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Chelsea

Chelsea image
Parent Issue
Day
11
Month
November
Year
1885
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Ye scribe of tbe Couhier shouldered "Champion No. 2," pocketed a "block" o '"' pnyui-, Monday a. m., and took th train lor Chelsea. It had been a perloi of 15 years since setting foot on Cliclsea' soil, and he as hardly prepared for tlie great chance he saw. Solid and substantial brick blocks lnel the busines streets when there were only woodei ones, while many eutirely new structures had grown up as the business of the piuca Liad dereloped and reqoired greater facilities and more room. About tlie only haildlug that looked at all familiar was the oíd Chelaea house, but alas! that too, will soon be one of tlie tbiogl of tht past, for the present proprietor, H. G Hoajj lias the willis of a liuc new brick hotel ill up, and expects to accuininodatL tlie public tliereln soinetimi; this winter. The lirst lliing to Lreet the eyes ot a visitor in Chelsea is the handsome new station house, or passenger jlepot, whicli the M. C. K. B. has erected here. It is a fine structure, giving one a favorable impresslon of the place at the oulset. BUSINESS. The business of Clielssea is too extensive to go luto minute deacrlptlon. There are several blocks Uned witb substantial buildings In whlch will be found all Unes of merchandise to be Ibund In iny place, drygoods, groceries, hardware, drugs nnd inuilicines, furniture, ur.holstery, cverytliiujr In fact, is well representad. The two leaders, perhaps, in the dry goods and grocery tracle are the houses of II. S. Holmes & CV., and Parker, Kempf &. Scheock, eitlier one a credit to the place, wliile Bacon's hardware store is famous in all Uiat section. There are TWO BANKS, one is the Chelsea Saviiigs Bank, witli that splendid old line gentleman, Hou. S. G. Ives, as president, and the popular young man Geo. P. Glazier, as cashier. The last statement of this bank Sept. Ist, showed deposits amoanting to f94,089.75; cash, -2,:i(iV 51 ; and capital and earningg. t5S.581.T4. M iny banks in larger The t her i the private banking house or K. ïvenipt CÍ iJro.. the present popular state senator from this county, Reuben Kempf, bing the actlye member of tlie lirm, with John A. Palmer as cashier. Mr. Palmer, by-the-way, was a member of the 4th Michigan cavalry, and partlclpated In the capture of Jeli' Duvis, when that famous ex-con fedérate tried to play the petticoat dodge and masqueraded in women's clothes in a vain hope of tliua eaoaplng. The bright eyes of Michigan soldiers could not thua be hood-winked, t will be remembered. The deposits in this bank, Senator Kempf tells us, reaches 5125,000, but being a private institution it s not obliged to publish regular statements. THE HRCORD of Chelsea's business men is nstonishing. We are told there has been but two failures in the place In upwards of 17 years, and those were not serious ones. Enquirng Into the habits of these men we find them all temperance men, there being scarcely a business man in Chelsea that tastes a drop of liquor. And what is still more encouraging a large majority of them are ardent republicans, as might be expected uuder the circumstanccs. It is said of Chelsea that more wool is ¦klppod from here thau from any other station on the line of the Michigan Central, save Kalamazoo, 500,000 Iba. being he figures for one year. The sliipments of wheat, corn and live stock is very gri'at, the principal buyers being Kempf iros., Wood Bros., Qilbert fc Crowell, Win. Judson and Geo. Taylor. There is also a first-class grist mili, doing a big business, the property of L. E. Sparks. One of the important industries here is FULIT KVAPOHATION. There are two establishments, one owned by Jas. L. Gilbert, another by iabcoek & Bachinan. Air. Gilbert kindly howed usthe modus operamH of this paricular imlustry. Applea, of all kinds, ies and descrlptiona are brought here, run tl:rough machines that pare, core, and shce them up, all at one swoop, so to peak. The fruit Is then dumped into a wooden drawer and put into a bleacher and given a brimstoue bath. From there t is spread on trajs whicli are placed in mmense evaporators, the heat being furïished by wood furnaces, and kept there intil thoroughly dry and brittle as a dry cracker. Upou being taken out of these evuporators the fruit is pilad in heaps in the storage room above, and undergoes the process of sweating or curlng, the same as hay cures in the sun. It is then racked into 50 lb. boxes, the packers takng great palni with tlie bottom and top ayer, making them all even and unibrm. Xothing is wasted, the parings, :ores, etc, being "cured " and sold to the elly manufactories in Chicago and elsewhere for l1 or 2 ets. per lb., and out of this refuse is made the apple, currant, or any other sort of jcll whicli 3Tour grocer may have to sell by the puilt ui. This establishment uses from 135 to 150 bushels of apples per day and employs ten girls and t h fee men in the day time, (and two men at nijilit to keep the dryers golDf) ihe girls getttng 50 ets. per day. This y:ar 7,000 bushels of apples will be used, about half of whicli are already evaporated. Last j'car Mr. Gilbert paul out $2,000 for labor alone. He pays 15 ets. per bushel for apples this year, and sells the evaporated fruit for from 7 to 8 cents pet n. Another industry is the creamery operated by tlie Chelsea Creamery Co., Jas. L. Gilbert, superiuteudent. The' butter made here finds ready sale at 25 ets. per Ib., at the iowest, and U gilt-edged. It would take a chapter by tself to give a descrlption of this establishment, where everything ig neat and clean. 