Source: The Mining Journal
Marquette, Mi.
August 18, 1838

War at Palmer

Negaunee - The people of Palmer, some seven miles south of
this city, are very much wrought over the actions of the con-
tractors who are building the extension of the DSS&A to that
place. There seems to be good reason for criticising the very
arbitrary course which these men are pursuing.

Messers. Ross, Davidson & Coe, the contractors who are build-
ing the extension have under them a large number of sub-contrace
tors. A new county road is being built from here to Palmer, but
this road is not yet completed and will not be for some time, so
the only means of of ingress and egress for the people of Palmer
is the old road. Yesterday the contractors began laying rails
across the roads They did so without planking the crossing so that
the roadway could be used. The matter was brought to the atten-
tion of Mr. Joseph Kirkpatrick, the agent and superintendent of the
men and he want to the contractors about planking the crossing.
In stead of giving him a civil answer he was told that it was
none of his business, and he had nothing to say about how- the
road should be built. Mr. Kirkpatrick then came to Negaunee and
Marshall Cunningham was sent to the scene of the trouble and suc-
ceeded in arranging mattersso that the road will not be blocked up
till the officials of the railway have a change to inspect the road.

The officials of the South Shore are not held blameable for the
trouble, as they knew nothing about the matter, and certainly would
not try to cut the village of Palmer off from all communications
with the rest of the world. It is probable that there will be no
further trouble there. It was a very high handed proceeding, how-
ever, on the part of the contractors, and if any more such affairs
occur, they are liable to find that they cannot build their road
across a public highway in such a manner as to block the latter up
altogether.

Stations - Palmer
PWPL