amount d* the bills of the Bank of Ypsilaoti have been put into
circulation by him.
JOHN FRINK-
Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 1st day of February, 1880*
A. FBLCH, Bank Ctmmisstonef.
Statb of Michigan, )
(No. 8.)
Wctyne County,
John Griswold being duly sworn, says, that he Watf requested
by P. S. Rawson, and as he believes, by T. Romeyn, Esq., about
the 28th or 29th of December last^ to go to Ypsilanti and take a
transfer of stock in the Bank of Ypsilanti, and become a director
<^f the same.
The reasons which were ^ven for this request, were, that the
bank was about to change hands, and that there was some bus^
ness to be done, which required that some new directors should be
chosen, to officiate for a short time. Upon this request, deponent
went to Ypsilanti, stating at the same time, that he was about
going west, and should not be able to stay a long time. On ar-
rival there, some stock was transferred to deponent, by Theodora
Romeyn, Esq., m order to qualify hira for a director, but no con-
sideration was paid for the same. After receiving the transfer
of stock, deponent w^s elected as a director, at the same time with
Messrs. Stewart, Shattuck, and Rawson, and was then etected
president of the bank, it being then understood that such election
was but a temporary one, and that deponent would continue in
office but a short time.
Deponent was present at the first sitting of the board ; at that
time Mr. P. S. Rawson presented to the board several notes ht
ten thousand dollars each, for discount ; upon being asked if the
Cper was good which was presented, Mr. Rawson stated that he
ew the makers and endorsers, and that it was good papef.
From thi3 state of facts, the board directed the notes to be dis-
counted, and h was accordingly done. Deponent knew nothing
of fte maker or endorser of the notes, except what was slated by
Rawson. Deponent understood that paper then in bank, was de-*
Hyered to Mr. Romeyn in payment for his stock, and the notes so
discounted, were substituted in its place.
' Deponent further says, that on the fourth day of January, he
was cdming into Detroit, and before he left the bank, Mr. Raw-
«on asked u he would bring some money to Mr. Godard for the
purpose of bein^ exchanged. Deponent replied in the affirma-*
tive, npotf which Mr. Rawson, as he believes, handed to him a
package, which he, deponent, supposed contained one thousand
47
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396 HPUS]S DQQyi4£NTS«
<k}lar9 mly,r^pfd which he brought ioto Detroit and deHveipdt af
requested^ and tpiok Mr. Go(}aixi's rec^'pt, a copy of whicli is heneto
annexed, marked A. By reference to the receifit, written with a
pencil, however, it appeared that it was given for the sum of ten
thousand dollars, and which is the same money fcjr which depo-
nent's receipt is now in b?ink. The whole package so brought
in was in the old notes of the bank. And deponent further
says, that he never took one doUar of the new notes out of the
bank.
Deponent further says that the board o^reqted the old nofes of
the bank on hand to be destroyed, and appointed Mr. Kawsoo to
superintend such df^structiop ; but he has ho knowledge that ftny
were actually burped, except what was derived irojai Mr. Ra^«
son, who informed biiu he had burne,fi some twenty-fivi^ thousaod
dollars.
After the board had decided that the old notes should t^ burned,
it was resolved that some new notes shpuld be e^^ecuted, and
there was accordingly signed new notes to the amount of forty
or fifty thousand dollars, deponent as president, and R. Lockwood
cashier. The new notes so signed, were done expressly upoo
condition that they should be used out of the ^tate, in Ohio or
some distant place, where they would not soon return. On the
eighth or ninth day of January, deponpnt was prespot when
Lewis Godard presented sonie notes for about thirty thouaan^
dpllars for discount Mr. Raw^on stated that the noteaw^regopa*
and deponent consented that they should he dispounted, which
was accordingly dope, and the money ,^ being all new note^ de-
livered to Mr. Rawson or Mr. Godard, >vith the pxpress under-
standing that it was to be used for exchange out of the stale.
Deponent further says that he started west (or Chi^so^ ^popf
I since, and at that time be had not to exceed the mim
(red dollar^, in Ypsilanti bills, nonp of which were ^ne!|if
^onent, however, had a draft on Strahan & ScoU Ho^
KJ dollars, which deponent presented to them^ and on
btained the sum of ten thousaikd dodars.
it further says, that he has excoanged about, four cu*
id dollars of V psilanti iiote^ fpr the notea pf the Bank^
Brest, Saline, and Macomb county, but, lo np inst^^lo^
ide any suph exchange s^nd takeu such notes at pavf
1 has not exchanged or put away note^ bf tjn^ bc^w to
nount than is stated above. '
Dpponent further sajs, that he never considered hifnsf^lf aji the
permanent officer of the bank, and that it wa^ merely as a^ iav9r
to those who were interested that he accepte4 the pffice for ^
time.
