

The St. Ignace Enterprise

November 27, 1919

The steamer Myron, lumber laden, sank Saturday night in Lake Superior off Whitefish Point. It is stated that Captain E. R. Neil of the lost boat was saved, having been picked up by the steamer Franz. It is the believed that all other members of the crew of seventeen men were drowned.

•••

Capt. Joseph Fountain, the aged lightkeeper, passed away at this home in Gros Cap Friday morning from pneumonia after a brief illness. His death was a shock to his many friends throughout Mackinac count, and is sincerely mourned.

Capt. Fountain was 66 years of age, having been born on Mackinac Island August 28, 1843. Wen a young man he entered the U. S. Lighthouse service his first appointment being at Skillgee light. He was then placed in charge of the light at Fox Island, then the Beaver Island light, then at Seul Croix and finally transferred to the St. Helena station, where he was in charge, for about 20 years or until his honorable retirement from the service last year. . . .

Fifty years ago Capt. Fountain was united in marriage to Christine Lozon, also a native of Mackinac Island, who survives. Six children were born to the couple, two of whom, Eugene and Mary Jane Fountain, survive. One brother, Andrew, a resident of Gould City, is also living.

The remains were taken to the place of birth, Mackinac Island. . . The pall bearers were Messrs. James Doud, Ray Davis, Anthony Gallagher, James Murray, Matthew Bailey and Mayor Chambers.

•••

The fact that State street is to be paved next year was recalled last week by a communication to the council from the State Highway department. It calls attention to the plans of the state calling for a twenty foot pave and says that if the city desires to pave wider than this it should make its plans to do the work at the time the department does its share. The matter has been placed in the hands of a special committee appointed by the council.

•••

The Enterprise is twenty-seven years old today. It was born on Thanksgiving day and is one of the many reasons the people of Mackinac County have reason to return thanks annually, for The Enterprise has been a consistent booster for the county ever since the day of its birth. It long ago outgrew its swaddling clothes and its size eclipses any other county publication. The publishers take this occasion to thank the people of Mackinac for their generous patronage all through the years past and we will endeavor to merit a continuance of their favors by continuing to give to them one of the best county weeklies in Michigan.

•••

The old car ferry Ste. Marie arrived in port Saturday morning in tow of the tugs Thompson and Lotus and lay to at the ore dock until Monday morning pending favorable weather for her trip down Lake Michigan. The ferry, which was sold to Port Arthur parties and afterwards burned and sunk, was later salvaged, her hull being purchased by T. R. Derocher, who converted her into a lighter. Mr. Derocher was recently given the contract for wrecking the steamer City of Muskegon, which went down during a storm recently while attempting to make the Muskegon entrance. The wreck likes against the piers at the channel's entrance and is a menace to navigation. Derocher took the contract for $35,000.

•••

The Mackinac Transportation Co is again to come into its own. It will be recalled that when the government took over the railroads in included the car ferries and the business under the control of the M. T. Co. changing the name to the Mackinac Transportation Line, and has since continued to operated the boats of the company.

Messrs Callishaw and Berbridge, representing the department of the U S. railroad administration, spent last week auditing the books of the M. T Co. preparatory to turning the property back to its owners January 1st.

•••

F. E. Farmelee, an architect from Iron Mountain, was in the city last week, called her by Messrs. Cunning and Mulcrone, to draw plans for their proposed hotel and garage at the corner of State and McCann streets.

•••

Reports from adjoining counties indicate that the suggestion of losing the upper peninsula to deer hunters next year is rapidly gaining favor and is expected that within a short time that applications will be made to the Public Domain Commission by various Board of Supervisors to take such action.

It is more than likely judging from sentiment expressed by some of the supervisors, that Chippewa County will line up with the other districts which are in favor of a closed season on deer. There are probably more hunters coming to this county than any other in the peninsula and the slaughter in this county is more apparent each season. At the present rate of slaughter it is not believed that the deer would last a great while.

Mackinac county has petitioned to the state game department for a closed season, but commenced proceedings too late to secure action this season.

•••

From Mackinac Island: A number of Islanders are hunting, making their headquarters at the Holden-Benjamin camp on Pine river.

•••

From Mackinac Island: The steamer John W. Gates, ore laden, and bound for Chicago, went ashore on Round Island about 10 o'clock Saturday night. The tug Favorite of St. Ignace and lighter Reliance of the Soo were called and after lightering a portion of her cargo the steamer was released Monday morning and proceeded on her way.

•••

From Brevort: Jack, state driver, hasn't a bit of consideration for us fellows when it comes to removing the population. He's always bringing in lumberjacks and taking out the girls.

This time it's Miss Alice Sherman, a popular maid of Epoufette, who left Tuesday to spend the winter at Pittsburgh. There's several young men at the aforementioned town, Epoufette, who are not wearing smiles but dejected expressions. Jack, you mean old thing.

