The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-02-24
From the Gaiena (LH.) advertiser.
Northern Forests.

The development of the system of plank roads,
which is now beginning to unfold its advantages,
will be likely to create large demand Tor the hard
wood timber that abounds so almost inexhaustlbly
on the Mississippi islands in the vicinity OF Lake
Pepin, and for miles above and below, as well as
on the banks of nearly all the great river tributa
res This will enlarge, to very great extent,
what is now comparatively tritling business-that
of hard wood numbering on the Mississippi.
No small share of the fuel consumed in this city,
and much the best in quality, comes down IN the
shape of log RATS from the Mississippi islands The
business is a profitable one, and several mechanics
and others, whose business does not continue
through the winter, arc accustomed to buy raft
two during the season, and spend the leisure OF
the winter in preparing it for market and selllngt
II appears that, if the business entered into on
a scale commensurate with its Importance, 1T might
be made very profitable one, and the price ofiuel
materially lowered likewise Such are the facts
now--and the chances are for very great increase
as the demand rises, on the river being reached at
four or FIVE points by railroads and locomotives
from the East. To make IT more clear that wood
will in all probability be the fuel consumed on all
locomotives we may state that from previous
periments it has come to be doubted whether btu
minous coal will be used as fuel for locomotives for
n long time to come. The coal burned in the To-
comotves of English railroads is all cooked previous
w. no plan having been invented, or discovery
made, by which coal can be made to do the duty
performed by coke and wood and it Is fair to infer
that so long as fuel in the shape Of wood abounds
80 abundantly above, no attempt will be made to
burn coal.
We believe it is pretty well settled that oak and
one or two other varieties Of hard wood afford the
best and cheapest material for planking roads.
This is to be regarded fortunate circumstance,
taking into consideration the Iimitless demand
there will be in ten years for pine lumber, aside
from any such purpose as the construction OF roads
or bridges. In the region south and west OF Lake
Superior, about the head waters of the Chippewa,
ST. Crox, and Mississippi rivers, vast pineres
abound, we have been assured, by gentlemen en-
paped in numbering who have been over the
ground; but, as they are, they may fade away be-
fore demand such as will come up from all the
valley of the Mississippi; and any one who shall
call the attention Of mechanics and builders to the
proprety of the use of hard wood in preference to
pine will confer great and lasting benefit on the
NUMBERING interest of the northwest We subloln
n paragrapl kindred to tns subject from the Min
nesota Pioneer:
sThe numbering hitherto, Of the st. Croix as well
a. of st. Paul and St. Anthony, has been chiefly
confined to the banks Of Rum river, single tribu
tary Of tho Mississippi about one hundred and fifty
miles long, which has its source IN the highlands
between the valleys of the ST. Crsx and MISSISSIPPI
nj and we have learned but little Of the real extent
of the piperies further up the Mississippi By con-
versaton with a gentleman who ia familiar with
the river as far up Pokagoma Falls, we learn
that for about c ghty miles below those falls the Mis-
sissipp river rolls through dense forest of pines
Those pine lands still unccded by the Chppe-
wa Indians. There ought to be treaty made for
all the Chippewa lands cast OF the Mississippi, in.
GLIDING the rich copper mincs bordering on Lake
Superior the timber lands on Mile Lac and Sandy
and Leech lakes, and all the pincries above us. All
the Indians of the northwest ought to be removed
west of the Mississippi river, and have set apart 10
them forever the country west OF the river and
north of line extending from the mouth OF Crow
river TO the Mississippi, good country Tor them
and one where they could receive their annuties
small expense Of transportation to the Government
by way of the Minnesota river"