Deponent fui^her says, that Strahan & Scott coptinued to re-
d^m t,he notes of the Ypsilanti baol^ until abput a y^e^ wee
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and that he had induced them to continue the redemption by de-
positing with them one thousand dollars of the notes of the Oak*
land county bank, as collateral security, on his own responsibi-
lity. The nntes so deposited, we're tlie property of the Oakland
county hanky and be baocckintiabldforiheitansB. About<th&time
deponent left for the west, he asked Mr. Romeyn whether every
thing in regard to the bank was^ straight and in good faiih, to
which he replied that h wds, and that he considered it as solvent
as any bank intbe slaie. DeponerH^ further say » that h^ kciesik
nothing t^bout the aflairs of the bank, but relied entirely op,. the
statement of Mr. Romeyn and others, ^
That the above conversation wit^ Mr. Romeyn, occiirred about
the time of the transfer, and that since then, he knows nothing of
any connection of Mr. Romeyn with the bank. ...
J. GRISWOLD.
Sub8o#ed and^sif (proi.tQ before nie, this second day of Febru-
ary, A* I),|839.:
A. FELCH, Bank Commissioner.
A.
Received of John Griswold, ten thousand dollars of the notep
of the Bank of Ypsilinti for exchange^ and to account fb^ to th^
ftaiik of Ypslhmti.
L. GODARD.
Janntxry 4; MSOL
(No; 9.)
says, that he had a conversa-
;, and that he stated that heu
m thousand dollars in ths bills
vn by the receipt of Mr- Go;
; and that he returned two
Ohio funds, three thousand in
id dollars in the notes of the
jefore the bank was enjoined.
;iriE6D0RE ROMEYN.
Subscribed and sworn this 2d day of February, 1839, before
me. A. FELCH, Bank Com.
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am HOUfif^ DpCUAC^TS'
(No. 23.)
iSecond Annual Report of the State Geologist.
Office of State 6x01.00191, >
J, Detroit, Feb. 4, 1839. \
7b <Ae Hon. Speaker of the House of RepreienMtwes.
Sir : I have the honor to transmit to the legislature the accom-
|)anying reports and doquments, setting forth the progress which
has been made in the geological survey for the current year, end-
ing February 3, 1889.
1 am, very respectfully,
* ' Your ob't serv't,
DOUGLASS HOUGHTON,
SUxteGedc^.
REPORT, &a
Office of State Gboloqist, \
Detroit, Feb. 4, ISS9. \
To the Hon. Senate and House of Representatives of Michigan^
In conformity with the requisitions of your hoimahie body, J
herewith' transmit such information, touching the progress and ge-
neral results of the works placed under my choinge, as would ap-
pear to be called for in an annual report ; reserving the great
mass of matter which has been accumulated, with im view to
an elucidation of the condition and resources of our state, for a
final report.
Inunediately upon the reception of an act ** relative to the geo-
logical survey," approved March 22, 1838, 1 proceeded, in con-
formity with the instructions contained in sdid act, to organize a
geological board, and to divide the complete work in such' a man-
ner as. to constitute a geological and mineralogicai, a zoological,
a botanical, and a topographical department.
' ^t tis early a day as circumstances would permit, the heads of
each of these departments took the field, and continued their ar-
duous duties until the inclemency of the season compelled a sus-
pension of labor; since which time they have been busily en-
ffaged in arranging the great amount of information which has
been obtained'in suph a manner that it may eventually be made
available.
My individual labor has been chiefly devoted to an examioa-
tioD of the coast of those portions of our state bordering 00 lakes
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
HOUSE DOCUMfiNTS« SSI
Huron and Michi^, together with ao much of the interior of
the pennisula as circumstaDces would permit. I have also devQ*
ted a portion of the past season to a general examination of some
oi the southern and central counties of the state, preparatory to
the more minute examination which has been commenced and
which it is propcwed to renew with the first opening of spring.
The geographical information respecting toe northern portion
of this peninsula is so imperfectly underst<x)d that, were it at this
time desirable, it would be impossible to lay before vou the mi-
nute results of the examinations in that portion of the state, in
such a manner as to be intelligible, unless accompanied with com-
plete new maps, which could not be expected to be forwarded in
a report, that at most, can only be looked upon as setting forth,
in a general manner, the progress of the work placed under my
charge.
NORTHERN PART OF THE PENINSULA;
Topography and Gerwrai Character.