•••

George Litchard says he expects to put on the stage to Cedarville sometime during the coming week, or as soon a good sleighing is assured for the season.

•••

Apparently no sea or storm can scare out the residents of Cedarville and when the get ready to go they go, wind and weather notwithstanding. Tuesday Robt. Hamel brought over as passengers to this port from Cedarville Messrs. C. Hopkins and Wm. Mc- Leod. They admitted that the sea was a "wee bit choppy, but that they had been out in worse."

•••

But three days remain in which the deer hunter may legally fill his license.

50 YEARS AGO

The Republican-News

and St. Ignace Enterprise

November 26, 1959

The Holy Childhood Indian mission school in Harbor Springs, which appealed for heavy winter clothing for 100 pupils ranging in age from 6 to 14 years, received answers from many parts of Michigan, according to Willard Lambert, chairman of the Northern Michigan Ottawa association Unit 8.

Lambert said that after inquiring of Sister Mary Agneta, it was learned there is still a definite need for mittens, galoshes, school supplies, soap, tooth brushes and paste, towels and wash cloths.

The mission operates solely on donations,

•••

Red Owl, established here in 1951 by Merle Lambertson, last week expanded its quarters in the McLachlan building near the post office.

The new quarters practically double its size, is completely modern, provides enlarged grocery and meat departments, each of which has a manager.

Gene Cheslak, 36, is the grocery manger. . . .Oliver Rehn, 32, is the market manager.

Merle Lambertson, who started his grocery business here in 1948, joined the Red Owl organization three years later. As increased business warranted, he planned for the current expansion.

John Ruegg, owner of the Firestone store which occupied half the building of the original Red Owl, moved his store to the original location where it was founded by R. J. McLachlan, in Ray's Garage building. This made room for the Red Owl expansion. Mr. Ruegg has his store set up in attractive fashion and is occupying a large section of the garage building, permitting departmentalization of his large stock.

•••

Abandonment of Graham Ave. from Lakeside cemetery to the bridge approach and from the west city limits to the bridge approach is being considered by the city council.

The Michigan Dept. of Conservation submitted a request for the abandonment in a letter read to the council in session Monday night.

"I think this request should be publicized before we take definite action one way o the other," said Mayor Raymond J. France after a brief discussion of the proposition.

The department said the abandonment was required to provide means of expanding the state park, which holds lands alongside that section of Graham Ave.

•••

Mackinac Conservation club announced the opening of the 1960 membership drive at its meeting held on Thursday evening at the Legion Hut. Heading the drive are Arthur Pechta, club secretary, and Frank Cheeseman. All members are pledged to help and an all-out effort will be made to hit the 400 membership goal.

It was reported that more than 200 signatures were obtained on a petition to renew plans for the building of the wildlife sanctuary at Point aux Chenes. Charles Ryerse, president, told members that he had encouraging reports on the project and every effort will be made by state conservation officials to get the project underway this year.

•••

Tourists spend a lot of money to eat.

In fact, research shows that 28 cents of every vacationing dollar spent in Michigan goes into food, according to Robert McIntosh, Michigan State University tourist and resort specialist.

For example, tourists bought 38 million dollars worth of food in the upper peninsula in 1957. That's about 28 percent of all they spend while on vacation here. So U. P. tourist income for the year totaled 140 million dollars one-fifth of the state total.

•••

Within 25 years Upper Michigan may be "a huge and magnificent camp site" in summer, a hunter's haven in the fall, a winter sports paradise, and year-around reservoir of increasingly valuable timber resources.

This desirable future for the Upper Peninsula is foreseen by G. Robinson Gregory (Ph. D.), associate professor of resource economics at the University of Michigan, in a review of Michigan's forest-based industries.

•••

Michigan has more than doubled the rate of state highway improvement in the upper peninsula during the past two years, state Highway Commissioner John C Mackie reported.

"No single accomplishment in highway construction in Michigan can compare with the positive contribution of the Mackinac Bridge has had and will continue to exert on traffic development in the U. P.," he said.

In addition, Mackie said, the $11-million Houghton-Hancock bridge will speed the flow of traffic over the Portage ship canal. This bridge links picturesque Keweenaw county with the rest of Michigan.

The highway commissioner said the highway department will be ready to let contracts for the approaches to the proposed International Bridge at Sault Ste. Marie when the Bridge Authority and Canadians are ready to start construction of the span.

He described the bridge as "more than a provincial project."

"It is of vital importance to the future growth of the entire upper peninsula and for that matter to all of Michigan and Ontario. It will stimulate commerce on both sides of the border as well as expedite east-west transcontinental Canadian traffic through the entire length of Michigan's upper peninsula."

