History of Ottawa County, Michigan with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers.

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HISTORY OF OTTAWVA COUNTY.

77

was also involved in the geileral material loss from which the place
has not yet recovered. After this year he slowly succumbed to tire
disease which had, long troubled him and which filled his last
days with excruciating suffering. As he was able, lie devoted his
time to the general interests of the people and especially to the institution, of whose council he was the President until his death,
which took place on the 7tb of November, 1876.,In summring up a brief diescription of the man, we may say, he
may fairly be classed among the remarkable men of Michigan. No
one ever came in contact with him without carrying away the impression that there was an unmeasured degree of force in him.
Small of stature,,his presence was still noble. He had a fine face, regular in its outline, with~ deep lines of thought, aind a twinkle
in the brightt eye, generally stern andl direct —which hinted at a
latent humor. Almost always serious and in terrible earnest, he
could at times unbend and prove himself a most agreeable compazn

pointed a committee to wait upon thle Government with a proposi*tion to colonize in the Dutch East Indies, and locate upon thee
highlands of Java. The reply was that the Government had no
authority to sanction such a movement upon the religious basis on
which it was proposed. The Cape of Good Hope wvas the next

point wvhich received their attention, and lastly America was considered.
During the spring of 1846, and before any organization or system of emigration had been perfected, two persons, Miessrs. A. Hartgerink and J. Arnold, started for this country. Their friends fitted
them out for the voyage, and the dutcons of the church collected
money and clothing for them. They were sent out to make a preliminary examination here and report to the brethren in the old country. Dr. Van Raalte gave them the necessary letters of introduction
to Dr. De W~itt and others. After their arrival they forwarded an
extended account of their trip and observations h~ere, w~hich account
was favorably received in Holland. It was a voluminous document,
the postage on the same amounting to eleven guilders.
In the summer of 1816, the R,3v. Thom-as De Whitt, D. D., of
New York, was sent by the General S~ynod of the Reformed (Dutch)
Church? of Amnerica, on an official mission to Hollan~d. The extent

of thle settlement of the colony.
"'Although the Americans recommendeed the localities near rivers,
and in generall deemed it too greatIPR. a hazard to settle.~l here; althoughl rr
the Hollatnders avoided the forests, occasioning a great struggle to
subject my family and myself to the inconveniences of such pioneering; nevertheless, the combination of so many advantages, althzough

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