The country under consideration, lying west of Saginaw bay,,
and extending north frona townships 10 and 11 north, to the straits
of Mackinac, ha9 been so impeifectly known to the citizens of
our state that no estimate of its value could be made. No cir*
cumstances have occurred to aid ip developing its resources, anc)
firofn the forbidding character of most of the coast, it has very na-
turally been considered as a flat country, worthless, except for the
immense tracts of pine timber which were supposed to exist in
k ; both of which suppositions are, to a great extent, without
foundation. It is true, however, that the northern portions of the.
peninsula are characterized bv a larger proportion of irreclaima-
ble marsh than is to be found in the southern counties, yet not-
withstanding this, many portions are not inferior to the other parts
of the state.
Several ftreanos ot considerable size occur on the northern part
of the peninsula ; among the most important of which are the
Hask^p, White, Pere Marquette, Manistee and Platte on the
west ; Uheboigan on the north, and Thunder Bay, Au Sable, Pere
and Tittabawassa rivers on the east
The Maskego river, which is the largest of the streams enu-
merated, has its principal source in a group of large inland lakes
situated west of the meridian* in about ranges 8 and 4 west, and
towns 22 and 28 north. These lakes are almost con)pletely sur-
rounded by nearly impenetrable swamps, covering a lar^e por-
tion of the area of from 7 to 8 townships, the chief portions of
which may safelv be said to be utterly irreclaimable. Frpm one
of the principal lakes of the group mentioned* the Maskego river
runs southwesterly in a line partially parallel with the coast d*
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aw HOUSE DOCUMENTS^
Lake Miehi^n, receiring ttutneK)U«C Wbut^rieit until it fimHy di^
charges its waters into the last mentioned lake, in town 10 norths
range 17 west. The stream thrcmgh its whote course is ex*
trennely croaked, and its total length, including its winding may
be estimated at about two hundred miles. The waters descend
with SHI extremely rapid, though for the most part uniform ccrr-
rent, and their depth is very regular. The stream is capable of
being easily made na viable for steamboats, nearly, if not quite, to
the lake which forms its source. Large portions of the lands
situated upon this stream aire well adapted to the purposes of ag*
riculture, and although the great majority are timbered lands,
there is nevertheless a sufficient amount of prairie to greatly fa*
cilitate the settlement of the surrounding country.
The M askego, like almost al^ the streams on the weitenm 8id»
of Lake Michigan, first discharges its waters into a small lake that
is separated only by a very slight distance from the main lake.
The Maskego ilver m^y bfe said to furnish orte of the best natural
'^sireeun'* harbors which is^ found apon LaJLe Michigan.
The Tittabawassa on the east, which is one of the branches of
the Saginaw rivrer, has its source not very far distant from that ci
the Maskego, and the upper oortidn of its course is nearly paral-
lel to the latter stream, the Aiaskego being upon the west side of
the summit, while the Tittabawassa is upon the eastern side.
The latter stream, gradually curvit^ to the east, dischai|[es its^
waters through the Saginaw river into Saginaw bay of Lake'
Huron.
The Tittabawassa is navigable for boats of licht draoght for a'
distance of from forty to fifty miles, above which it is obstructed'
by numerous rapids that will furnish, if properlj^ applied, an*
abundancfe of hydraulic power. The surrounding country is con-
siderably elevated, and the banks of the stream sometimes rise
quite abruptly to d height of from 20* to 40' or evert SOTeet. Pbi*-
tions of the lands in the vicinity of the river are of good quality
and well adapted to agriculture ; But othier portions occur where
the soil is of a light sandy character and will requine much labor'
to render it productive. Some valuable tracts of white pine et-
ist in the vicinity of the Tittiibawassa, but in consequence of the
" een comnrtunicated from Indian camps;
;een upon the immediate, banks of the
der bay rivers are both capable of be-
br lake shipping, and they are streami^
The former may be rendered navi-
I am not able to say. The naviga-
obstructed near its mouth by a series
ream being composed of limestone in
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The water ofi most of tbe other streams enumerafadf like^ iboqe
s^lre^dy meotiooed, flows with a t)risk cifrrent and sometimes with
great rapidity. The beds of the streams are chiefly composed of
a yellow ^nd, axid the depth is remarkably uniform. An abuo-
daoeq of hydraulic power will be furnishedi^ but the sandy cha-
racter of the soil, more particularly upon the eastern slope, wil)
^metjfpe^ render it dimcult to secure from accident . the dfuns
which may be erected.
