USA > Michigan > Jackson County > History of Jackson County, Michigan > Part 10
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LAW BUILDING.
EASTAGEAS &
UNIVERSITY HALL.
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, ANN ARBOR.
MEDICAL BUILDING.
CHEMICAL LABORATORY.
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, ANN ARBOR.
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HISTORY OF MICHIGAN.
ble, being reckoned five years previously at only 551; in 1810, it was less than 5,000; the country was possessed mainly by the Indians, and the few French in the State were neither enterprising nor prosperons. No road pierced the forests of the interior; no manufactories existed; agriculture yielded nothing for market, and navigation had scarcely begun to plow our rivers and lakes. In general commerce the fur trade was almost the only element.
The petition for a bank charter was presented, not by citizens of Detroit, but by capitalists of Boston, Russell Sturges and others, who were engaged in the fur trade. This petition was granted Sept. 15, 1806, incorporating the " Bank of Detroit," with a capital of $400,000. The great distance of this locality from New England gave those capitalists the advantage of circulating inland bills of credit against their Western banks for a long time before their redemption. Judge Woodward, one of the judges who granted the act of incorporation, was appointed its president, and the bank went into immediate operation; but imputations unfavorable to Judge Woodward in regard to this and other matters led to a Congres- sional investigation of the act incorporating the bank, and the act was disapproved by that body. The bank, however, continued to do business; but in September, 1808, the Governor and judges, in the absence of Woodward, passed an act making it punishable as a crime to carry on an unauthorized banking business, and this put an end to the brief existence of the institution. Its bills were quietly with- drawn from circulation the following year.
The next bank established in the Territory was the "Bank of Michigan," incorporated by the Board of Governor and Judges, Dec. 19, 1817, with a capital of $100,000. The validity of this act was fully established by the courts in 1830. By the terms of its charter, the corporation was to expire on the first Monday in June, 1839; but the Legislative Council, Feb. 25, 1831, extended its life twenty-five years longer, and subsequently it was allowed to increase its capital stock and establish a branch at Bronson, now Kalamazoo.
The two above named are all the banks which derived their cor- porate existence from the Governor and judges.
The first bank charter granted by the " Legislative Council " was to the Merchants' and Mechanics' Bank of Michigan," approved April 2, 1827. The bank was to be established at Detroit, with a capital of $200,000, withi liberty to increase it to $500,000. This corporation was also made an insurance company; but it does not appear a company was ever organized under this charter. March 29, 1827, the " Bank of Monroe " was incorporated, its capital stock to be $100,000 to $500,000, and to continue in existence 20 years. The " Farmers' and Mechanics' Bank of Michigan " was chartered Nov. 5, 1829, and March 7, 1834, it was allowed to increase its capital stock, and establish a branch at St. Joseph. The " Bank of River Raisin " was chartered June 29, 1832, and allowed to have a branch at Pontiac. The " Bank of Wisconsin " was chartered Jan. 23, 1835, and was to be located in the Green Bay country, but on
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HISTORY OF MICHIGAN.
the organization of the State of Michigan it was thrown outside of its jurisdiction.
March 26, 1835, there were incorporated four banks, namely: " Michigan State Bank " at Detroit, " Bank of Washtenaw" at Ann Arbor, "Bank of Pontiac," and the "Erie and Kalamazoo Railroad Bank " at Adrian. The " Bank of Pontiac" was also a railroad bank, its establishment being an amendment to the charter of the " Detroit and Pontiac Railroad Company."
The nine banks last above named are all that were created by the "Legislative Council."
Next, the State Legislature in 1836 chartered the Bank of Man- hattan, Calhoun County Bank. Bank of St. Clair, Bank of Clinton, Bank of Ypsilanti, Bank of Macomb, Bank of Tecninseh and Bank of Constantine. The same Legislature passed "an act to create a fund for the benefit of the creditors of certain moneyed corpora- tions," which was in fact the famous safety-tund system of the State of New York. It required each bank to deposit with the State Treasurer, at the beginning of each year, a sum equal to one-half of one per cent. on the capital stock paid in; and the fund so created was to be held and used for the benefit of the creditors whenever any bank subject to its provisions should become insolvent; but this statute was destined to have but little practical effect. The system in New York proved inadequate for the security of the public interests, and it was practically abandoned here.
