, 1877-09-01
OSHKOSH.

r.
Effect upon the CIsy-An Alleged Lack of
1lustneaa Enterpri*c.
!spsetat CoFrrspordtnee NJ The Tribune.
OSHKOSH. Wie., Aug. 29.-ln former Years
this city was regarded ~ foremost a,nanz the
prosperous and growing young cities OF the
| West, and destined to become an imx,rtant
manufacturing point Of the State. Situated at
! The mouth OF the For River. It naturally be-
came the uolut Tor Tho worktnR-up OF the vast
forests Of psue bordering On that river
and hs tributaries. Mills we're .rerted nI!
along the rive: here; the demand for men to
work them attractcd immigration; and the
c'ty's groxth. from lis first settlement was
marveuusly rapid. The Fox and Volt Rivers.
uavlgable each for orcr 100 miles up. flowed
through section Of farming county sur
passing In richness Of soil any other portion
uf Wisconsin, tho products Of witch naturally
found I market here. In Tact, all the trade and
traffic Of the whole surrounding territory were,
by reason OF the facilities Of communication
afforded by these rivera and by Lake Winnie
bago. naEncttcalfy drawn hero as tic point
which Nature had Intended Tor their reception,
No effort Was needed thea on tue part Of her
citizens to enhance her prosperity; her natural
advantages alone were sufficient to build up a
thriving city.
Ths manufacture Of lumber was then re-
u1uncfAttvc business, aud to-day the majority
Of our capitalists ars then who begun HE lcre
u common mi.hands, and, by s1gid eIuuot.ty
and hard work, aave becauc n1tli-owners them.
setves. But numbering IL not what It used to
be, and OIL that one industry did tho citv de-.
pend for liz support. No effort has i,ccn u,aas
10 branch out auu diversity her ina,,ui acturcs,
and to the mills only couln the large numaer Ut
laborcrs tu Lhc city look lur clnp!oy,uent, Tlh
klUy anil fiuuIjatitltft RrhtGtt
lion 6y water Eins tcea Buperscdcd Iy tue n,ufu
direct and rapfd rai!ruatt, which, run.
mug around Us and critcrlng IN otiler
anu products Of the etIusta'tly-lcvelupln9 agrl.
cultural country that ltal before ccntcseI beec
The vast p!ac-iurcsts. lrom which the city had
| 60 long drawn ler prosperity, cuuli nut last
forever. Years Of v,us,ant cutting to iertl tie
sGufe OF more u mills nrte have cuu.pcIeL Iui1.
bcs1ncn u ~ tatther awuy irum tllr strcau1s Tor
their aupp!y Of logs.-thus lscecssllatlug lOlg-
r. haul sIt E1; x[sater expense J.. gs.ttly then.
ttmber teea'lle tcnrecr md farther away, ulil.
owners hare found tilctr margtn u proIt
ts'tnlnlshing; have tound themselves less able
to eotul,ete with other pola.4, ''aarer the sourrt
Of supply, In selling their lumber; u,l have been
compelled either to clOsc their mills altogether,
Ut Inuve them to q uIore favorable polnl. moi
Ole u tue mills dcstroye.' br tuc great fire VI
any of the succeeding i!rcs has been rchtflt.
the machinery Vi some u thu mllls has Lect,
taken out aud Removed hear thu raw product,
but by fur thr greater tll,tnber llayc beea shut
down entirely. Out VI total OF twcuty y-seyr1
saw.tnllls here, upon Which ncurly MI ol tnr
worf,ne.class d city Of lso09 inhabitants de-
pended fur employment, ou1y ak or seven are
running this seasou. aud thcse arc run by uwil-
crs of p.ue-l4nIs, to SAW UP wAat tlIcy could
not lfspute vi In The rough.
THIS gradual clustnE oi The mills here, Will.
no other Industry coming ln to TIT the void leit
by them, tsas thrown large number Ut ulcsl out
fwork and caused an EXODUS Ut ,,coptc IRON tile
city. This. III turn t1as eiusuu np u uumhey of
bus|ncss-houses, Tor want Ut support, forced
others into bankruptcy, and |ias llai u dcprcss-
Lug etfccs OIL The surviving ut.cs. 4 urge
atloitnt Ut property has been thsuwn III the
tuarkct for salr, iur which ticre Is nu dr,aaul
whatever, aud real estate bus conscqurl;iy
leprrcated ncasly " per cent within tho
lust two YEARS. lu order tu rcu,il, alter tic
Krent lire. owners OF property 1t, the business
portion VI tho city wgft compelled tD H1urt.
Eagc heaytly,-lnl,urlng under tue uctuslop, In.
splrcd by tlle press here at tlat TING, ti,ut ttu
city hatI bright career ut prosperity before It;
that, II tic citizens showed resuperattre pluck
tu rebuilding, It would attract outside cupilul;
and that property, instead Of dgprrviating
would enlancr In value under the ttlercusyl ~.
tuaud fur Investment crr. With tl,iY cheerful
picture before thctn, tlle blslnpss streets were
soon lined with better class u buildings than
before the fire, and rcnts were fixed ut exurbi-
tant figures. How sa,!lY they wure llsap-
potn:cd. the numerous vacant business blocks IN