Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-05-24
WISCONSIN VALLEY.
Its Resources Estimated Wonderful Wealth
of a Neglected Region.


Excerpts from Tuesday Milwaukee Journal.
when the pine is gomez" is a
question that has been asked regarding
northern Wisconsin a few million
times every year for the past twenty
years. Since the organization of the
Wisconsin Valley Advancement as
SociatiOn it has been pretty thoroughly
answered by the figures and statistics
given out regarding the mineral
resources. water power and hardwood
timber resources together with the
vast amount of wood pulp existing in
the Wisconsin valley. Comparatively
| speaking, the valley is but a small
| portion Of northern Wisconsin, but
| the figures herewith appended and
given out for the first time by the
secretary of the Wisconsin Valley
Advancement association yesterday
| will create world Of comment and
open the eyes of people who have for
many years been prOpheSying the pine
of northern Wisconsin would ali be
gone in five years.
The stretch Of country from which
these figures are taken is about $50
miles long and on an average Of forty
| five or fifty miles wide.
A careful estimate furnished by W.
E. Brown of Rhinelander is that Wis
cOnSin valley mills would cut in the
year of 1900, 59O,OOO,O0O feet of pine,
and the figures show that there are
only 100000, 900 feet left in the
valley. No estimate was attempted
on the amount of hardwood timber
cut, although it was shown that there
were no less than thirty mills running
exclusively on hardwOodS, some of
them small to be sure, and nearly all
the other mills were cutting hemlOck
and hardwoOdS in large quantities.
These figures given by counties will
furnish wholesome food to the
pesSimists and prophets who have
been casting dark fOrebOdingS about
the state for fully thirty years.
Even when the pine is gone 1T is
shown that there are industries of
more importance still to be developed
in the Wisconsin valley, than pine
numbering was in its palmieSt days.
RESOURCES ASIDE FROM PINE.
There are billions of dollars worth
of GRANTEES, quartziteS, graphite,
kaOlin, building stone and clayS and
giant forests of the most popular and
high priced hardWOOdS in the market.
The figures show the Wisconsin
valley or the six counties represented
by the Wisconsin Valley Advancement
! association to have population of
153, ,0O0 If these figures are correct,
and they are pretty close to the mark,
it will show the largest percentage of
growth in this section of any part OF
| Wisconsin for the past ten years.
| Regarding the agricultural develop
ments Secretary Lester A. Rose of the
Advancement association said yeSter-
| day:
WOOD COUNTY-Area, S2S square
miles. Population in 1900, 27,000.
Pine, 30, 100000 feet; hemlock, 15,OOO,-
600 feet; wood pulp, 100000 900 cords;
birch. 10000, 900 feet; maple, $4,000, 900
feet: Eastwood, 100000 feet: elm,
| 100000 feet; ash, 100000 feet:
butternut, 1,000,0 600 feet. Gray granite
100000 tons; red granite, 1000, 900
tons; clay, 100000 tons; kaOlin, 800, 900
tons; building stone, 1,75O,OOO tons;
number of acres under cultivation,
$1,000: number Of acres of farm lands
for sale, 100000
1t will be noticed that in this
schedule of statistics Wood county is
the only one that shows any kaOlin
|
the stuff had been regarded as very
good quality of clay for road building.
| 1t never had been SurmiSed that it
was fit for pottery of delf ware.
STANDING TIMBER IN WISCONSIN VAL
| LEY.
The following figures as to standing
timber in the Wisconsin valley are as
accurate as can be gotten from care
full estimates:
Pine, 2,5OO,OOO, 900 feet; hemlOck,
3,625, 900, 900 feet; wood pulps (spruce,
balsam and poplar, 365,O0O,OOO cords:
birch, 900, ,000,00 feet: oak, 81, 900, ,OOC
feet: maple, 395 900, 900 feet: basswood
800, ,00O 900 feet; elm, 345, 100000 feet:
cedar (pOles and posts, 227, 200, 900 feet
butternut, 100000.
MINERALS.
Granite, ineXhaustible quantity
quartzite, ineXhaustible quantity
graphite, 100000 tons: red oxide,
1000, 900 tons: dark red oxide, 25O,OOC
tons: kaolin, 100000 tons: clay, 2OO,-
900 acres.
WATER POWER OF THE VALLEY.
Wood county, 10000 horsepower:
Portage county, 10000 horsepower;
Marathon county, 10000 horsepower;
Lincoln, $4,000 horsepower; Oneida
county, 10000 horsepower; Villas
county, 5000 horsepower.
The final figures on actual surveys
will probably increase Portage county
to $4,000. It will decrease the Villas
county estimate slightly and vary the
estimate from Lincoln county, but
| the figures are generally accepted as
very close to the mark. These OF
course will not correspond with the
figures that will be given out in the
near future by Engineer Pride OF
Appleton. who is making a survey OF
the Wisconsin river water powers
only. The above figures show the
powers of the tributary streams.
In the estimates of pine still stand
ing there should be 5O,0OO,OO0 feet
credited to the western portion OF
Langlade county and 100000 feet
to the eastern portion of Price county.