Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1889-10-11
Way Down in Name,


Tho following letter from the Anoka Herald
was written by Alvah Eastman. its editor, who
| has been visiting his old New England home
LOWELL CENTRE, Me-, Sept. 26-Editorial cor
respondence The man who suggested pine
tree for the coat of arms of Maine was wise be-.
You'd his generation. While the sons and
daughters OF this state are finding Maine good
state to emigrate FROM" the pine tree remains
true to the commonwealth, and in its sores,
hour OF need is its sure guarantee to perpetual
prosperity. In the neighborhood from which
write-each school district is leighborhood
III Mainc-hfteen years ago there were an even
dozen farm houses all occupied. Today FIVE OF
these houses have been deserted, and no new
| ones have taken their places This is 10 excep-
! tional decrease of the population throughout
the rural part Of Maine and New Hampshire
The legislature Of the latter state made some In
| investigation aud was met with the astonishing
| fact that there were over len thousand deserted
farms in tho little state of New Hampshire
| This proportion will probably hold true In
Maine. 1t was only little over hundred
| years ago that the pioneers made their first en-
| enactment Oh the primeval forests Time
| brings its own revenge The farms that were
| labor are silently but surely being captured
again by the forests And in this attack Of ma
tire on mans invasion Pine is King. As soon as
the pillow and the scythe are laid away, pine
| takes possession. Scores of farms that were cul.
1ivated withiA the few years tnat can remem-
Der are now covered with thrifty evergreen
! trees, and only short time ago she soil thai
was ''tickled by the hoe to burst into broad
grin OF rocks and doubtful crops Is now carpeted
| ed with the brown needles Of the pine.
Lest the Herald readers should conclude from
what have written that Maine was soon to be-
come wholly depopulated and again resolve
itself into an I'M broken wilderness, hasten 70
say that the pine is the most profitable crop that
| this state can produ &c, and those who remain
here only to buy the deserted fields at about
their. own figures, let them grow pines and
thus become prosperous and wealthy. The ma
jority Of farmers in this section own .pine lot
once every fifteen years the largest trees are
logged" As this Is usually done by the farmer
and his boys. without additional help, hand
| some SUM is realized. By investing ii, tn c
lands that his neighbor will almost give away
Wien smitten with the Western fever those
who stand by the old state soon acquire consitl-
! cradle timber land. which is q constant source
Of wealth, and without Gale or labor. In years
to come the Maine farmer will have fewer
| neighbors but more pine, aad the pine will
! bring him good many more dollars than his
| ncighbOrs.
Wheat raising has been practically abandoned.
This for two reasons: The West produces it
cheaper than it can be raised here, and even If It
were grown here it would be impossible to get
it ground into good flour here. The old mills
| with their huge grinding stones did well enough
years ago. but since the East has tasted the We St.
ern flour made by improved roller process, it will
| have no other. A good deal of the -four brought
here is from Minneapolis. Washburns Best is
sold in the country stores here fifty miles from
Portland nm twelve miles from the railroad
| station, for six dollars per barrel Poor grades
| bring about fifty cents less.