Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1866-09-04

/ GA anu NIAlluCSOli are inc Only uCflu.
ern states that contain pine in great
quantities. Ofthese Maine isaueady
nearly harvested and immense tracts
have been cleared in the othcrthrec.
At the present rate of destruction we
shall get out and must resort to in
ferior material for building or import
from the Pacific coast. Why then
should men be indGlged in cutting
down and burning this valuable tim.
Der tor the sake Of few acres Of
I poor land to starve on Are; there
no open prairies made ready for the
/ plow ? Are we really reduced TO this
extremity. The same proyident
hand that stored up coal IN the earth
ages ago made the prairie and the
forest. What more could he have
done to indicate the proper uses Of
each ] DO not wonder that the peo~
/ pla who 20 lnto these woods to vio-
late the unmistakable purposes Of the
Creator are smitten with agne But
disease does not stop the work The
children die, it is true, and the parents
bury them, but fresh hands come from
the east and renew languid combat.
And thus the work goes on at an inn
mense sacrifice. Few Of the pioneers
rcmain-the grave gathers the largest
part of them, and the rest come to
their senses and move off to the prai
RE. Communities have deemed the
trout, the deer and other animals Of
sufficient importance to protect them,
but what are these compared with
the pine ?
If you pass these woods in Spring
time you viii find chcquer berries,
and the trailing arbuters-thc latter
is a rare flower and for beauty and
perfume is unsurpassed. Before
noon | had got out Of the pine into
the beach and maple. The soil is
richer which produces beach and ma
pie. Houses began to appear. At
first they were new, small, and I'M
painted. The same conflict, between
the axe and fire and the ADORE gines
on the other, was visible Men were
chopping, and women and children
were burning. Some families had
Just come in, erected shanty with
slabs from the nearest mill, and all
hands had turned out TO clean up
garden spot. A man with whom |
stopped for dinner praised up their
markcts-they could get $50 for
wheat, 80 cents for butter, $500 for
hay. ! asked him how large Il farm
tie had he said one hundred acres.
asked how much Of it was pIoW land
he said sixteen acres was cleared Of
everything but the stumps. The man
who can sell wheat and butter OF Of a
sixteen acre farm must have 4 good
deal Of ague in his family.
From this vicinity to Grand Rapids
where the wealth and population Of
western Michigan eliminates in a
city OF twelve thousand inhabitants,
there is an inc, leasing series ii respect
to houses and farms. 1t is like aru-
raj village the whole way-as when
All Ola mans relations settle around
/ him. | passed four schools in as
many miles. The buildings were
neat structures and the two at which
| called had good order and uniform
system. The teachers had evidently
attended associations and become ac-
quainted with the present methods
otteaching. The surface Of the conn
try III this part OF the State IS flat
and seems lows, water stands IN
pools along the road or finds It's way
SLUGGISH brooks to the large streams:
there are no springs, but by every
door there is blue or red post with
n handle-one or two strokes Will
bring the water. These pump posts
are carried about the country in long
wagons and rctailed out to farmers
wells to put them in cen tc had
by digging a few feet. Beyond the
realm of stumps the country is pleas
ant to travel in The farms run
from forty to one hundred acres and
on each stands white house of size
and Architecture proportionate to the
value OF the farm Nearly all OF the
houses have blinds, which are u great
improvement anywhere. The orr
chards Of apple trees-the cherries In
; white bloom-the door yards mclos-
cd hy neat fences-the green mead
ows matted with grass which is no
where winter killed. and the thrifty
patches of wheat are suggestive OF
ahluence, and yen forget that every
gpring and fall these people atone tor
their luxuries by doing penancc to the
ague.
Grand Rapids is city built up by
the lumber and plaster interests. Ii
claims to be the second city IN the
state and is the center OF trade for
western Michigan. OF plaster it i
the only emporium in Mich. and they
come from all parts to get it. The
farmers in the southern part OF the
state and in northern Indiana are de
, pendant on plaster for the wheat and
clover crop. Plaster is made from
gypsum, i species Of limestone, by
grinding 1t to -four. Its chief v;r.
; tue is in retaining moisture around
the roots of plants.
From Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo
there is a plank road. The distance
3 is forty eight miles and the road i.
: straight. There are no considerable
5 towns along the route but number
/ of little settlements have sprung NJ
in anticipation OF railroad. Tbs
, I,+to, ,,0,fion of his routn * thp finest