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A SKETCH OF LUCIUS LYON by GEORGE H. WHITE
While enjoying it he did not lose sight of his main object to get into some permanent business, in which he might embark and acquire a competency. He became acquainted with the business men of Detroit, and those who came there, and sought and acquired all information that could possibly bear upon his main object. In this way he acquired and put away a great mass of facts that afterwards became useful to him. He formed the acquaintance of a deputy United States surveyor, from whom he learned, by dint of inquiry, without announcement of his purpose, all the details of field work as practiced here, and the particulars and details of camp life, while surveying in the woods. Through this deputy he met the then surveyor general of the northwest, whose headquarters and office were at Cincinnati, and then after forming his acquaintance, and impressing him favorably, he sought from him and obtained an appointment of deputy surveyor. He and Mr. Farmer severed their school relations but not their friendship, which remained warm as long as they both lived. In 1823 Mr. Lyon formed his party and went into the woods to survey, under contract, a portion of Uncle Sam's domain. The life of a surveyor in the wilds in those days had sufficient of danger and of
incident, hair-breadth escapes and pleasant and unpleasant, surprises, to relieve it of monotony, especially to one possessing the scientific tastes and knowledge that he did. Mr. Lyon was always remarkable for one good trait too often found wanting, namely, regularity and promptness in answering letters* and keeping up correspondence. The minuteness of his record of the events of his daily life contained in his correspondence with his own family were invaluable.
Michigan
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