'i'licn comes the poultry baaÜteM whicli is extensivcly canied on here by livn firms, the Chelsea Poultry Co., and A. Steger. The former lias six acres of ground devoted to the business, and a building sotne 250 feet long, lieatcd by stciim, where chickens are nrtllicially hatchcd. These f Irma are coiistantly Snipping chickena, eggs, etc. There are two printing offices, the Chelsea Herald, publisued by Tlios. Holmes, and the Echo, by A. Allison who formerly owned and sold out the Ilerald. Mr. Holmes bas the old established office, and issues a fivc column weekly, ü'lled wlUJ local aud other matter, of a readable nature, and to whose kindness wc are indebted for niuch Information relativo to the place. The enterprise of this place is seen in little tliings as woll as great ones. Jaké tiie whortleberry seuson for inslance. Men interested in the matter take out pieken to the swamps in the morning and return theni n the cvening, togetlier with the fruit picked. Wcreeieh perMW left to piek the berriet na they miglit choose, very few shipments would bc mudo, for the pickcra cou.'d not sffbrd to go back and forth at thuir own expense. As it is, an average of 100 basbela ï whortleberries per day ar shtpped from Chelsea during the sea.son BTotwlUutandlOg that there are two fruit drying establishment bere, iniuiense quantities of apples ar; shlpped, it being one ot the most import mt points on the road in this respect, tbs figure of ten reaching 10,000 bushels. There is also a eider mili here which Bro. Holmes didn't cali our attentiou to. There are two lawyers in the place, M. J. Lehman and Geo. AV. Turnliull, bdt the inhabilants are peaceable and tlirifly ïotwitlisUndiiig, so peaoaable that even thedogs partake of the general liappiness, each othcr lusteed of fighting as doge ulu%-JUo-o aro n-vut to llJ. Wliile in the line of public buildings the line Town hall, centrally located, nust not be overlooked. It is a substantial brick structure, where public meetngs.of all kiuds, elections, etc, are held, and has a seating capacity of some 600. Jnder the stnge is airanged a kitchen for ,he use of social, suppcr and likc occasions. There is also a large skatlug rink, reaching through from oneslrcet to another nearly, but the craze for whicb is said to be sadly decliuing. The destinies of the place are presided over by a president, Dr. Thos. 8uaw, who Is also health offleor) a clerk or recorder, G. A. BeGole, and a council of lx city fathers, selected from the btUteOM nen of tlie place. Everything in and about Chelsea dcïotes its enterprise and thrift. Tlie houses are all freshly painted and trim; many of the lawns are beautifully kept, and new residences are going up on all Ides. There isn't k street in the town nat has the appearance of having a hiftless or slovenly family living on it. L'hese words are not " taü'y " but candid. ober trntli. 11URCHES. The Methodist, Congregational, Prcsytcrian, Catiiolic aud Luthuran denomnations are represented here by churches, everal of the edilices being substantial )rick ones. The moral and spiritual ffairs of the people are well cared for y these pastors. The Methodists, byhe-way, are making quite extensive reairs to their ediiirc. THE SCHOOLS. For the past four or flve years Prof. P. SI. Parker has presidod over the schools of the place and giveu excellent satisfacion. He is assisted at present by Maty i. Wright, Libbie Drew, Tillie Mutschel, Dora llarrington, Cora A. I.ewis, Miry and Sarah Van Tyne. The school buildng is a substantial two story briek buildng, centrally located. The yards, lawns, nd outbuildingj are all kept in the very neatest of order. We understand that he shool rooms are eo overcrowded that a n ew building will be a necessity in the near future. Wbeu it is built it is hoped hat the present sensible course will be pursued of confín ing it to two stories in ïeigbt, for land is cheaper tlian the musclcs and health of teachers and childen. The school building that towera abore two stories In beight, it Ib general Iy admitted noW, is an abomination and ought to be prohibltcd. THE CKMETERÍ. In coming from the east and Just before reacbing Clielsen, one passes the Oak Jrove Cemetery, a beautiful picce of God's reen i-arth, comprising souic ten or more acres. It is kept marvellously clean and neat with line gravelcd walkt and many haudsome marble shafts, vaults, etc.

Article

Subjects
Ann Arbor Courier
Old News