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

LANSING TOWNSIIIP AND CITY, WITHI HISTORY

551

the twentieth time that the iron has been procured for laying the
track on the Ram's Horn to Michigan Avenue. We admonish our
citizens to give aid in the work of grading."
Imagine, if you can, a newspaper 60 years later, asking the citizenry to turn out and bend their backs as a public spirited endeavor in behalf of a railroad.
On May 7, 1862, the following freight rate schedule was published in the State Republican, as follows:
Class. 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
Detroit to Owosso................. 30 28 21 17
Owosso to Lansing.................. 15 12 9 8
45 40 30 25
Flour and wheat appear to have had a special classification.
Flour per barrel from Detroit to Lansing was 40 cents; wheat per
100 pounds was a total of 21 cents.
SINK HOLE MAKES TROUBLE.
May 21, 1862, slow progress on the "sink hole" is reported.
This "sink hole" it appears was in the "big marsh" just north of
Lansing. The editor later tells of visiting the bridge over the
"sink hole" and assures the public that the bridge is all right, but
that he gravely doubts if the foundation of the bridge over the
"sink hole" is sufficiently broad and has had enough logs dumped
into it. Editors did not shy from engineering opinions even in
those days.
Aug. 6: "The contractors have surrendered the job of filling
the 'sink hole' to the enterprise of the city."
There must have been giants in Lansing in those days, for on
Aug. 27 the State Republican states that the "sink hole" has been
overcome.
Oct. 8, '62: "The management of the Ram's Horn says that the
iron will be down in two weeks to Franklin ave."
Oct. 29, '62: "Trains will be run to Ballard road tomorrow."
Nov. 5, '62: "Iron laid into the city."
Nov. 19, '62: "The cars are now running to Franklin st."
"Cars running to Franklin st.!"
Lansing gets its railroad and yet the paper of that day contents