By this time, the financial affairs of the whole country had become sadly deranged, consequent upon a wild and reckless spirit of speculation. The currency became greatly inflated, fabulous prices given to property, and the masses of the people subjected to the cruel mercies of shrewd financiers. The session of 1837 was flooded with petitions for the creation of banks, and the Legislature met the emergency by adopting a system of free banking, under which were organized a great number of those institutions since known as " wild-cat banks." The statute authorized any 12 free- holders of any county who desired to do banking, to apply to the treasurer and clerk of the county for that purpose, and books were to be opened for subscriptions to the capital stock, $50,000 to $300,- 000. Ten per cent. on each share was required to be paid in specie at the time of subscribing, and 30 per cent. of the entire capital stock in like funds before the association should commence opera- tions. The president and directors were also required to furnish securities for the payment of all debts and redemption of all notes issned by the association.
This new law was popularly received with great enthusiasm. On its final passage in the House, only four members were bold enough to vote against it, namely: Almy, of Kent; Monfore, of Macomb; Purdy, of Washtenaw, and Felch of Monroe. This Legislature closed its session March 22, 1837, by adjournment to Nov. 9, following; but the financial embarrassments of the country increased so rapidly that the Governor called an extra session of
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HISTORY OF MICHIGAN.
the Legislature for June 12, and in his message he attributed these embarrassments, in a great measure, to the error of over-banking, over-trading, and a want of providence and economy. The banks east and south had already suspended specie payments, and Mich- igan was of necessity drawn into the vortex. The report, to this Legislature, by a special commissioner appointed by the Governor, held forth, however, that the banks of Michigan were solvent, but that a little time may be granted them as a defense against the results of suspensions in New York and elsewhere. The number of banks doing business in this State at that time was 13 in num- ber, previously mentioned. The Legislature granted them time until May 16, 1838. The session of the winter following under- took to secure the public by appointing three bank commissioners to visit all the banks in the State at least once in every three months, to examine the specie held by them, inspect their books, and inform themselves generally of their affairs and transactions; monthly statements of the condition of the banks were required to be made and published, and no bills were to be issued without bearing the endorsement of a bank commissioner, etc. Under the general banking law, as already stated, every subscriber to the stock was to pay in 10 per cent. in specie on each share at the time of subscribing, and 10 every six months thereafter, and 30 per cent. of the whole capital stock was required to be paid in like manner before the bank should commence operations. The specie thus paid in was to be the capital of the bank and the basis of its busi- ness operations. The requirement of it involved the principle that banking could not be carried on without bona-fide capital, and without it no bank could be permitted to flood the country with its bills; but the investigations of the commissioners showed a very general violation of the law in this respect. In many cases, instead of specie, a kind of paper denominated " specie certificates " was used; in some cases, specie borrowed for the occasion was used and immediately returned to the owner; sometimes, even, a nail-keg filled with old iron, or gravel, or sand and covered over the top with specie, was employed to deceive the commissioners; and sometimes the notes of individual subscribers or others, usually denominated "stock notes," were received and counted as specie. The books of the banks were also kept in so imperfect a manner, sometimes through incompetency, sometimes with fraudulent de- sign, as frequently to give little indication of the transactions of the bank or of the true condition of its affairs. By proprietorship of several banks in one company of men, by frequent sale and trans- fer of the stock, and by many other tricks and turns, a little specie was made to go a great way in flooding the country with worthless paper.
It is manifest that this conditon of things could not have existed without a fearful amount of fraud and perjury. In the excitement and recklessness of the times, amid ruined fortunes and blighted hopes, the moral sense had become callous. The general banking
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HISTORY OF MICHIGAN.
law was not without some good features, but it came into existence at a most unfortunate time, and the keenness and unscrupulous- ness of desperate men, taking advantage of its weak points and corruptly violating its salutary provisions, used it to the public injury.
