The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1899-12-22
NORTHERN WISCONSIN
A River Dotted with Water Pow.
ers and Destiny.
PAPER MILLS ON THE WISCONSIN.


"BilIy" sumner-Happy at 9O-Church-
Going by p. sawyer-Madison's New
Club.
Madison, Wis.,, Dec. 19.-Much in
terest is being manifested in the future
of the Wisconsin river, say from
Rhinelander south. Wausau, Merrill,
Stevens Point and other little cities
of destiny are located on the stream.
To meet a real enthusiastic, we'll
posed North Wisconsin, man, like
ex-Attorney General Mylrea of Wau-
sau, and hear him talk of the coun-'
try, one would be moved to pack up
at once and get in the woods early to
avoid the rush. While John G. Spoon
er's hobby is said to be the future of
the city of Superior, w. f. Villas has
sibilities Of this river and the ada
cent territory. He has invested there
to show his faith.
The waterpowers are best illustrated
by map published by the ST. Paul
road. It appears from this that there
are large numbers of water powers
and very few of them are practically
in use north of Stevens Point. One of
the best engineers in the Fox river
valley says that the greatest amount
of water passing through the WiscOn-
sin river in a year, in his judgment,
is 50 per cent. in excess Of that pass
ing through the Fox river. He claims
that if the Wisconsin river were i'm
proved so as to regulate the flow Of
the water as it should be the advan-
tage would be decidedly in favor Of
the Wisconsin river valley.
A Water Power Every Five Miles,
The distance from Rhinelander to
Grand Rapids is substantially 100
miles, and in that distance there are
some fifteen to twenty water powers.
At the Grandfather Bull falls the
Wisconsin river falls upwards of 100
feet in a mile. 1t is also to be noted
that most of the water that is in the
Wisconsin river IS gathered in one
stream at Tomahawk and that from
that point to it's mouth the other
any material extent.
Demand for job Lot Timbars.
While it is true that the pine lum-
Der is substantially gone, yet there
are such immense quantities of all
other kinds of timber that there is no
doubt but what the supply will last
beyond the lives of the present genera
ton. 1t is only a few years since rock
elm, hemlock, maple, tammarack,
black ash and such woods were with
out value and were simply cut and
rolled into heaps upon the ground and
burned to get the same out of the
way for farming purposes. | am in
formed that they are now paying SD
per cord for hemlOck wood down to
4 inches in diameter, delivered to the
railroad tracks, to be manufactured
into paper by the Sulphite process.
Professor Bulkley of the State univer-
sity has some very interesting infor-
nation in regard to a fine sand quartz
deposit near Wausau.
All the cities along the river are
growing more rapidly than in any pre-
yiOus year. The tide of emigration. of
farmers and the opening up of farm
lands is simply wonderful. Census
figures Of Marathon county for few
years past show that the county will
probably treble it's population in less
than twenty years.
Power via "Shafting" Is Obsolete.
The paper mill plant that has been
erected this year at Wausau is said to
have cost upwards of $35O,O0O. 1t will
have fifteen water wheels with a $50
horse power engine, and boiler capac-
ity enough to furnish the power for
this engine and at the same time
steam to operate two large steel sui
phite digeStOrS and warm all build
Ings. The buildings are erected after
the most modern methods, and in
stead OF long lines of heavy shafting
to transmit the power there will be
dynamOs to create electricity which
will be transmitted by motors to some
OF the large machines located 300 or
400 feet away from the source of
power.
The granite formation of Marathon
county Of course are another resource.
Enjoying Life at 80.
1t is unusual to be hale and hearty
at 80 years of age. We are burying
people of 60 every week or so. who
call themselves old. And yet at a re-
cent college dinner in Milwaukee one
of the jolliest of the party was John
Hustis of Hustisford, in Dodge county.
songs, and cracked jokes and staid
until midnight
The old mans "reminiscences are, of
course, interesting. Il saw President
Jackson at Yale college in 1888" he
said. Martin Van Buren, was with
him. / saw President Van Buren, at
Troy, n. Y, where John H. Tweedy,
H. n. Wells and myself went as a
committee to present petition. The
night before we heard Henry Clay
speak at Saratoga. Van Buren, had
flaming red whiskers. l did not 60
across the river to see him when he
paid Milwaukee a visit in 1889. He
had been through the west and went
from Chicago to Buffalo by steamer"
Mr.. Hustis mentioned a game dim
ner at the Leland hotel in 1887. "a
few of us got it up he said, land it
cost us 81 apiece. We sent out three
Englishmen to get game. and they
brought in deer, plenty of rabbits,
partridseS and nrairie chickens We