New-York tribune., 1885-03-23
THE NORTH WOODS.
Nv.
WHAT THEY WERE, AND ARE. AND WILL BE-

WHERE THE RESPONSIBILITY RESTS.
fFRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF TRIBUNE.l
SYRACUSE, N Y, March 16.-Recent discussions Of
the condition and destiny of tho Adirondack forests
recall conversation these topics to which listened
one afternoon last summer There were about half o
dozen persons present. A New-York journalist who
was one of the company, laughingy observed that it
was not usual to find SO large numDer Of intelligent
men in a meeting devoted to such subjects; but that
was his Jest not mine These had met by accident
at little wayside hostelry which stands the line
between district long desoate Though once
| among the loyeest portions Of that wronged and
stricken country, and tract which Is still only par
tally despoiled. They had all halted for dinner, and,
after the meal had out of doors to enjoy the air.
the view, and their cigars The talk arose, tul and
indolent at fret, sustained and vigorous after
ward, but all without purpose plan. Beside the
journalist, the circle included a merchant from
Southern city, born in Schenectady compelled in early
manhood to seek milder climate and kept alive
for many years. he said, only by his annual
solourn of two months In the Adirondaoks The next
was native of the North Woods who has always lived
in them whom his companions in the later stages Of
the conversation, jeeringy described reformed
lumberman" The others were ply sican from one of
the largest interior cities of this State; the doctors
friend, whom he introduced traveller and student
of civilization and the landlord Of the mountain hotel
whero VIC had just eaten our dinner AS busted
myself most of tho time in taking notes of the talk
do not include myself in the above enumeration.
Perhaps was, more than any else the audience.
| Three OF tho men had long. known each other; the
others met for the first time.
The doctor asked the landlord why he did not move
his house farther down tho road where the view would
be fine all around.
"Well, because who there Ia so much bad country
here everybody ought to see it.r
"What good will that do q
"They will know the facts-knOw what this whole
country Is TO be In few years more But shall have
man, he inquired
Gaines ~
al can't get that now" the lumberman replied
nobody can get It now. But IL will all come time
1t all has to be cut off. The old who is keeping it
so carefully knows that well do and it troubles
him"
"Yes" the landlord answered. I" If you live long
| enough you'll get It," The lamberman nodded. but
made no further roply.
There was n silence and the Southern man said
Yes, my old friend here has ruined more beautiful
country than any other man know lilo IL an old man
now, aud no has always been at it, cutting away the
woods around mountain after another, beginning
at one end of beautiful valley and eating his way
through 10 the other, and he goes in the same way
still" During the interval that followed oil looked at
the umberman. but he only sighed, and said Yes it
~ fact" and smoked on. The Southern man con-
tinued - 1t the perfect delight OF my boyhood
and youth TO como here every summer Ii was all
Wild then so fresh, and thero was much of it
Since mad to go South to live grow hungry aud
bomesck for the woods every year. shall not 1--we TO
be old, but for n good while II is q question
whether there will much longer be any woods tor mo
| TO come to-
region T. In its relation TO the health OF the dweiers IN
the crowded towns Of or country. There was time
when 10 como here and live would cure almost any,
thing The air of the boundIcss forests was like wne
There inspiring vitality in that made people
over again. And the tired people in the cities who
breathcd each others breath over and again and
could neither live die, when we sent them up here
could sleep just as # they had never done anything
wicked. TO SEQ the sun come up over the woods, ana
shine the dropping shrubs and vines, and the wtd
flowers and grasses covered with dos, made me think
OF tho meeting used to 90 to with my mother when
a child. Some people think 1t is all the same now
But the nine trees are gone and shall breathe
the same air again. his hot wind croeps over leagues
OF sun baked ratnsodJen ashes. and OF rotng marsh
along these damned MYERS and lakes"
The journalist observed that he had always supposed
ancirr ooan,r, lie know ho should have TO write
s .a sa.s aSsst sos %s" ae Of the amount Of
lumber derived from different districts Ho read these
wealth. elegance aud sOdty OF the civilization created
from materials drawn from this rough and savage
forest region. This seemed to stir the lumbermans
"Yoso he said its all true, and you might put it
stronger yet. It's been big business. But its
cursed one II all this hno civilization you talk about
lasts and Is really solid. why I'm mistaken about the
basis that things generally Is built on, that's allV The
other started up in surprso. Most OF them threw
intenty at the speaker. He waited, but all were
silent, and he went on.
Yes il is my business. have cut OF the woods,
up and down, as far as you can see Then the fires
come of course And when | die here will be miles
and miles of ashcs and briars, and brown brake and
sh-cherry, where once rs noble woods as God ever
made covered the Slopes and made vistas ft tor the
The landlord nodded TO tho journalist and said, Get
ont your pencil and put down these confessions of
reformed lumborman - but the speaker smiled gravely
and went on. NO. | have not reformed. shall
never have The opportunity II ! dismissed all my
hands 10 morrow. and mover feled another tree. 1t
would not save single acre OF the woods Others
would go on. just the same to the end but IT'S all
shame, and ruin, and disgrace, ana there never was
the least need Of IL n the wordV 80
The journalist said " kneS some people blamed the
lumbermcn, but supposed they would defend them
why should they Are they any more guilty than
the rest of youi You have all had part in this
destruction"
The Journalist said he bad been there before.
1t Is the general system of business of the country
the general way OF feeling and OF looking at hhe tha
l. TO blame. suppose nobody could start thlngs Iner
ent The people of the oitios know the most Nhat
have they done TO make things better here They |
have scolded and that was right We needed " pni
they have not taught u.s. No; this land should an
have been kept by the state mt hrst ana forever.
wish there could be law tomorrow tnat there never never
should be a stick cut for lumber In all the North
Woods / wish that for own houses up here we |
had to wagon every board from Crown Point ana |
Ogdensburg. IL would no better Tor the country. |
The real and worth of this mountain country Is IN
its being region for tourists. The tourist interest,"
is the one truo and permanent interest naiu9 auu
source of benefit which makes tho North Woods inc |
most important possession OF the state oi NoW-lo
10 ought TO be region OF good ROADS ana Oh eve'ast
ing natural beauty freshness and solitude Not Tree
should be cut thoughtezsy. Tho whole region shonld
have been retained by the state IN perpetual possesso
and # no lumber had been cut here 1t would not
have made so much difference people think IN the
wealth of the country. The lumbermen Wouu not h'l'o
bccn nauners There would have been other sources
Of timber supply. What We need most today Is not
more timber lands so much as better Judgment IN
taking of what wo have. IL tho tllloor ~ mere u
ays been cut In the right way. far greater revenues
than it has yielded might have been drawn from this
r gon, and yet every square mile OF II mlght now De
,bn nna anu' Gle