The ^wfry Mrth of the southern^ boundary pf Arenac, cpvinty
Md east of i\i^ meridian,, so far as e^amincd^ is pp the whole b^
ill adapted to the purposes, of agriculture, being chiefly compov
sed of sandy ridges with int^rveping swales, and rising so gradi^ -
?l)y towards the cpi^tral portions of the §tate as to leave the cgun-
fty extrfirpely flat. There, sgre, however, many valuable tra<;tf
of white pine» which will s^rv^ to render this portion of the ^tatf
i^some impprtanca Ye||ow pine^ well adapted ^r light gp«up%
{|]^ aboondis. ^
A large portion of the iaunediAte shores pf tba lake is co|f{^po6e4
pfnMMTph,
Ao e:iceptig9) to, tbe flatness of the country exists in i^n eleva-
te district comm^fKHn^ in high bills a Ijttle south of Thupder Bay
river and stretching m a southwesterly direction towards th?-
()es^l of J^ke Michigan. This rs^Qge, at its commepcetneqt, is
usually kjnpwo as the higfilaods oif th^ 4" Sable. These bills, fo)*
tow the line of bearing ^ ttie rock formation, and np doubt e3(teq4
^^ffm^^y cpmpkitely across the state, iormii^ a portion of tW
i^mmmit of the roc re northern part of the peninsula^
. The grealer portiioD of the country, aJfier passing the suomimI
yrestoitha merulianf i^ of a character totally diflerent from that
jvM da^ribed. From tbe site of old Mackinac, at the very ei<r
tremi^ qf tbe peoinaul^ .soqth to the Manistee river„ a direct di«*
t^oe of abouv HO mileiw the immediate shores pf the lake are, al-
most invariably copsiderably elevated, sometimes rising abruptly
Mi a height pf from 300 tp 40|Q feet^ The country, (more partictv
larly the northern portions,) as we proceeded into the interior,
continues to rise, until it attains an altitude probably quite equal,
if not superior, to any other, portion of the peninsula. This is
more particularly the oase in the vicinity of, and spulh^^si from
Little and Grand Traverse bays. Here the surface is consider-
aji^ly broken, by elevated ridges of limerock, which are, with-
out, doubt, a Qontinuation,. of the linp of bparing of the gr^at lime-
stone forniatipA of Wisconsin.
In proceeding south from Grand Traverse bay, the interior of
the country woiJd appear to become less elevated, or gradually
to ifall away to tbe sovitheast» while the elevation of the coast is
increased : a cirpumstance which will serve to account for the
gemtr^ direction (^the. two pripcipal streams, the Maakego and
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384 HOUSE DOCUMENTS.
Tittabawassa rirers. The eleyated shores of Lake Michigan,
which when viewed from a distance hare the appearance of sand,
are found in reahty to be composed, except in the recent sand
dunes, of alternating layers of a highly marly clay and sand.
The hilly limestone region to which allusion has been made, is
mostly heavily timbered with beach and maple, and although por-
tions of it are rather broken, it is as a whole admirably adapted
to the purposes of agriculture.
After leaving the limestone district, in passing south, the couiv-
try becomes more variable, the soil sometimes assuming a sandr
character. The face of the country is also eeneraliy more tevd,
although some districts are considerably rough.
This northern portion of the peninsula is usually regarded, by
the inhabitants of our state, as possess!]^ too rigorous a climate
to admit of agriculture, but this is an error which deserves to be
corrected. The Ottawa Indians residing on Little Traverse bay,
and who have somewhat extensive cultivated fields in the elcva*
ted limestone district of the interior, more particularly in the vi-
cinity of one of the southwestern forks of the Cheboiffan river, in-
form me that their crops of corn have not fail^ wimin their re-
collection to yield largely, and certainly I never saw finer coro
than in some pf their fields.
The soil of these lands is strictly a ^^uoarm" one, and exposed
as it is to the vivifying influences of the southern winds during
the summer, it cannot fail to be productive. In this respect the
country on the western slope is precisely the opposite of that oa
the northerly and easterly slopes, for this latter district is coom
stantly subject to the chilling influence of the northerly winds
from Lake Superior, an influence which even the most cursory
observer could hardly fail to notice. This difierence of circum-
stances, even were the character of the soil similar upon the op-
posite sides of the peninsula, could not fail materially to afiect the
value of the lands for the purposes of agriculture^ adding to the
value of those of one district while it would detract from those of
4he other.
Soch.
