The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-01-05
A Michigan Letter.


The season in Michigan has been and is most
unusual for the region. There is no snow up
on the ground and no frost in it. The wheat
fields are green, bright and fiourishing, giving
promise, the people say, of an abundant har-
vest. Wheat is the great staple Of Michigan,
as corn is of Iowa, unless, indeed, lumber
may be considered as one of the leading pro-
ductiens of this State.
The saw mills of Michigan are, to some ex-
tent. ambulatory, at least, many OF them are
SO. These steam mills are set up in the heart
of dense forest of pines that are far from wa
ter courses, when the work of destruction COM
mences until nothing remains but the stumps
to mark the spot Then the mills are moved
off into the midst of other forests and the pro-
cess is repeated. And so the work goes on
and will go on until the land shall be entirely
stripped of these noble trees. There is in Mich
igan no considerable growth Of spruce and
hemlock, as there is in Maine, to supply the
needs of the people for building purposes when
the pine shall be exhausted But there is in
this State great amount Of oak, beech and
maple, on which the people must rely. These
woods are getting SO abundant here that they
constitute the chief dependence of the people
for fuel, costing, delivered, only three to three
and half dollars cord.
We have heard a good deal, in Portland,
about npatent -four" and have learned that it
is made from the best part of the wheat, but
very few people in Maine know anything OF
the process of its manufacture. Yesterday
was taken by my host to Sc Q a Touring mill
here, furnished with all the improved machin-
ery, where this famous -four is produced. The
mill is not large one, containing only six run
of stones and one set of rolls for making the
patent flour. About two hundred barrels OF
flour are turned out each day. The wheat is
in the first place cleansed OF the considerable
amount of the seeds of weeds and other plants
which it contains. was quite surprised to see
how large the quantity is OF this foreign mate
rial.
Then the wheat is ground and bolted the
usual way The ''shorts' that is, the refuse
coming from the bolts, IS then ground once
more, and the material passes directly from the
stones to a set of steel rollers, four In number,
and nine inches in diameter, between which II
is crushed and rubbed or abraded, as the roll
ers revolve with unequal veloclties, conse-
uuently the ''shorts' is rubbed between them
as well as compressed under great power.
From these rollers the meal is carried BY ele-
yators to q bolt of peculiar construction where
the fine patent -four is separated from the
bran, which is nothing but the bare hull or
was formerly the refuse OF the Touring mill
and was sold as 'sfeed" for cattle. Now 1t is
found that it contains the best part OF tho ker.
mel of the wheat Formerly five bushels OF
wheat were required to make barrel OF Hour
now four aud one-third bushels are sufficient,
and the product is much better since the shorts
is compelled to give up its hidden treasure.
When the great numbering industry OF Mich
gan shall cease to be, as 1t Will DO IN the near
future the people will have vast extent OF
most fertile land, yet unoccupied and cheap, 70
fall back upon for subsistence. Upon this
land wheat is sure crop richly rewaroing the
labor of the farmer, while all the vegetables
and fruits of the temperate zone, including
peaches. grow here freely and of the best quail
ity. Manufactures of many kinds are now
springing up here, mostly on small scale yet,
but as the lumber disappears, these new INDUS
tries will increase in number and extent, SO as
to supply the needs Of the home population.
The condition of the furniture manufacture
clearly indicates what the future OF the state
will be in relation to other manufactures. InlS
furniture manufacture is on vast scale, pro
ducing, by means OF tne pest anu nvsS ".sIa lat ~
proved machinery, every grade and style OF
furniture, from that which occupies the nails,
drawing rooms and boudoirs OF tho palace 10
that which ministers to the needs OF the cottager'
The salt industry OF Michigan IS yet lnits IN
fancy 1t is said the whole territory OF tne
State is underlaid with stratum OF the purest
chloride of soda, which can be reached almost
anywhere by an augur at deptn Oh iron slA
teen hundred to two thousand ieet' AZ presen1
the salt manufactures here produce the article
much cheaper than can be done in any other
mart Of the country. because the evaporation is
accomplished by the waste steam from the en-,
zines Of the saw mills, and by the saw dust and
other waste of those mills, SO that the DOLL
ing" which elsewhere is expensive, COSTS notn-
ing here. BY and by the saw mills Will pass
away, and the "boiling" will be expensive In
Michigan az elsewhere.
1 believe wrote you that the movement Tor
a constitutional prohibition OF the hquor traIc