New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-01-01
THE GREAT WILDERNESS.


day a savage wilderness, surrouhaea " TO-
Of settled and ;hickly peOpled country. Ia
N. b.srt If shis wilderness the Hudson taxes
;s r;.s with the Au.Sable, Sarsnac, Kegs no
ouette, Oswegatclie, and Black rivers'aha mo"
1c,h, ,r;hr,sr;es of the Mohawk. it IS an eie-
waited. rugged region, often rising ih.o "'a"'
t,ins whose higher SUBMITS are barely oe'o" 'ne
line Of perpetual frost, end again sabsid'ns INTO
rurerous lakes of every size and FORM gener'
.llv from 900 TO 500 feet above tide'water
The great County of Hamilton, containing
some ! 500 square miles ard having about An
canal number Ct inhabitants, Is the center oil
this region. but il overflows into Warren rs
GOV Franklin. 81. Lawrence and Herklmer
Counties The soil is in good part stony and
sterile, but there are many valleys which, II
cleared and cultivated, would be very product
i've of Grass and Vegetables, though probably
too snowy for Wheat and certainly too frosty
for Indian Com. A spirited effort has been
made to pierce this wild region lengthwse by
Railroad from Saratoga to Sackett's Hsrbor,
for which the State readily granted
liberal Charter and preferred 10 whom
soeyer would build il 100000 acres OF
State land at the nominal price oil hve
cents per acre. We understand 'ha'
marty has offered TO make the road Al indi'
y6uals would give 250, 900 acres more OF land
and subscription to that end has been opened
but we do not hear that it has been filled.
Some of the shrewdest operators in wild lands
doubt the completion OF this work within the
next dozen years. If il were built 10 would
immensely increase the value of the fertile
lands and timber; but its ultimate effect on
the rivers. in diminishing their sources during
the long heats cf summer and increasing tho
hight of their freshets, are also TO be consid
cred.
The Great Wilderness is heavily timbered
with Pine, Hemlock, Spruce, Beach, Maple.
Ash, &c, with Oak in some narrow localities.
1t is of course The scene of extensive Lumber
ing operations, carried on by individuals and
firms, who are generally owners of one or more
townships of land thereon. from which they
are cutting of the Pine, and in many cases tho
Hemlock and Spruce also, to be RATED down
the brooks ard rivers at high water and sawed
into Boards, Plank Lath, &c, at the saw
mills usually located at or near the point OF
contact between the Wilderness and the Civil
lied region which surrounds it. The high
prices of Lumber now ruling have doubtless
given additional impetus to these operations,
in spite of the corresponding high prices Of
Forage, Food, &c, and some concerns are
now numbering where their Hay costs them
$35 per tun. Some rely entirely on the Wild
Hay growing on the untimbered Sw amps, Bea
yer Meadows &c, well backed by Meal and
Grain and few have hitherto cleared of con.
siderable areas ofievel, fertile land, whereOnto
SOW Oats and Grass-Seed, 50 as 10 avoid the
heavy cost of introducing Hay. The Adiron-
dack Ironworks are in the heart Of this wild
region, but have been for some time silent and
deserted, after involving their owners in very
heavy expense aud loss. Possibly the present
prices of Iron may start them again in the
Spring.
Long Lake, by far the largest body Of water
in the Great Wilderness, empties into the St.
Lawrence through the Roquette, and Is sur
rounded by heavy body of Pine. But Logs
n the ROquette are worth quarter to third
less than in the Hudson; and as the extreme
source Of the Hudson is Round Pond, only
two miles from Long Lake. with belt Of
swamp between them, the enterprise Of cutting
Canal through this belt, whereby logs can DO
RATED from Long Lake into Round Pond, and
30 down the Hudson, is seriously meditated.
1t could be accomplished forthwith but Cor tho
opposition Of persons interested in numbering
down the Roquette, who apprehend g diversion
Of thewater Of that stream into the Hudson
consequently diminution Of its water and In
creased impediments to rafting. 1t is probable
that an attempt will be made next season to
effect the connection in such manner as TO OBJ
viate this difficulty.
The season has thus far been unfavorable 70
LAUNDERING, and run Of logs by no means pro.
pOrtioned to the force employed in cutting is
expected. The SHOWS are yet light, and the
swamps and springy places are not frozen in
those dense woods sufficiently to bear lumber.
ing teams. However, much of the lumber cut
last winter has not yet come into market and
much Of that cut the present season will not
ind its way to Albany and our City before
1854 Rafting depends on freshets, and tim
Der is now cut in places deemed inaccessible
few years ago. The increased price of Boards
nov justifes the ascent of brooks formerly
deemed impracticable, and induces team'ng
from tie highest hills where Pine will grow TO