A LITTLE TRIP TO THE U.P.

A LITTLE TRIP TO THE U.P.

(Frazer Chronicle)

Reflecting is a wonderful thing, everybody does it, and really it's good to do, reflecting kind of clears the head, either shows how lucky you are, or where you need to improve yourself.....to get to that better place where most of us aspire to be.

The "natives" of the Upper Peninsula are basically a good group of hard working people, like most across the country, willing to do an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay. However, in the U.P. that usually doesn't happen today. There are a tremendous number of people working in the service industry, servers, cooks, dish washers, gas station attendants and store clerks.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with these jobs, or with the people manning these positions, the pay however, leaves much to be desired, and there absolutely no future in such a position. It is, at this time, the nature of the employment beast in the Upper Peninsula.

I am researching material for a book that I am going to write, and during the course of that research, I was looking up home addresses of some of the people that worked in the mining industry during the first 3 decades of the 20^th Century. I was in awe and shocked to discover the opulence that some of these people lived in during the first part of the century.

Without exception, high iron mine company officials lived better then the "good life," they had maids, house boys and in some cases lived in company provided housing. Many of these houses survive a testament to construction and craftsmanship of the time.

What of the "common" folk of that day, well, many of the houses are still standing, still occupied and are still home to laughing children and working mothers and fathers. Some of the homes have remained in the same family for 2 and 3 generations and, with little exception, the houses remain the same with regards to floor plans.

I met an actual lumberjack in his early 60's who has a 70 something helper; these 2 men hit the woods every morning, 5 days a week and put in 10 to 12 hour days. Everybody does whatever he or she has to, to survive, but geez, a 70 something helper.

There were log haulers, excavators, carpenters and masons, many in their middle 60's, most with no plans or 401 K's for retirement. There are a fringe number of men in their early to middle 60's that lost their jobs when the last underground iron mine close in 1976.

There are also men in their 30's, 40's and 50's who have lost their jobs in the 2 open pit mines that are left in Marquette county as the company continues to down-size. These were good paying jobs complete with a benefit package that will never be replaced.

Downsizing is a 2 pronged attack on workers forged by the company, the move does eliminate unnecessary or duplicate jobs, but it can also corral high paying jobs and lower the scale of pay for those remaining, and it sets future salary procedures and practices.

Although Marquette does show some signs of growth, the 2 sister cities, Negaunee and Ishpeming show little signs of movement on an upward scale. Many buildings in both cities are ramshackle, tumbling down conditioned, ready for the wrecking ball.....and it would be shameful to destroy some of these landmark places.

The Upper Peninsula is a very interesting place to visit, a great place to view the pasts and to mingle with the wonderful people of the area. But there is a touch of sadness, a twinkle of unfulfilled potential in their eyes.

The summer's are spectacular albeit several degrees cooler then I like, and it seems that the waters of the lakes are crystal clear, but way to cold to swim in. History oozes from the entire U.P. as no other place in the entire Mid-West.

The food is great, Swedish and Finnish dishes are delicious and the people are basically friendly, and helpful. Make plans to take a visit.....now that gas prices are a bit easier on the wallet, you won't be disappointed, it's a great place.....but don't plan on swimming in Lake Superior, it's really, really cold.