lake. Here was a dilemma. He must either go back by way of Elk Rapids or cross the stream. There was not time for the former, besides he was now more than half way to his appointment. There was plenty of drift-wood on the beach. He resolved to build a raft. Laying off his overcoat and gloves, he brought it together, till he supposed he had collected material sufficient for a raft large enough to carry him over. Putting into the water a layer of poles and slabs, arranged side by side, he covered them with a second layer, placed crosswise. Then putting on his overcoat, he took a long piece of edging for a setting pole, and pushed off. The current was stronger than he had supposed. In pushing off, he stood on one edge of the raft. The poles of the opposite edge being left loose, were washed away by the current, and he soon saw a row of them chasing each other into Petobego. Next he discovered that he was drifting out of his course. To regain it, he gave an extra push with all his might. The edge of the raft on which he stood settled down into the water, while the poles of the portion opposite floated away in a body. At the same time the setting pole snapped in two, leaving a piece only three or four feet long in his hands. There followed a moment of anxiety. He could not swim. He knew that the remaining fragment of the raft would not hold together a minute longer. He was standing on two slabs, which lay side by side, with their flat surfaces uppermost. A thought came like a flash of inspiration. Stooping down, he turned one of them over, placing it atop of the other with their flat surfaces together, and quickly jumped astride of them. The water was unpleasantly cold, for it was in November, but he felt safe and happy. With the fragment of edging he paddled ashore, climbed up the bank, emptied the water out of his boots, and went on to Mr. Allen's. But Mr. Latham's troubles were not over. The congregation was waiting. There was a good fire in the stove, and the big family bible had been placed on a stand near it. He was not proud of his adventure, and did not desire to have it known. It was fortunate, he thought, that the stand and bible were so near the stove. He would quietly dry himself while conducting the services, and nobody should be the wiser. As he knelt down to pray, he purposely pushed his feet under the stove. The action disturbed an overgrown puppy that was sleeping there, which came out, and, after smelling at him till satisfied of his friendly character, began to lick his face. Mr. Latham shut his eyes tightly, and tried to endure it while he went on with his prayer, but the performances of the puppy at length became too much for the patience of one of the men. Seizing the poor dog by the skin of the neck, he hurled him across the room to the door, where a boy caught him by

the feet and threw him yelping outside. In after years Mr. Latham asserted that he could not remember how he preached or what was the subject of his sermon on that occasion.

It is understood that at the conference in the fall of 1859, Mr. Latham was assigned to Whitewater circuit for another year. He had labored faithfully, enduring hardships and battling with difficulties such as the ministers of more favored localities know nothing of by experience. He had been literally starved out. Seeing an opportunity to get an appointment as teacher in a government Indian school, he thought it his duty to take advantage of it, and accordingly, in November, left the Grand Traverse country for his new field of labor.

The Whitewater circuit was without a pastor till April of the following year, when Rev. J. W. Miller arrived and took charge of the work.

Mr. Miller had been converted about a year previously. He was a young lawyer, just admitted to the bar, and had been appointed by Judge Littlejohn as circuit court commissioner. He was in love with his profession and his worldly prospects were bright, but the call to the min. istry was imperative. He promised the Lord of the harvest that if he would open a door for him, he would enter in, regardless of consequences. Soon afterwards Rev. S. Steele, who had succeeded Rev. W. W. Johnson as presiding elder of the Grand Traverse district, called on him and proposed that he should take the abandoned field at Whitewater. The proposal was promptly accepted, and Mr. Steele, with the approval of the quarterly conference, gave him a local preacher's license.

Mr. Miller had no great amount of funds. It cost between $40 and $50 to move, besides the misfortune of breaking and spoiling a large proportion of his furniture. For some time he and his young wife lived on their own means, but they were at length exhausted, and then many a meal was made on only potatoes and salt. No wonder if they became discouraged, and if their faith in God's care of his servants began to waver.

One day, before going to his appointment, Mr. Miller went out into the woods in front of his house, as he has since related, "to give the Lord a scolding for getting them into such a fix," after they had trusted to His guidance and relied on His aid. Hes could not understand or appreciate the situation, but while talking with God-"praying and scolding by turns"-the good Father was pleased to open his eyes. He saw his own unworthiness as never before, and the goodness of God in even giving them potatoes. He was conscious of receiving a wonderful blessing. Then and there he promised God that if he would furnish potatoes, he would remain in the ministry, and never murmur again. Returning to

the house, he put the saddle on old Jack, his Indian pony, and started for his appointment at Elk lake. On his way, he called on Mr. Hill, an unconverted man, and talked and prayed with the family. As he left the house, Mr. Hill walked with him across the fields to the road. The latter seemed nervous, evidently having something on his mind that caused him much distress. Finally he burst into tears, as he said, "Elder, I suppose you will be offended and say it is none of my business, but for over a week I have been thinking about you; not only in the daytime, but I wake in the night and wonder if you have anything to eat, and there is such a pressure on me I must out with it, regardless of consequences." Mr. Miller told him all, and Mr. Hill insisted on dividing with him what he had, and then went round to the neighbors and collected what they could give. "Thus," says Mr. Miller, "while I was fretting and complaining, the good Lord was working and caring for us. It is a lesson I have never forgotten and never wish to forget. From that day to the present, I have never murmured at the work of the ministry or for a single moment wished myself out of it. Another thing-from that day to the present, I have never asked, either as pastor or presiding elder, for a single dollar. After 25 years, I can still say, with the Psalmist, 'The Lord is my shepherd.' My only regret is that I have not been more faithful and more efficient in the great work."