Under this law abont 40 banks went into operation, many of them in remote and obsenre places, and before the commissioners could perfect their work of reform the crisis came and the catas- trophe could not be averted. Failure rapidly succeeded failure, and legitimately chartered banks were drawn into the same vortex with the "wild-cat " institutions. Only seven banks escaped the whirlpool, and the worthless paper afloat represented more than a million dollars. . As ex-Gov. Alpheus Felch well says:
"Thus ends the history of that memorable financial epoch. Forty years have passed since these events, and few remain who can remember the excitement and distrust, the fear and despondency, the hopes and disappointments which agitated the community, in those days of inflation and speculation, of bankruptcy and financial distress; and fewer still remain who bore part in the transactions connected with them. We look back upon them to read the lessons which their history teaches. The notion that banks without real capital, or a currency which can never be redeemed, can relieve from debts or insolvency, is tried and exploded. We are led to the true principle, that prosperity, both public and individual, awaits npon industry and economy. judicious enterprise and honest productive labor, free from wild speculation and unprofitable investments, and a wise and prudent use of onr abundant resonrces."
In 1875 there were 77 national banks in this State, doing an annual business of about $26,000,000; 15 State banks, with a bnsi- ness of nearly $4,000,000, and 12 savings banks, with a business of $6,000,000.
GEOLOGY.
The lower peninsula occupies the central part of a great synclinal basin, toward which the strata dip from all directions, and which are bounded on all sides by anticlinal swells and ridges. The limits of this basin exceed those of the peninsula, extending to London, Out., Madison, Wis., Marquette and Sault Ste. Marie. The whole series of strata may therefore be compared to a nest of dishes, the lower and exterior ones representing the older strata.
The upper peninsula is divided by the Marquette-Wisconsin anticlinal into two geological areas, the castern belonging to the great basin above alluded to, and the western being lacnstrine in its character, and largely covered by Lake Superior. The southern rim of the latter is seen uplifted along Keweenaw Point and the sonth shore of the lake, and these strata re-appear at Isle Royalc.
108
HISTORY OF MICHIGAN.
Between the Michigan and lacustrine basins the metalliferous Mar- quette- Wisconsin axis interposes a separating belt of about 50 ıniles.
The palæozoic great system of this State measures about 2,680 feet in thickness, of which the Silurian division is 920 feet, the Devonian 1,040 feet, and the carboniferous 720 feet.
The coal-bearing group occupies the central portion of the peninsula, extending from Jackson to township 20 north, and from range 8 east to 10 west.
Of iron, hematite and magnetite, in immense lenticular masses of unsurpassed purity, abound in the Huronian rocks of the upper peninsula. The former of these, under the action of water, becomes soft, and is called Limonite, and is abundant throughout the State as an earthy ore or ochre, bog ore, shot ore, yellow ochre, etc. Sometimes it is deposited in stalactitic. mammillary, botryoidal and velvety forms of great beauty. Kidney ore abounds in the Huron clays, and " black-band " in the coal measures.
Of copper, native, in the " trap " of Lake Superior, abounds in the form of sheets, strings and masses. Gold, silver and lead are also found in unimportant quantities in the Lake Superior region.
Salt abounds in the Saginaw region, gypsum, or " land plaster " in the vicinity of Grand Rapids, building stone throughont the State, manganese in many places, and many other valuable earths, ores and varieties of stone in many places.
NEWSPAPERS.
There are about 275 newspapers and periodical publications in Michigan, of all classes. Of these 224 are published weekly, 17 daily and weekly, two daily, seven semi-weekly, one tri-weekly, four semi-monthly, 19 monthly, one quarterly, and one yearly; 112 are Republican, 46 Democratic, 73 independent and neutral, 14 relig- ious, and 15 miscellaneons. Among the latter are two Methodist, seven Adventist (two Dutch or Hollandisch), one Episcopal, one Catholic and one Baptist: four mining, five educational, one Masonic, one Odd-Fellow, one Grange, three medical and one agri- cultural. Five are printed in the German language, six in the Dutch, one in the Swedish and one in the Danish.
The present population of Michigan, according to the census of 1880, is as follows: Male, 862.278; females, 774,057; native born, 1,247,989; foreign, 388,346; white, 1,614,087; colored, 22,248; total, 1,636,335.
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HISTORY OF MICHIGAN.
STATE OFFICERS.
Govs. During French Rule. Ap'd.
Sieur de Mesey. 1663
Sieur de Courcelles. 1665
Sieur de Frontenac. 1672
Sieur de La Barre. 1682
Marquis de Denonville. 1685
Sieur de Frontenac. 1689
Chevalier de Callieres 1699
Marquis de Vaudreuil.
