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

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PIONEER HISTORY OF INGHAM COUNTY

venture the assertion that the News never did a better campaign
work than it did for Abraham Lincoln in 1860.
During the progress of the rebellion the News was an earnest
advocate of the Union cause. We believed in the government and
warmly supported every effort to whip the rebels. At that time
we had but two mails a week, and not infrequently the news was a
week old before we could obtain it from the papers. The whole
community was in a state of anxiety and thronged our office to
get any bit of information that might be in our possession.
This state of affairs suggested a little enterprise on our part.
Accordingly we established a private "pony express" on our own
hook between Mason and Jackson. A lad was in readiness every
other day on the arrival of the mail train in Jackson, and obtaining a single daily paper as soon as possible mounted a horse
and came with it to Mason. As soon as he arrived the important
war news was cut out, and all hands would work on it till nearly
morning. At daylight the melodious voice of our devil was heard
in the streets, crying the "Daily News" containing the very leatest
intelligence from the seat of war. In this manner for nearly a
year we appeased the craving appetitie of our citizens for news,
besides reaping a good profit.
As we have menioned before, there were no railroads in Ingham
county in 1859, not even the old "Ramshorn" being in operation.
This was a serious drawback to the prosperity of the county, to
'say nothing of the inconvenience. All products of the county
(maple sugar and black salts) had to be carted to Jackson, a distance of twenty-five miles. The road was through a dense swamp
for a long distance, and this was bridged with logs, forming what
pioneers knew as a corduroy road. The reader can imagine the
pleasure in exporting goods over such a thoroughfare. It took
two days with a good team to make the trip, and often the third
day saw them still on the road. No other remedy was thought of
but a railroad, but to build one seemed almost entirely out of the
question, as there were but few men in the county able to invest in
such an enterprise. We published editorials and communications without number in endeavoring to arouse the public to the
importance of the project. We had no trouble in awakening the
people, but to devise a method whereby the necessary funds could
be raised was beyond our ability. At last a scheme was devised