Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1884-05-08
A FUTURE FIELD OF HARDWOOD
MANUFACTURES.
Northwestern Lumberman.

Northwestern Lumberman.
Northern Michigan Is destined to be-
como the Maine of the Northwest in
reference to Q multifarious utilization
Of hardwO0ds In manufacture. This
conclusion Is based on q similarity of
conditions in the two states. Each has
q magnificent growth of woods, both
hard and soft. which are convertible into
q variety Of useful articles in daily use
all over this cOuRtry and the world.
Michigan lacks "A admirable wood
that Maine pOsesses-namely, spruce;
but Michigan has variety and quantity
enough to keep a thousand factories
running for a half century to come.
And right here it is important to call
attention to the danger that Michigan
will squander her best resources in the
eagerness of settlers in the northern
part Of the state to get rid OF the for
ests, in order to convert the land into
productive farms. Here is a kidd OF
denudatiOn that is more to be dreaded
than that Of pine, because the lands
stripped of hardwOods, being more fer
tile than pine lands, are denuded more
rapidly. If the apostles OF forestry
would spend their force less the manu-
ldClulGlO VI DlnVs olu uVFppO VA
their effort to warning farmers against
Strengthening their valuable hardwOOds
and burAing them up in l~Og-heaps, the
wisdom of their method would be more
apparent.
The situation Of northern Michigan is
bound to make its hardwOOds valuable
in the near future. 1t is i'm the very
center of the interior Of the North, at
the threshold of the prairie regions, and
separated from them by inland seas that
afford easy and cheap transportation. 1t
Ia thus quite certain that the upper part
of the southern, as well as the upper
peninsula, will become noted for their
wood manufacturing industries. Indeed
the process has already begun, Bowl
mills, handle factories, bung factories,
basket, spoke and hub factories, and nu-
morOus other enterprises that convert
hardwOods into useful articles, have
been started, and new plants are fire.
Quently announced. This class of in
dustries will grow in northern Michi-
gan, because of proximity to markets,
abundance of raw material, plenty of
water power and fuel for steam power,
the characteristic of the people that ur-
ges them to manufacture. and cheapness
of transportation by water or rail. The
larger portion of the hardwood districts
Of northern Michigan either borders on
Lakes Huron, Michigan or Superior, or is
within easy reach of these bodies OF
water. This gives the country ready
access to Chicago by vessel. and this city
will always be a great distributing mar
ket for wood products, because it is the
gateway to a vast prairie region, already
populous, and bound to become a sup
port of many millions more.
Now a great variety of articles made
of wood come from the East. Northern
New England is furnishing the larger
share of them. 1t is only a question of
a short time wheE Michigan manufae-
turers can crowd eastern producers out
of the Northwestern market, because the
raw material and the factories to work
1t up, will be practically at the very
center of distribution.
Considering the possibilities of north
ern Michigan, and northern Wisconsin,
also, as a field for wood manufacturing,
1t would be well IL something could be
done to arrest the destruction OF the
%deciduous timber Of those regions. Some
encouragement that the people will
wake up to an economical regard for
their magnificent forests can be derived
from the fact that wood manufacturing
establi shments are increasing, and that
the demand for raw material thus Great
ed will convince farmers, and other tim
Der land owners, that it is their best
policy to preserve their woods, until such
time as it can be proftably sold. OF
course the exigencies of rural life de.
mand cleared and c~ultiyable lands, but
the usual policy of American farmers,
on new soil, is to cover as much land as
possible in their operations. A hundred
acre farm in northern Michigan or Wis
cOnsin would give the owner more profit
IL thirty or forty acres were cleared and
cultivated we'll. while the residue were
preserved for an economical use of its
timber, than if it were all cleared al
once, and we're In q slOvenly and ex.
hausting ann 1t is to be hoped
that wood manufacturing In the timber.
ed sections of the Northwest will so tap-
idly increase that self interest alone viii
dictate a profitable utilization of It's
forest wealth.
The state Agricultural lands Again In