Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-03-08
AlThIN.

u.
visited Aitkin, upon being questioned IN
regard to the statement contained in the
Pioneer Press of few days since to the
effect that smallpox had broken out at
Aitkin, denies that there has boon single
case there the present winter, nsr is there
a single case there now. Two cases were
taken from the quarantine station two
miles above to TIE pest houss, bat none
have originated in town. BE further
states that she most rigid quarantine reg
ulations are adopted, and that the patrols
under command of the sheriff compel
every man coming from the infested dis
tricts to pass through quarantine first.
They are determined, and will stamp Ii
out. The gentleman referred TO also fur
nishes the following brief letter. giving
some very interesting facts concerning the
resources and. development of this point,
SO rapidly assuming Importance and at
tracing public attention:
This is the only point of any consider
able Importance between Brainerd and
Duluth. 1t is located on the Northern
Pacific railroad just twenty-eight miles
east of the former city and is the last rail-
road point on the upper Mississippi. Com
paratively little has been said concerning
Aitkin except to chronicle the misdeeds of
one or two of those of the lswless class of
citizens who always flock to frontier towns
and who regard neither God or man.
To judge of any locality by the character
of its criminals is most msnifestly unjust,
and to imagine that the inhabitants Of
Aitkin are all of the lower grade of society
would be most GORGEOUS error. 1t is as
sentially numbering point. Being located
as an outpost, it becomes the basis Of sup
plies for large territory. All the lum-
bermen of the upper Mississippi make
it their base of operations, and
during the past winter more than fifty log
ging camps have drawn thsir supplies
from here. AS a consequence the mer-
chants Dc an immense business. During
the past six months one firm sold $4,000
worth Of goods and single days sales have
amounted to over $4,000.
During the winter season the upper
country is reached from Aitkin by sleigh
roads, and the ''tote teams" en-
Joy monopoly of the car
rying trade. During navigation several
small steamers ply between here and
Grand Rapids, some sixty miles north. Of
course located as it is in the heart of the
great forest which covers so large q part
of northern Minnesota, agriculture is not
in very forward state in this vicinity and
the trade from the camps above and the
manufacture of its abundant and
excellent pine and hard woods
must for the present at least
constitute the chief sources Of wealth for
its inh abitants.
The present Development of its vast
manufacturing resources is but small as
compared with its capacity. There are at
present two saw mills and planning mill
and fifty barrel per day Touring mill.
Of the saw mills the one owned and oper-
atsd by the Aitkin Lumber company has a
capacity for cutting $4,000 feet per day
and is model mill, being fitted up with
the most improved and perfect
machinery in the world. It
has just entered upon its
second seasons work, and will run on hard
wood until the ice runs out and the pine
logs begin to como down. During the
coming season, at least one other large
saw mill will be built, and perhaps two, and
now that public attention is being called
to the resources and advantages to be
found here no one can predict the limit or
extent of its development. Some two hun
dred miles nearer the great timbsrless, tree
less wastes of northwestern Minnesota and
of Dakota than Minneapolis, on the direct
pathway from the lake to the prairie where
there is no reason why logs ought not to be
cut hare rather than be foated so many
miles directly away from market TO be re-
turned to the consumer by expensive rail
transportation. Again land is not worth
at Aitkin the enormous prices which
it commands at Minnea polls,
and lumber can be piled for miles along
the side tracks, where it can be loaded di-
rect. Another future source of wealth lies
in the abundance and excellence of its
hard wood timber. Cheap fuel, cheap
land, splendid timber and short and direct
rail communication with the great water
outlet at Duluth, and the vast agricultural
region to the west, ought to suggest to
capital a profitable investment in the
manufacture of wagons or agricultural
implements.
There are many grand opportunities for
investments in and about Aitkin, and for
tunes await the magical touch of the skill
full brains of the practical men of business
in which this great republic of America
abounds. 1t would not be strange if the
next fen years should develop wonderful
manufacturing community here, and those
who are now here and who shall locate
in the near future will reap a golden har-
vest in the rapid advance of the now cheap
real estate.
The present successful and profitable
operations of the Aitkin rolling mills will
suggest to practical -four milling men the
desirability of operating here, and then
some one must manufacture barrels for
them and the grand oak forests will tempt
some one else to start stave factory, and
thus, without stretching the imagination,
one can see vast and wealthy city built
up in a few short years from what one
year ago was hamlet of 400 people and
which now is only about 1000.
II 10 fbaI l. -, H.