Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-08-21
THE LUMBER INTEREST.
Points About 1t From Northwestern
raI

journal.
The Minneapolis Journal says the white
pine men have good deal of competition
in certain kinds of lumber to contend
from the yellow pine product of the
southern states. Yellow pine has en-
croached upon the. white pine business
territory in Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, South
Dakota, Wisconsin, and has even gained
foothold in Minnesota 1t appears,
however, from a recent statement In the
Birmingham (Ala) geHerald, that the
southern lumbermen are cutting down the
yellow pine forests with such rapidity
that it will not be many years before they
will be reduced to limits not larger than
the vanishing forests of the white pine
lumbermen.
In Alabama, where, in 1881, there were
q, 197, 100000 feet of standing pine, the
cut is 2000,000,0O0 feet year, with no
renewal, so that, before the end of this
century, or within ten years, Alabama
will have to import lumber. In Missis
sippi and Arkansas the same process is
going on, and it is easy to see that in a
few years yellow pine, hitherto sold
cheaper than white pine IN competition
with the latter, will be very greatly en-
HANGED in price, fact which will not be
uhwelcome to the white pine men of Min
nesota.
1t must be considered, too, that in Min
nesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, there
are 100, 900, 100000 feet of standing pine
timber, but, with the present demand for
white pine and the rapid rate of cut
ting, it will be exhausted within twenty
years.
These facts suggest the application of
forestry both north and south. There is
possibility of perpetuating the pine growth
by renewal, by sparing the young growths.
by protecting the forests from fires. The
latter cause takes off about as much pine
as commerce does. In Australia every
hunting or prospecting party is required
to extinguish every camp tlre when clear
ing a camping place.
There should be some regulation of the
kind in this country. There should be
some consideration for the generations to
come. We are hacking down our timber
with no thought of the future. We are
showing no thrift or providence. Yet SC
long as there is money In forest destruction
men seem determined to make d clean
sweep of the trees. Net only the lumber
business, but agriculture and general
business will, within the next half
century, be decidedly and injudiciously
affected by the mania for slaughtering the
| forests
The subject is always worthy public at
tention, and, unless practically considered,
nothing will be done, and In the mean
time the efforts of a few faithful ones
belonging to forestry associations are
| sneered at.
The bunko man appears to be perma-
nent figure in our civilization. Local
ordinances he despises, and his victims
are legion. Only the other day, at New
Jersey seaside resort, retired builder lost
$4,000 by sharpers whose devices were
Penost transparent Two weeks ago a
| by lnsyIvania farmer was robbed Of 50. O00
| desbunko men in New York. And all this
pappite the fact that the farmers read the
amers.
Mr.. Murray, of the Pittsburg mine.
near Grass Valley. split open a large log.
He found muzzle-loading shotgun that
| appeared to be all right, but when he tried
| TO pull it from the hole the stock crumbled
to pieces. The barrels are of fine make
| and the gun was evidently stolen and hid
den many years ago.