The Press., 1885-04-02
Correspondence N. Y. Tribune.) THE NORTH WOODS.

Correspondence N. '. Tribune)
 THE NORTH WOODS. 1 Recent discussions of the condition and destiny of the Adirondack forests recall a conversation on these topics to which I listened one afternoon last summer There were about half dozen persons present. 1 A New York journalist, who was one of the company, laughingly observed that 1t was not usual to find so large q number of intelligent men in a meeting devoted to such subjects; but that was hls jest, not mine. These men had met by accident in 1 a little wayside hostelry which stands on the line between district now long deso- Hate (though once among the loveliest DOT tions of that wronged and stricken coun- l try), and tract which is still only partlal- l ly despoiled. They had all halted for din- nes and, after the meal, had come out or doors to enjoy the air, the view, and their cigars The talk arose, fiftul and indolen5 at first, more sustained and vigorous sftel- ward, but all without purpose or plan. Beside the journalist, the circle included 8 merchant from southern city, born in Schenectady, compelled in early manhood to seek a milder climate, and kept alive now for many years, as he said, only by 1 his annual summer solonrn of two months in the Adirondacks. The next was na- tive of the North Woods, who has always lived in them, whom his companions, in the latter stages of the conversation, jeer- 1 inglv described as reformed lumber man." The others were a physician from one of the largest interior cities of this state the doctors friend, whom he intro- duced as traveller and student of civiliza- iion :, and the landlord of the mountain hotel where we had just eaten our dinner. 1 As I busted myself most of the time in taking notes of the talk, I do not include myself in the above enumeration. Per haps was, more than any one else the audience. Three of the men had long known each other; the others met for tie first time.
 ! The doctor asked the landlord why he dld not move his house further down the road, where the view would be fine all around
 "Well, because, while there is so much bad country here everybody ought to see ~ "What good will that do?''
 ''Thev will know the facts-knOw what this whole country is to be in few years mcre But shall have to move soon enough; ;'' then, turning to tue lumber j man, he inquired:
 -"When are you going to cut that slope off over there, Gaines ?'
 II can't get that now," the lumberman replied "nobody can get it HOW. But ii will all come in time. IT all has to be cut off. The old man who is ke ping it SC carefully knows that as well as I do, anc it troubles him."
 'Yes," the landlord answered, ''if you live long enough you'll get it." The lnm herman nodded, but made no further re ply.
 #s= There was agsilenes a and the sonther1 man said "Yes, my old friend here l a. ruined more beautiful country than auy other man know. He is an old mai now, andahe has always been at 1t, cutting away the woods around one mountain af 0 another, beginning at one end of beauti the other, and he goes CD in the same Wa, still" During the interval that followed all looked at the lumberman, but he onl, sighed, and said: "Yes, it IS fact" ant smoked on. The southern man contin ued: ''It was the one perfect delight o . my boyhood and youth to come here ever, summer. It was all so wild then, so fresh and there was so much of it! Since ha, to go south to live I grow hungry an' homesick for the woods every year.
 shall not live to be old, but for goo while now it IS question whether ther will much longer be any woods for me t to come to"
 The doctor said s"The chief value q this whole region IS in it's relation to ih health of the dwellers in the crowde' towns of our country. There wassa tim when to come here and live would cure al most anything. The air of the bonudles forests was like wine. There was an ill spring vitality ill 1t that made people owe again. And the tired people in the cities who breathed each others breath over an, over again and ,uld neither live nor die when we sent them up here .uld slee fust as if they had never done anythin ! wicked. To see the sun Dme up over tn woods, and shine on the dropping shrub and vines, and the wild flowers aud grass es covered with dew, made me tbink of tn meeting used to go to with my mothe when was a child. Some people think } is all the same now. But the pine tree gone, and we shall never breathe the sam air again. This hot wind creeps owe leagues of sun bal ked, rain-sodden ashes and of rotting marsh along these damme rivers and lakes :"
 l The JOl1fnd1lS6 ODSerV0d that he had a = ways supposed the wilderness was valuabl chiefly as a lumber producing conntr, He knew he should have to, write som. thing about it when he went back to tn city, and he had obtained some "statistics of the amount of lumber derived from dt ferent districts. He read these to us
 with some exultant sentences regardin
 the wealth, elegance and solidity of th civilization created from materials draw from this rough and savage forest region This seemed to stir the lumberman
 wrath. e eksEk FF arrr gEss ''Yes," he sid, ''its al true, and yo might put it stronger yet. Its be4n bi business. But Its curs-d one If a
 this fine civilization yon talk about lasts and is really solid, why I'm mistaken abou the basis that things generally is built or
 that's all p The other men started up |
 surprise. Most of them threw away thei cigars, turned over on the grass, and gaze intently at the speaker. He watched, bu all were silent, and he went on.
 "Yes, it is my business. I have cut O the woods, up and down, as far as yo can see. Then the fires come, of course And when I die there will be miles an miles of ashes and briars, and brown brak | and bush-cherry, where once as nobl } woods as God eyer made covered tn