The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-01-30
The New Northern Country.

rSCohI III tiic Ouittu iotittcS tuiit Cpui-
pares with northern Minnesota for pine
timber. Tho writer spent about six
months the past year exploring in the
counties of Beltrami, Itasca, st. Louis
and Cook, which compose territory
covering tract of about 10000, 200
acres of pine and hardwood south oi
the Rainy river, the stream which
marks tho line between Canada and
the Uni ed States. This vast wooded
territory is rs yet partly unsurveyed,
bnt has been blocked off into town
ships. Many surveying parties are
now at work subdividing the townships
into sections.
One would naturally suppose that
this far northern country would be a
cold climate, but such is not the case.
except upon the higher elevation of
land that composes the Vermilion iron
ranges. The valley of the Rainy river
is situated in the path of the famous
Chinook winds, that cause the climate
to be of more steady temperature,
enabling the settlers 10 make Indian
corn raising q partial success. Other
crops grow in abundance. The soil in
the valley of this great northern river
is alluvial. and is from one to six feet
deep before coming to clay, which
underlies the whole country, coming
to the surface in the lilly and elevated
areas.
Itasca comfy is about 100000 acres
in extent, and contains many big
swamps, but has large tracts of the
richest agricultural land in the world.
The timber is white and norway pine,
and upon this rich level land finc large
cork pine grows in abundance, compar-
in : favorably with the Wisconsin and
Michigan variety. The norway is ex-
ira good, and is found, as is usually the
case, in the lake region. The country
generally is about as well timbered
with pine as are other pine districts.
There is also growing in abundance
poplar OF good quality and large
size, known as white poplar. 1t grows
from to 30 inches in diameter, white
clean to the heart, and almost univer-
sally sound. In some localities as
much ns $4,000 feet is found on an
acre. This timber makes fine barrel |
stock, rs when cut and thoroughly dry |
is nearly as light as cedar and quite
tough and durable. All OF the river
valleys, especially the Big and Little
Fork and Rainy rivers, contain large |
quantities of this timber. In appear
ance it is long bodied, clear of limbs
for from 40 to GO feet, with bark that |
is MS white as snow from top to roots. |
A heavy forest of it makes very pref
ty picture. This kind of lumber must |
soon take q prominent place in the |
northwestern market and command n |
good price at the sash, door and blind,
and especially the screen door factories,
being lighter and cheaper than white
pine, and capable of being stained to re-
present almost any kind of wood. For
-four barrel stock nothing could beat it.
The barrel establishments at Rat Port
age, Can, get their entire stock from
this territory in the round and ship to
Canada, as it is undutiable in that con-
dition. 1t makes clean, white,
smooth barrel perfectly air tight.
White oak grows in abundance on
the river bottoms, as do also water elm |
white and black ash. soft maple, cedar
and cottonwood. The latter is of good |
size, 10 to 15 logs to the thousand, and
seems to be sound and of good texture
suitable for lumber and has yellowish
cast. There is no black or yellow birch
DR. hemlock in this whole district.
The white pine on the big Red Lake
Indian reservation in Beltrami
county is of an especially good quality
IN the northern and eastern sections,
md much cork pine exists along the
Black Winter Road, Beaudette and
Rapid rivers, all OF which run north
md empty into the Rainy river. Rainy
liver is from one-quarter to one half
nile wide between Rainy lake and the
Lake of the Woods. The United
States government has purchased the
Red Lake Indian reservation, and is
low surveying the land and is estimat-
ng the pine preparatory to selling the
imbor therefrom. The Indians, Of
which there are about 1900 on all OF
he reservations in the northern part of
he state, have been allotted an so acre
ract to each head Of family. This
lllotted land is in the western part of
he " J T,te reservation, where the
and j. n .r"i-'e and hardwood.
The estin ~ ~ pine is being
lone by mea sg.Sc.oI from different
tates and organized in'o squads of