Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1898-12-01
NORTHERN WISCONSIN
Passing Away Of the Pine Lun.
Der Industry.
FROM TIMBER TO AGRICULTURE.

ana lts Iabsink EpOcHai-ShWiHB VI tho
Last Log aud Closing of the Last Mill at
NccedaI--Potato Is King In the Central
Part OF the state--Towns ON the Rail-
way Maps.
Madison, wis. Nov S.--A glance at
a railroad map OF Wisconsin would give
the causal observer the impression that
the northern part OF the state Is al
most as thickly settled az the southern
The whole map is plastered over with
names OF cities and villages. But many
Of these names are but "reminiscences
30 to speak, Of departed glory--that
OF logging days. When one stops, In
riding along he is surprised to find that
he has passed by several stations given
on his route Had he kept his eyes
open In passing he might have seen oc-
casionally the ruins Of a steam boiler
amid few heaps Of sawdust and ashes.
These were the towns given on the
map, and towns they once were. But
they were built on q sawdust founda-
ton. not Intended for permanent resi-
denee, and when the pine lumber of the
locality had been cleared Off, the ten
ants, Bedouin-like, packed up their few
belongings and moved to new localities.
leaving their crude pine "shacks" and
often their sawmills to the mercies OF
the devastating forest fire. AS the tim
Der becomes cut of the country passes
over from timber to mn agricultural
basis OF production, always n slow and
difficult process.
Wood county, the home OF eX-Gov-
ernor Upham, In now In this stage OF
transition, Where not thickly settled IT
presents to the Travellers eye an almost
unvarylng scene Of desolatlon De-
struotiVe forest fires four and six years
ago killed off nearly all the pine left
standing 30 that now there are great
ruined wastes OF scrubby hardwood,
dense underbrush, and enormous black
ened stumps That tell with mute elo-
duence Of the great forest giants that
once lifted their tops to the skies and
babe defiance to the storms. Occa-
slonnlly In this desert some huge dead
pine looms UP and stretches out It's
spectral arms ms IF In despair Mt the
ruin spread around It. In the swampy
recesses Of these tangled stretches the
coy wild deer and the bear and porcu-
pine make their home.
Tho Late George IIiIes.
one OF tho notable men Of early days
In Wood county was the late George
Hles, who left fortune OF u couple Of
millions or more made from numbering.
He built tho railroad from Babcock to
Lynn for something like 100000 which
no later sold to the st. Paul company
for about half million more. Tho
Arm name, George Hiles Lumber COM
pany, IL retained by the sons, who have
offices In Dextervlle, Milwaukee. Chi
oago and places In the east James Il.
J.. IIles lives mt Dextervllle, while
Frank takes care Of the company's in
terests In Milwaukee. The company
recently purchased a tract OF $500 acres
OF hardwood from the Romadkas In
Clark county, near Neilsvllle and will
log heavily on the tract this winer. 1t
expects to get out 100000 logs this
winter and 10 now busy putting In seven
big camps and hiring cooks and men,
The st, Paul Railway company now has
a crew Mt work on an extension of the
Lynn branch OF Its road to the Ronald
ka tract along which the 1Ilcs com
pany viii bank Its logs. IT Ii believed
by many that the st. Paul company Will
not only build the extension for the ac-
commodntlon of the IIlles company but
Will continue the extension through
Clark county with Il view to ultimately
making more direct connection with tho
Twin cities and making this route tina
main northwest line instead of that via
Lacrosse Crews Of surveyors were
at work laying out lines all summer
Jim Ililes IL a bluf and popular fell
low resembling Governor Upham some.
what In personal appearance. He has
generally let politics alone and attended
strictly to his business interests. but
two years ago he was induced to run
for the assembly on the DemocratIc
ticket, He made strong anl costly
canvass but was defeated by M. whip
perman of Grand Rapids, ltepFh,icaa
The district embraces Y = cru,tr
This year the Democratic ~ ~ i g H.
Otto E. Germer of DoNtetV ~, aaerp-
tary Of the lIiles company, ii2rytr3
graduate and well read and popular
man, His opponent Ia Peter Christian,
son, a strong Republican farmer Log
gers and woodsmen are already busy
building camps and making roads pre-.
paratory to going into the woods, The
recent heavy rains have made the
woodsmen rejoice They have set at
rest all fears concerning forest fires ana
have filled all the mnrshy and low
places with water which, when It
freezes, Will make excellent bottoms for
roads Fer the past three seasons the
scarcity OF water has been an eyosore
to the loggers, The smaller creeks
were entirely dry and In many places
II was with the greatest difficulty that
enough water could be secured for
sprlnkling the roads. But logging ls
not what II once was. The attention
OF the Wisconsin lumberman is now
turning from pine TO hardwood. for the
great pine forests of the state are be-
coming thing OF the past. Years ago
the tree that couldn't turn out u log
a foot square was passed by unnotteed
but now all such are carefully picked
up and the "slSiddlng." which was for
merry done with two yoke oxen, can
new be done with one horse.
Where Potato Il King.
aN.N