Mr. Miller remained on Whitewater circuit till the fall of 1861, when, by the action of the annual conference, he was transferred to Northport. He usually preached three times on Sunday and once during the week, the appointments being Elk Rapids, Elk Lake, Round Lake, Williamsburg, Acme, and Yuba.

CHAPTER XVII.

Kichard Cooper-Little Traverse-Fishing and Fishermen-Captain Kirtland-Mission at Bear Creek-Helpfulness of the Indians-An Indian Mother and her Boy-Progress of the Pupils―Indian Farming.

The first white settler at Little Traverse, now called Harbor Springs, except those connected with the Catholic mission, was Richard Cooper.

Mr. Cooper came from Genesee county, N. Y., to the Beaver islands in 1848, to engage in fishing. In the fail of 1850 he returned home. In the spring of 1851 he came back on the trading schooner Eliza Caroline, owned and commanded by Capt. Kirtland. Touching at Pine river, now Char

levoix, the Caroline landed several fishermen and a quantity of salt. Stopping next at Old Mission and then at Northport, she sailed for Gull island, where Mr. Cooper remained during the summer, buying fish for Kirtland. In the fall he removed to Little Traverse, where he opened a store for Kirtland, in whose employ he still remained.

At the time of Mr. Cooper's settlement at Little Traverse, the fishermen had already established themselves at several points on the northern part of Lake Michigan, but there were none at that place. That same fall, however, was marked by the arrival of Charles R. Wright, Albert Cable, James Moore, Harrison Miller, Thomas Smith and Patrick Sullivan. Wright and Cable at first stopped at the point; the others in the village. All of them were in some way connected with the fishing interest.

Fishing at that time was perhaps more profitable than it has been during a later period; at all events, the testimony of those of the early fishermen who still remain agrees as to the fact that fish were much more plentiful then than now. Pound nets were not used. After they came into common use, there was a sensible and rapid diminution in the quantity of fish.

Some who came to the country in those early days to fish remained as permanent citizens; but generally the fisherman was a transient person, establishing himself anywhere on the shore where there was a promise of ́success in his pursuit, and readily changing his location as immediate interest seemed to dictate. Associated with the fishermen, wherever they were numerous, were always a number of coopers, who found employment in making barrels for the fish. Sometimes the cooper's shop was in the immediate vicinity of the fish shanties; sometimes, for the convenience of obtaining material, it was located at a distance. The material for barrels was derived from timber growing on the public lands, which was looked upon as lawful plunder. Small trading establishments, like that of Capt. Kirtland under the management of Mr. Cooper at Little Traverse, sprang up at various points, drawing their custom from both the fishermen and the Indians. A few small vessels, or "hookers," found a lucrative business in trading from place to place, selling supplies and purchasing fish. Not infrequently whiskey was a principal article of trade. It is remembered to the credit of Capt. Kirtland that he never sold whiskey to the Indians or took advantage of them in business transactions.

At the time referred to the Indians were much more numerous in the vicinity of Little Traverse than at a later date, and that place remained

for many years to all intents and purposes an Indian village, the only white inhabitants being a few fishermen and traders. In the meantime an enterprise grew up on the opposite side of the bay, almost within the present limits of the village of Petoskey, that is worthy of an extended notice.

When Mr. Dougherty's flock began to scatter from Old Mission, some Indian families from that place removed to the vicinity of Bear creek, where a hand of Ottawas and Chippewas were already living. It was perhaps, through the influence of the new-comers that a request was made to Mr. Dougherty by the Indians that a school be established among them. By order of the Presbyterian board, under whose authority he was acting, Mr. Dougherty visited them in the winter of 1851-52 and made so favorable a report that the board determined to accede to their request, and Mr. Andrew Porter, who had previously spent some time as teacher at Old Mission, was appointed for the work.

Mr. Porter, with his family, left his home in Pennsylvania early in May, 1852, arriving at his destination the 1st of June. From Mackinac he came in Capt. Kirtland's vessel, the Eliza Caroline, the captain bringing him for very small sum. Mr. Dougherty had previously sent a vessel with a cargo of lumber for the construction of the necessary buildings. The pile of lumber on the beach served to guide Capt. Kirtland to the proper landing. On leaving the vessel the party were kindly received by the head man, Daniel Wells, or Mwa-ke-we-nah, whom the band afterwards elected chief, and who, a few years later, laid down his life for the country in the war of the rebellion. He placed his best room at the disposal of Mr. Porter, till the mission house could be built.

The place selected for the Mission was on the high land west of Bear creek, half a mile back from the bay. How to get the lumber to the spot, was a problem that caused some anxiety. The only domestic animal in the settlement that could be put to such work was a single pony, and the only vehicle was a cart, and then the new road which had recently been cut through the forest by the Indians was too rough and uneven for a wheel carriage of any kind. The anxiety, however, was soon removed by the announcement that the Indians of Little Traverse were offering their assistance. Soon after, on a set day, about 70 men, and seven ponies with "sled cars" were found to have come together on the beach, ready for work. The ponies did very well, but more than half the lumber was carried up the hill to the site of the proposed buildings on the shoulders of the men.