•••

From Les Cheneaux: An open meeting sponsored by the board of education of the Les Cheneaux community schools will be held on Monday evening, November 30. The purpose of this meeting is to select a representative group of citizens who will et up procedures for studying the total program of the school. After this group determines the procedures and scope of study, a second public meeting will be held at which time a working committee will be established.

30 YEARS AGO

The St. Ignace News

November 29, 1979

The number of deer hunters in the Upper Peninsula has dropped over a period of the past ten years, says Larry Rubin, Executive Secretary of the Mackinac Bridge.

Rubin cited comparisons between the hunters' vehicle total for this year, of 12,390, an estimate of the entire pre-season trek northward, and a one-day count on November 14, 1969, of a similar figure, 12, 373.

The traffic is decreasing gradually, he said pointing to last year's pre-season estimate, of 13,562.

•••

The $50,000 "Save the Mackinac Straits Hospital" drive, which opened October 13, jumped $1,285 in the past two weeks from 18 new pledges and gifts, bringing the total to $28,778.

•••

Construction of the 24-nit senior citizen housing project on Drummond Island will begin in the spring, said State Representative Charles Varnum in announcing the "go-head" given the $650,420 project.

•••

From Mackinac Island: The Christmas Bazaar is again being panned by the Island's two winteroperating churches, Trinity Episcopal and St. Ann's Catholic. The bazaar will be held December 9 and 10. The two clergymen, the Reverend Father Guy S. Thoren and the Reverend H. Marshall Lowell, Jr., are asking that those who will help to contact them.

In last year's bazaar, the two churches raised enough funds to pay all the winter heating expenses for both churches, and they hope to do as well this year.

•••

The travel shows, usually attended by four area Chambers, Cheboygan, Mackinac Island, St. Ignace, and Mackinaw City, will be minus two chambers for the 1980 season. Cheboygan has dropped out and Mackinac Island can't contribute this year. Consequently, the travel budget is cut in half as will be the number of volunteers who will be needed to attend both the shows in Chicago and Detroit. That leaves the "Bridge Cities" to handle the enormous task of attracting and convincing visitors to the two shows that they should definitely plan to spend their vacations and holidays in the Straits Area next summer.

•••

Having played to capacity audiences for the four nights of their November production, the Straits Area Playcrafters have set their sights on their new production.

The cast has been chosen for "Play It Again, Sam," a comedy to be presented in February. Shirley Peterson, director, said the 20 taking part was the most ever taking part in Playcrafter tryouts.

In the cast, Ed McNamara has the Bogart dream part, Jim Vaughn will be Alan Felix, Judy Watson will be Linda Christie, and Toby Denny, a coast guardsman, will play Dick Christie. The women in Jim's life are played by Kathy Jackson, his dream-sequence wife, Julie Hagen, Patricia Ramsey, Judy Ryerse Joyce Wait, Mimi Gustafson, Cheryl Schlehuber, and Deanna Fennell.

30 YEARS AGO

The Weekly Wave

November 29, 1979

An update on the Don Neal memorial beacon, increased membership efforts, the August annual dinner meeting, and discussion on the proposed Army Corps of Engineers' channel dredging made up the agenda in a more than twohour meeting of the Les Cheneaux Islands Association held on Saturday evening, November 24.

. . . Strong disapproval was voiced to the proposed United States Army Corps of Engineers dredging operations in Les Cheneaux Islands channels and Cedarville harbor, scheduled for the summer of 1980.

This dredging operation was considered as costly, impractical and unnecessary by those present. Specific factors cited were the shallow draft of most drafts, the average 12-feet water depth, the rapidly filling in of displaced channel surface, and the fact that there was not one grounding of a boat last summer.

Other effects shared by Association members of the channel dredging were cited as the pollution of the area waters, the adverse effect on fishing, the despoiling of the natural beauty of Cedarville Bay and adjoining channels, and presumed "unsightly debris" to be left in streets and highways by the dredged materials being hauled to the dump. The disrupted highways in the midst of the summer business was also felt to be a potential problem of the dredging.

A formal protest to the dredging program will be drafted . . . and sent to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

•••

Most of the hunters in the Eastern Upper Peninsula are probably not noticing the effects yet of decreasing deer herd size, with biologists estimating hunter success, both here and around the state, remaining at about 10 percent.

In District IV, which covers the Eastern U.P., herd size is down about 30 to 40 percent, said District Wildlife Biologist Jack Cook. Hunters are down about 20 to 30 percent, however, he said, allowing the success to remain about the same.

Severe winters for the past three years have significantly reduced the deer population in the District, said Cook, with survival of the spring fawn crow low. Cold winters, deep snow, and late spring breakup are disastrous to the unborn and the newly born. Many doe will abort in the winter or fawns, if they are born, will die shortly thereafter, victims of malnutrition. Older deer, unable to reach food, will starve to death.

Without yearlings to make up much of the herd, the deer being shot are older.