Pioneer history of Ingham County, compiled and arranged by Mrs. Franc L. Adams, secretary of the Ingham County pioneer and historical society.

INGHIAM COUNTY HISTORY

149

in setting up the type. Possibly one or two typographical errors
may be discovered, the result of that remarkable overturning the
types received in riding fron Grass Lake, and in the hurry and
anxiety to get "to press," not being discovered until too late for
correction:
"Our List."
"We have quite a good list for a newspaper consipering the circumstances under which we started but we need more and have
no time to Canvass for them: will not our friends aid us in this
enterprize. Let evry one circulate a coppy in his vicinity and
give the "New " wide circulation."
If any modern publisher could read No. 1, Vol. 1, of the Ingham
County News without his teeth chattering, he deserves a drillmaster's commission in a regiment of spooks.
The office was located in the second story of Kent and Eddy's
building now owned by Mr. Flora, for which we contracted to
pay fifty cents per week, but afterward varied the bargain by which
Messrs. Kent and Eddy took our old exchanges in payment for
rent. They run a fourth-class whiskey shop, and if we did not
get "steamed up" occasionally it was not because there was any
lack of steam below.
Mason was then but an insignificant little burg, barely entitled
to the name of village. The only important places of business
were the stores of John Coatsworth, J. W. Phelps and Co., and
John Dunsback. Where now stands the beautiful brick row
opposite the Court House was then only a few old rotten wooden
shanties, built in the cheapest manner possible. A little old
"corner grocery" building occupied the corner where Pratt &
Millspaugh's block now stands. There were but five other buildings north on Main street. Maple street was unknown. The
residence and shop of J. L. & C. D. Huntington and the residence
of Peter Linderman, were all the houses between Main street and
the woods east. Main street running south extended only to the
"Hog's Back" where it branched off into the woods in various directions. The forest came up to the very doorstep of the village
on every side, and those fine farms now adjoining were then known
as "the commons."
There was at that time but one church building in the village,