1703
Marquis de Beauharnois
1726
Compt de la Galissoniere.
1747
Sieur de la Jonquiere. .
.1749
Marquis du Quesne de Menneville. 1752
Sieur de Vaudreuil de Cavagnal. . . . 1755
Govs. During British Rule.
James Murray 1765
Paulus E. Irving 1766
Guy Carleton ... 1766
Hector T. Cramahe. 1770
Guy Carleton 1774
Frederick Haldimand. 1778
Henry Hamilton. 1784
Henry Hope .. .1785
Lord Dorchester
1786
Alured Clarke.
1791
Lord Dorchester. 1798
Governors of Michigan Territory.
William Hull 1805
Lewis Cass. 1813
George B. Porter. 1831
Stevens T. Mason, ex officio.
1834
John T. Horner, ex officio. 1835
State Governors. Elected.
Stevens T. Mason. 1835
William Woodbridge. .1840
J. Wright Gordon, acting.
1841
Jolin S Barry. 1842
Alpheus Felch.
1846
Wm. L. Greenly, acting. 1847
Epaphroditus Ransom .. 1848
John S. Barry. 1850
Robert McClelland. 1852
Andrew Parsons, acting. 1853
Kinsley S. Bingham. 1855
Moses Wisner.
.1859
Austin Blair .. 1861
Henry H. Crapo.
1865
Henry P. Baldwin
1869
John J. Bagley.
1873
Charles M. Croswell.
1877
David H . Jerome. 1881
Lieut .- Governors of Michigan.
Edward Mundy 1835
J. Wright Gordon. 1840
Origen D. Richardson. 1842
Wm. L. Greenly. 1846
Wm. M. Fenton. 1848
Wm. L. Greenly 1849
Calvin Britain. 1852
Andrew Parsons. .1853
George A. Coe. .1855
Edmund B Fairfield 1859
James Birney. 1861
Joseph R. Williams, acting 1861 Henry T. Backus, acting. 1862
Charles S. May
E. O. Grosvenor 1863
1865
Dwight May 1867
Morgan Bates. .1869
Henry H. Holt .. 1873
Alonzo Sessions
1877
Moreau S. Crosby 1881
Secretaries of State.
Kintzing Pritchette 1835
Randolph Manning. 1838
Thomas Rowland. 1840
Robert P Eldridge. 1842
G. O. Whittemore.
1846
George W. Peck 1848
George Redfield 1850
Charles H. Taylor 1850
William Graves.
1853
John McKinney
1855
Nelson G. Isbell. 1859
James B. Porter. 1861
O. L. Spaulding. 1867
Daniel Striker.
1871
E. G. D. Holden
1875
William Jenney.
1879
State Treasurers.
Henry Howard. 1836
Peter Desnoyers. 1839
Robert Stuart ..
1840
George W. Germain. 1841
John J. Adam. .
1842
George Redfield 1845
George B. Cooper. . 1846
Barnard C. Whittemore 1850
Silas M. Holmes
1855
John Mckinney
1859
John Owen. .
1861
E. O. Grosvenor. 1867
Victory P. Collier.
1871
Wm. B. McCreery
1875
Benj. D. Pritchard. 1879
Attorneys-General.
Daniel Le Roy 1836
Peter Morey. 1837
Zephaniah Platt. 1841
Elon Farnsworth.
1843
Henry N. Walker. 1845
Edward Mundy.
1847
Geo. V. N. Lothrop.
1848
William Hale
1851
110
HISTORY OF MICHIGAN.
Jacob M. Howard.
1855
Charles Upson. 1861
Albert Williams. .
1863
Wm. L. Stoughton.
1867
Dwight May.
1869
Byron D. Ball
1873
Isaac Marston ..
1874
Andrew J. Smith.
1875
Otto Kirchner.
1877
Auditors-General.
Robert Abbott
1836
Henry Howard. 1839
Eurotas P. Hastings. 1840
Alpheus Felch
1842
Henry L. Whipple. .
1842
Charles G. Hammond
1845
John J. Adam.
1845
Digby V. Bell.
1846
John J. Adam
1848
John Swegles, Jr
1851
Whitney Jones.
1855
Daniel L. Case.
1859
Langford G. Berry.
1861
Emil Anneke.
1863
William Humphrey.
.1867
Ralph Ely.
