Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1854-01-30
For the Grant County Herald.
CHARCOAL TIMBER SEIZURES


CHARCOAL TIMBER SEIZURES.
Mr.. EDrToR: am almost sorry that
| live under government, that yet
hangs on to the old ieudal aristocracy.
It makes me ashamed Of my country, to
see poor day laborers arrested, under
the idea that the cutting Of timber is a
penal crime and posted off to prison to
await trial; when theGovernm't Of the
country has induced early and frontier
settlement, and Of course all the natural
resources of the land are at their com
mand. The next thing will be to inter-
dict trappers and hunters. Yesterday
five men were arrested here, some for
cutting wood 10 make coal for smithing
here, and others for cutting railroad
Ties, on the islands of the Wisconsin riv-
err Next, and know of no reason
why, every farmer and settler in the
country, who gets load of rails or fire.
wood, will De required to walk the plank.
soy lei as haze all citizens treated alike :!
Why does Deputy Marshal come TO
Millville and seize a few poor boys,
when he passes hundreds Of farmers. on
each side of the road on his way, who
are equally guilty, and have been at 1t
for nsay years, fencing in large farms
and not raj on tie farm, but was ta-
ken from unentere3 lands.
! see by the report Of tie Department
that not one dollar of fines and proGac1s
of the sales of timber has yet reached
the Treasury; how is this ? are we to
be leached in this way? is She labor Of
the poor man all to pass through the toll
dish Of few petty officers; that he, like
ia Baron, may have his rent; assuming
US all to be slaves, and he to riot on our
earnings ? If men will endure it they
will endure any thing that is indignant.
This land by inviolation is made the
home of the poor of all nations; and are
they rot to have the comforts of life as
a consequence We are all tresspas-
sers; but not on the u. S. Government :;
but rather on the original owners OF the
country, the native Indians.
The Eastern States are benefited too
by our western tres pass, cheap pro-
vision is the direct result, and man is
directly benefited thereby.
Away then with this narrow short
sighted pilfering off the western man,
who with bold heart and strong arm,
paves the way Of civilization.
Farmers are more Interested in this
than any other class of men; will you
pay tithes to few pets who are appoin-
ted to fleece you? Say whom we will
serve, yourselves CT others?
This timber law seems TO have lain
dormant for twenty years. obsolete as
it were, against every description Of Tim :
Der, except live oak and red cedar, for
navy purposes; and now seems to be re-
vived, or rather for the first time bro't
into action, only to fill the pockets of a
few government pets.
There have thousands OF dollars been
collected by the sale of logs and lumber
III Wisconsin, yet not dollar finds its
way into the Treasury. How could the
country below this have been settled,
had not men gone iato the pine woods
in the upper country long before the
lands were IN market, or even surveyed,
the whole country both east, west and
lsonrn, IS under ooagarlon- 10 these assu-
med frespassers, for the early means and
facilities to occupy the rich prairies of
the West. Forts are built to induce ex-
tended settlements, and then when the
poor wight enters the trap he is to be
robbed of the product of his toll
The laac as fatty unjust, and therefore
was rendered obsolete, until recently it
has been discovered, it could be made to
subserve certain interest, and few
would be gamers.
Let every man speak his sentiments,
and then men may know who are the ru-
lers Of the land. j. WARNER.
Millville, Jan. Is.