Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1871-03-03


Now, sir, would not have it by
any means inferred from this, that the
gentleman from Minnesota would in
sinuate that the people out in his sec
| ton desire this timber merely for the
purpose of fencing up their farms, so
that their stock may not wander of
and die of starvation among the bleak
hills of the st. CroiX. Laughter |
read it for no such purpose, sir, and
make 10 such comment on it myself.
in confederation of this statement OF
| this gentleman from Minnesota, l find
this testimony given by the honora-
| ble gentleman from Wisconsin, Mr.
Washburn.] Speaking of these same
| lands he says:
Under the bill, as amended by my
| friend from Minnesota. ninetenths of
| the land is open toactual sett e.S at &. 10
per acre the remaining One-tenth is
pinetimbered land, that is not fit for
| settlement and never will be settled
upon; but the timber will be cut off.
J | admit that it is the most valuable
| portion of the grant, for most of the
| grant is not valuable. 1t is quite val
uelesss; and if you put in this amend
ment of the gentleman from Indiana
| you may as well just kill the bill, for
no man and no company will take the
grant and build the road.
| simply pause here to ask some gen.
| tleman, better versed in the science of
mathematics than l am to tell me if
| the timbered lands are in fact the most
valuable portion of that. section of
country, and they would be entirely
valueless without the timber that is on
them, what the remainder of the land
is worth which has 10 timber on it
ut all? Laughter.
But further on | find q most enter
| tanning and instructive interchange of
views between the gentleman from Ar
kansas, lMr. Rogers the gentleman
from Wisconsin, (Mr. Washburn, J
and the gentlemen fIom Maine, Mr..
Peters upon the subject of pine lands
generally. which | will tax the pa
thence of the House to read:
MIR. Rogers. Will the gentleman
allow me to ask him question?
Mr.. Washburn, of Wisconsin, Ger
tainly.
"Mr. Rogers. Are these pine land.
e. tirely worthless except for timber?
Mr.. WaShhurn, of w .scOnSin.-
They are generally worthless for any
other purpose. | am perfectly familiar
With that subject. These laid are not
| valuable for purposes o. settlement.
Mr.. FarnswOrth. They will be aft
or the timber'is taken off.
"Mr. Washburn, of Wisconsin. No,
sir
Mr. Rogers. / want to know the
character of these pine Lands.
MIR WaShburn, of Wisconsin,
They are generally sandy, barren lands.
My friend from the Green Bay Dis
-trict T Mr. Saver |, is himself perfectly
familiar with this question, and he
will bear me o@t i'm what ! say, that
these prc timh or lands aie not adap-
ted to settlement.
"Mr. Rogers. The pine lands to
which am accustomed are generally
very GOOD. What | want to know is
what is the difference between our
pine lands and your pine lands?
Mr.. Wa>hburn, OF Wisconsin. The
pine timber OF Wisconsin generally
grows upon barren, sandy land. The
gentleman from Maine. MIR. Peters,
who is flmliar with pine lands, will
have no doubt, say that pine timber
grows generally upon the most barren
lands.
"Mr. Peters. As n general thing
pine lands are not worth much for cul-
tivation."
And furth n on find this pregnant
question. tn joint production of the
| two gentlemen from Wisconsin
MIR. Paine. Does my friend from
Indiana suppose that in any event set
tiers will occupy and cultivate these
pine lands?
Mr.. Washhurn, of Wisconsin. Par
| tiIularly without railroad ?"
Yes, sir, particularly without a
railroad" 1t will he asked after awhile
am afraid, if settlers will go any
where unless the Government builds
railroad for them to go on. Laugh
| ter.
| desire to call attention to only one
more statement, which think sutfici-
ent to settle the question. 1t Is one
made by the gentleman from Wiscon-
sin, Mr.. Paine, who says:
"These lands will he Abandoned for
| the present. 1t may be that at some
remote period there will spring up in
that region new kind of agriculture
which will cause n demand for these
particular lands; and they may then
come into the use and be Valuable for
agricultural purposes. But l know,
and | cannot help thinking that my
| friend from Indiana understands, that
| for the present, and for many years to
come, these pine lands can have no
possible value other than that arising
from the pine timber which stands on
them"
Now, sir, who after listening to this
emphatic and unequivocal testimony
of these intelligent, competent, and
able-bodicd witnesses, [laughter;] who
Ithat is not a. incredulous as st. Thorn
7 as himself. will doubt for a moment
! tile Goshen of America is to be found
| i'm the sandy valleys and upon the
pine-clad hills of the st. Croix =
| Laughter Who will have the hardi-
! dood TO rise in his seat IN this floor
and assert that, excepting the pine
| bushes the entire region would not
! produce vegetation enough in ten
| wears to fattCm grass-hOpper? lGreat
| laughter. Where is the patriot who
| is willing that his country shall incur
the peril of remaining another day
without the amplest railroad connec-
| llOil Will St1tii an
of agricultural wealth? Laughter. ]
! Who will answer for the consequences
of abandoning a great and warlike
people, i'm possession of country like
| that. TO brood over the indifference and
neglect of their Government? Laugh
teri How long would it be before
they would take to studying the Dec
laration of Independence and hatch
ing out the damnable heresy of secess-
ion? How long before the grim de-
mon of civil diScOrd would rear again
his horrid head in our midst, "gnash
loud his iron iangs and shake his crest
of bristling bayonets ?" Laughter
Then, sir, think of the long and
painful process of reconstruction that
must follow with its eCncomitant
amendments 10 the Constitution: the
seventeenth, eighteenth and nine
teenth articles. The sixteenth, it is
of course understood. is to lie appro-
priated to those blushing dansels who
1 are. day after day, beseeching us to let
| them vote. hold office, drink cocktails,
ride astradle, and do everything else
/ tho mon dc ROarS of laughter l But