The Spokesrider

Saturday’s ride took me as close as I could get to a place where one straight line intersects another in two places. And yes, this is with normal Euclidean geometry. It’s the place where the surveyor’s baseline which goes across lower Michigan from east to west is crossed by the Michigan meridian. These two lines “govern” the remaining survey of Michigan into townships and sections.

he then wanted to enact an ordinance requiring people doing business with Indians to have whiskey available for sale. That episode epitomizes the urge to regulate. But I have not been able to find the anecdote again, despite much searching. I don’t know if the name of the person was given, but if it was, I’d look hard for more information about him and some way to make a Sunday afternoon bicycle ride out of it.