The examinations of the past year, in the northern and unset-
tled portions of the peninsula, have been wholly of a general cha-
racter, and were made with a view of determining, as far as pos-
sible, the precise points to which the minute examinations can,
hereafter, be directed with the greatest profit. These examina-
tions cannot be completed in such a manner as to enable us to
delineate the geology of that country upon our maps, until the
United States' linear surveys be completed. These latter sur-
veys, which during the past year have been extended as ffir north
as town twenty- six, have nearly reached a portion of the penin-
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
'aola, whieht ia a geologieal poiot of view, h poraessed of ihcT
h^faest hrtemst Several patlios of ranreyors are now nearljr
im readioesato commence the work north oi the toWn nientioned,
and we confidently hope, that during the ensuing year the chief
pert of the attbdivisiona which remain to be done, may be coin-
pleted.
. It 18 not my iniention, at this time, to enter into a minute de<
aeription of the order of auperpoaition of the rooks, over the larreef
af«i of country under oonsideratioo, nor would it be possible^
were it desirsUe, Ur present the subject to j^ou in such a shapQ aa
to reader it intelligible without the aid of diagrams. The accora^-
panyiug descriptions will, thereibre, be almost exclusively confined
to those points at which the otit-ct Yip of rook occurs unde^ sudi*
civcufDstances that it may be made available ibr practical purpo-^
sea, together with such suggestions as the circumstances may*
appear to warrant.
The rocks of this northern portion of the peninsula may b^
regarded as referable to the great carboniferous group of ther
state, a position to which their fossil contents is amply suflkieM
to substantiate their claim. In this r^pect they coincide with the'
rocks heretofore described as occupying the southern counti^/
neverthelesa, it must be borne in mind, as there stated, that these
rocks ooeupy a very different position in the series. .
Tiab rooks of the district under consideration consist of a suc^
oessioD of limestone, wiUi intervening shales, sandstones and elayii f
and as we appro»^h the very extremity of the peninsula, the
lifiiestoDe is shattered^ in a manner similar to that ejthibited by
the sandstone in the southern counties of the state.
The line of bearing of the members constituting this group of
rocks, not only in the northern but likewise in the southern por*
tioD of the peninsula, is regularly northeasterly and southweff-'
teriy, a direction which it is believed the rocks upon the opposite
side of Lake Michigan, wiH also, at least to a certain extent, be
fooad to pursue. The general characters of the separate poi*- '
tiona of the group are preserved, in a remarkably distinct man-
ner, at great distances, and the mineral contents are but little*
varied.
My examinations would lead me to infer that the coal of the
central portions of our state, and that upon the Blinois river, ia
enbraced in a rock which belongs to the same portion of thef
great basin; a conclusion' which* if borne out, will aid much m
determining some important points, respecting the relation which*
the neighboring rocks bear to each other.
I am also led to conclude that that portion of the rock serieis
w4iich, in Illinois and Wisconsin, embraces the ores o( lead, i^
idoDfieat with a portion of the rock formation which occurs in theT
n ea tb a ro favt di our own states a ch-cumstance which m&fht
48
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
htUfyhwe bem infeired from the geaMraL Urn of bwci^ of Ibe
Tqsk. Whether this exHMi9i<;ui oT the| rook aba contmoA thai m-^
neralf in aufficient quaotitiea to h^ of aoy practical vahiOi renuuna
yet to be determinecL
A flight glaooe at the map of our state will suiBcieiitly cxplaia
the relation which Saginaw bay, of Lake Huron, holds to th»
line of bearing already meoti<Hied. This greulafm of thatkihet
stretches in a. southwesterly jdirectiooi making a deep iodontatioii*
in the peninsula, and occupying a denuded space in. the sandt
stope, just at that p^nt where the, laiAer comes ia conlocl wilb
the Ijmestonp of the north. Thus wlule the southerly portioDft
of the brw are oharacterieed by the appearaaoe of abrupt^ bolt
Iqw. cliflfsof sandstone* which rock may be traced in • southwest
terlv direction completely across ihe peniasuki, the opposiie» ot
DQf therly shore, is not less marked by the occurrence (^ lim*^
rock, which stretches in a like manner, southwesteriy to LaJce
MicM^n. This limestone forms several of the headbods and
sipall islands of Saginaw bay and Lake Huron^ and also ocoa^
sioaaliy appeara in thp beds of the atreaatis» giving riso to capidt
near their places of embouchure.
hi proceeding northerly from the naoutk of Sagin»w ri«er^
liinesloae is first noticed, forming the very extremity of PoiDt aa
. Grais. Quarries, have been opened here, and a nongh* buiMiiig
stone obtained. It is of compact slrudure, tolerably adapted to
resist the action of the elements^ aod being situated as itfis» in.
such a manner that the stone may be readily quarri|9d aixl trana*
ported»it is a point from which the country in the vteinily of Sat.
ginaw river may be more economically supplied, with thisohftsaor