Rensselaer Union, Volume 6, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 July 1874 — Laporte, South Bend, and Put-in-Bay. [ARTICLE]

Laporte, South Bend, and Put-in-Bay.

South Bend, Jxdij 6, 1874. Editors ok Union : The new postal route was passed over in the usual monotonous way. Thursday was spent leisurely in the quiet villages of Francesville and Medaryville. Reached Laporte at 1 o’clock a. Jr. on Friday, and consigned my drowsy body to a couch in the Teegarden hotel. After breakfast, toak a drive through the city. Unbroken rows of sugar maple protect the streets from the unpleasant glare of a summer sun ; this profusion of shade mellows the the sunshine, and, on a hot day, serves as an elixir to build up an Eden in one’s heart. Laporte is, in the true sense, a beautiful city. It is now bountifully jm.ppH.cd with pure water, from Lilly lake, by j means of the Holly system of ! water works. The chain of lakes ; to the north, flanking the city east f and west, makes it ’ a piesant... re- : sort during the heated term. By I tlie - benefaction ot —L A. Cole, j Esq,, we were shown many places j of interest, and visited the -lakes; I The public cemetery and city librafry, both under the fostering care i of tfeH-, -J-oseph- Orr i -are grand—ah fairs in, their line. At noon wc repaired to a grove on the northcast side of Clear lake, and .par took. I of the festal bounties of file oeeaj sion. It was truly a feast of the ! palate, well spiced with wit, and a season suppliiiieiiting a flow of soul and sympathy. A good meal is a means of grace to the heart,.and a spur to greatness. The editorial fraternity gave us the hand of welcome. Our he spend an trip was a sort of prophet to new pleasantries and the afternoon was, briefly, busy

and pleasant. Among my newly ruade acquaintances was Rev. George C- Ilaiding, of Indianapolis,. f - lie is called “Rev.” because lie is the wicked-, est man. Also Laura Rfhm, a maiden lady, comely and careworn, with a piercingly clear, cold grey eye—a keen observer, and a shrewd news gatherer for the Cincinnati Commercial. The Lnporte Herald in publishing the list of persons present ut ti e banquet oh Thursday evening, was very inaccurate. I was not then in the city. I suppose you have read the account, and can explain on whom the joke rests most chruslnngly. Florence enjoyed the day highly, with its boating, croquet and other amusements, and at 8 o’clock p. in., we came to this city. Soutlidlend is spoken of by politicians as the home of Mr. Colfax. A Roman Catholic mentions first Notre Darije and St. Mary’s. The mechanic talks about Studebaker’s wagon and carriage factory, one of the largest in the world. There was no regular Fourth of July celebration here. The morning, delightful, was ushered in with ring, shout, clang, snap,-bang, crack, rumble and uproar of iu> unusual style. Iq the afternoon we visited a printing office and saw one of Potter’s stejim presses at work.— Then we called at the engine house of Flander’s patent water works. The boak, took great pains to explain to us the abundant excellencies 6f the system. Their engines are driven by water power, with a pressure sufficient to throw a stream 175 feet high in any part of the city. Then we took a drive, calling at Notre Dame and St. Mary’s. It is now college vacation, and only a few students remain. However there wire a few Mexican and South American, boys wljo stay during the summer vacation. The

college campus Is splendidly ordered, and the buildidgs are capacious. The largest bell in the United States has been placed iii position at Notre Dame; it can be heard nine miles. Returning to the city, we drove by the home of Schuyler Colfax, a modest Gottage on the corner of Walnut and Monroe streets; Mrs. Colfax nodded gracefully as we passed. South Bend is much larger than Laporte, but is not so pleasantly located. I have heard nothing of moment said upon politics. Many of your friends have inquired kindly after you, and I gave them assurance that you Were both doing well. John B. Stoll fs the same good natured Dutchman.— Billy Bean and consort have a bran new babyT Sims Major was long since married, and a little Major, twenty months old, assists in commanding the family. There were no representatives at the Editorial Association front the Southwest. Hoping that The Uniox may ever prosper, and become so essential to happiness that the average Jasperite cannot do without it, I am truly yours, S. P. Thompson.

Detroit, Mich., July 9, 1874. Editors Union : Our trip has extended to Toledo, the American Islands in Lake Erie, and to this city. I was fearful lest the motion of the boat would cause sea-sickness, but "have never telt clearer and healthier in my life than when upon the water. Put-in-Bay, and the islands near by, constitute a popular summer resort for those who have money, and the desire to spend it. The bay was so named from the circumstance that Commodore Perry put in there with his fleet for repairs after his victory over the British lake squadron. A weeping willow at the landing pier marks the resting place of the sailors who perished in the battle. It was there that the great Commodorepenned his celebrated dispatch which has become famous throughoat the world as a model for others —‘ We have-met the enemy and he is ours.” Daily excursion steamers run ironic Cleveland, Toledo and Detroit, and return. The three encircling islands are called South, Middle and North Bass, l from the plentitudo of the fish catl- !' ed black bass whirl) abound .in the

'surroumlrng; waters, The reels around these islands are renowned over the world as fishing grounds. The hotels there are-spacious and well kept. Boating and balhcing arrangements are excellent-, -and the scenery is delightful. Among the natural curiosities is Terry’s cave, in which terre firm a can lie invaded some three hundred or four hundred feet, thirty to forty feet below the surface. In this cave are mineral curiosities excellent spring water. Gibraltar Island, the summer residence of Jay Cooke, is a precipitous and picturesque island of about four acres in extent, one half a mile from South Bass. We met Chief Justice Waite, General Swayne, and other more or less noted persons enjoying the pleasures of these insular scenes. W e arrived at Detroit tins morning and are.debating the propriety of going further, ■ -••—• Have not seen a copy of The

Union.

S. P. THOMPSON.