1875
W. Irving Latimer.
1879
Supts. Pub. Inst.
John D. Pierce.
1838
Franklin Sawyer, Jr. 1841
Oliver C. Comstock. 1843
Ira Mayhew ..
1845
Francis W. Shearman
1849
Ira Mayhew ..
1855
John M. Gregory. 1859
Oramel Hosford. 1865
Daniel B. Briggs 1873
Horace S. Tarbell.
1877
Cornelius A. Gower
1878
Judges of the Supreme Court.
Augustus B. Woodward. 1805-24
Frederick Bates. 1805-8
John Griffin ...
1806-24
James Witherell,
1808-28
Solomon Sibley
1824-36
Henry Chipman
1827-32
Wm. Woodbridge 1828-32
Ross Wilkins .. 1832-6
Wm. A. Fletcher. 1836-42
Epaphroditus Ransom.
1836-47
George Morell.
1836-42
Charles W. Whipple. 1843-52
Alpheus Felch.
1842-5
David Goodwin.
1843-6
Warner Wing 1845-56
George Miles. .
1846-50
Edward Mundy. .1848-51
Sanford M. Green 1818-57
George Martin ...
.1851-2
Joseph T. Copeland.
1852-7
Samuel T. Douglas 1852-7
David Johnson
1852-7
Abner Pratt.
1851-7
Charles W. Whipple
1852-5
Nathaniel Bacon ..
1855-8
Sandford M. Green.
1856-8
E. H. C. Wilson. 1856-8
Benj. F. H. Witherell, Benj. F. Graves, Josiah Turner and Ed- win Lawrence, to fill vacancies in the latter part of .. .1857
George Martin.
1858-68
Randolph Manning.
1858-64
Isaac P. Christiancy.
1858-77
James V. Campbell.
1858
Thomas M. Cooley
1864
Benj. F. Graves.
1868
Isaac Marston 1875
U. S. Senators.
John Norvell
1835-41
Lucius Lyon ..
1836-40
Augustus S. Porter.
1840-5
Wm. Woodbridge.
1841-7
Lewis C'ass. ..
1845-57
Thos. H. Fitzgerald.
1848-9
Alpheus Felch.
1847-53
Charles E. Stuart.
1853-9
Zachariah Chandler
1857-77
Kinsley S. Bingham.
1859-61
Jacob M. Howard.
1862-71
Thomas W. Ferry
1871
Henry P. Baldwin.
1880
Z. Chandler ..
1878-9
Omar D. Conger.
1881
Representatives in Congress.
Isaac E. Crary.
1835-41
Jacob M. Howard.
1841-3
Lucius Lyon. . ..
1843-5
Robert McClellaud.
1843-9
James B. Hunt.
1843-7
John S. Chipman.
1845-7
Charles E. Stuart. 1847-9
Kinsley S. Bingham.
1849-51
Alex. W. Buel.
1849 51
William Sprague
1849-50
Charles E. Stuart.
1851-3
James L. Conger.
1851-3
Ebenezer J. Penniman.
1851-3
Samuel Clark.
1853-5
David A. Noble. 1853-5
Hester L. Stevens.
1853-5
David Stuart.
1853-5
George W. Peck. 1855-7
Wm. A. Howard.
1855-61
Henry Waldron.
1855-61
David S. Walbridge
1855-9
D. C. Leach. .
1857-61
Francis W. Kellogg
1859-65
B. F. Granger. . .
1861-3
F. C. Beaman.
1861-71
R. E. Trowbridge.
1861-3
Charles Upson.
1863-9
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HISTORY OF MICHIGAN.
John W. Longyear. .1863-7
Josiah W. Begole. .1873-5
John F. Driggs.
1863-9
Nathan B. Bradley 1873-7
R. E. Trowbridge.
1865-9
Jay A. Hubbell. 1873
Thomas W. Ferry
1869-71
W. B. Williams.
1875-7
Austin Blair.
1867-73
Alpheus S. Williams. 1875-9
Wm. L. Stoughton
1869-73
Omar D. Conger.
1869-81
Charles C. Ellsworth 1877-9
Randolph Strickland.
1869-71
Edwin W. Keightley
1877-9
Henry Waldron.
Jonas H. McGowan 1877
Wilder D. Foster. 1871-5
1871-3
John W. Stone. 1877
Jabez G. Sutherland
1871-3
Edwin Willits. 1877
Moses W. Field. 1873-5
George Willard.
1875-7
John S. Newberry 1879
The State printing is done by contract, the contractors for the last 13 years being W. S. George & Co. (Geo. Jerome), the former the active partner, who also publishes and edits the Lansing Re- publican, a paper noted for originality, condensation and careful " make-up."
TOPOGRAPHY.
Michigan is a little southeast of the center of the continent of North America, and with reference to all the resources of wealthi and civilization is most favorably situated. It is embraced between the parallels of 41º.692 and 47º.478 north latitude, and the merid- ians of 82°.407 and 90°.536 west of Greenwich. The upper peninsula has its greatest extent east and west, and the lower, north and south. The extreme length of the upper peninsula is 318 miles, and its extreme breadth, 164} miles; its area, 22,580 square iniles. The length of the lower peninsula is 277 miles, its width, 259 miles, and its area, 33,871 square miles. The upper peninsula is rugged and rocky, affording scarcely anything but minerals as a source of wealth; the lower is level, covered with forests of valuable timber, and is excellent for all the products of Northern States.
The total length of the lake shore is 1,620 miles, and there are over 5,000 smaller lakes in the States, having a total area of 1,11+ square miles.
A RETROSPECT.
And now, how natural to turn our eyes and thoughts back to the log-cabin days of less than 50 years ago, and contrast it with the elegant mansion of modern times. Before us stands the old log cabin. Let us enter. Instinctively the head is uncovered in token of reverence to this relic of ancestral beginnings and carly struggles. To the left is the deep, wide fire-place, in whose commodious space a group of children may sit by the fire and up through the chimney may count the stars, while ghostly stories of witches and giants, and still more thrilling stories of Indians and wild beasts, are whisperingly told and shudderingly heard. On the great crane hang the old tea-kettle and the great iron pot. The huge shovel and tongs stand sentinel in either corner, while the great andirons
Roswell G. Horr. 1879
Julius C. Burrows 1873-5, 1879
Mark S. Brewer. 1877
112
HISTORY OF MICHIGAN.
patiently wait for the huge back log. Over the fire-place hangs the trusty rifle. On the right side of the fire-place stands the spin- ning-wheel, while in the further end of the room the loom looms up with a dignity peculiarly its own. Strings of drying apples and poles of drying pumpkin are overhead. Opposite the door by which you enter stands a huge deal table; by its side the dresser whose " pewter plates" and "shining delf" catch and reflect " the fireplace flame as shields of armies do the sunshine." From the corner of its shelves coyly peep out the relics of former china. In a curtained corner and hid from casual sight we find the mother's bed, and under it the trundle-bed, while near them a ladder indi- cates the loft where the older children sleep. To the left of the fire- place and in the corner opposite the spinning-wheel is the mother's work-stand. Upon it lies the Holy Bible, evidently much used, its family record telling of parents and friends a long way off, and telling, too, of children
Scattered like roses in bloom, Some at the bridal, and some at the tomb.
Her spectacles, as if but just used, are inserted between the leaves of her Bible, and tell of her purpose to return to its comforts when cares permit and duty is done. A stool, a bench, well notched and whittled and carved, and a few chairs complete the furniture of the room, and all stand on a coarse but well-scoured floor. Let us for a moment watch the city visitors to this humble cabin. The city bride, innocent but thoughtless, and ignorant of labor and care, asks her city-bred husband, "Pray what savages set this up?" Honestly confessing his ignorance, he replies, "I do not know." But see the pair on whom age sits "frosty but kindly." First, as they enter they give a rapid glance about the cabin home, and then a mutual glance of eye to eye. Why do tears start and fill their eyes? Why do lips quiver? There are many who know why, but who that has not learned in the school of experience the full mnean- ing of all these symbols of trials and privation, of loneliness and danger, can comprehend the story that they tell to the pioneer? Within this chinked and mud-daubed cabin, we read the first pages of our history, and as we retire through its low doorway, and note the heavy battened door, its wooden hinges, and its welcoming latch-string, is it strange that the scenes without should seem to be but a dream? But the cabin and the palace, standing side by side in vivid contrast, tell the story of this people's progress. They are a history and prophecy in one.
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