Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-03-08
RAPID DEVELOPMENT PROPHESlED.
Why the Wisconsin Valley Has Bright
Prospects For Industrial Future.

Prospects or Industrial Future.
There is no section Of the United
States today where the prospect for Il
steady influx of settlers and new in
duStrieS is brighter than in the Upper
Wisconsin Valley" said c. S. Pierce
OF Milwaukee, General Land Agent of
the Chicago x Northwestern railway,
to The Tomahawk last Wednesday
and he gave SO many good reasons for
the faith thus expressed in rapid
and extensive development of this
section, that the REPORTER is pleased
to print all the good information
thrown out by Mr.. Pierce when he
continued to state that:
There are substantial facts upon
which my statement is based. We
receive, in response to the large
amount Of advertising matter sent
out by the company, many inquiries
daily-perhapS two or three bushels Of
letters. 1t is fact that about so per
cent of these inquiries are for locations
in North Wisconsin. and majority
of the 80 per cent are directed to the
the effort Of the railroads, covering a
number Of years, and more recently
the large amount Of advertising the
valley has received on account of the
Advancement association, the atten-
ton of hOmCSeekerS and parties
interested in locating new industries
has been attracted to this section.
And from the general character of the
inquiries | am satisfied the result will
he an unusual influx of settlers.
The section in question possesses
undoubted advantages in the way of
resources and conditions enabling
men OF small means to become indie
pendent owners of farms and | think
there is a general disposition on the
part of hOmeSeekerS to get into good
timbered sections rather than the
'recleSS prairie countries, aS was the
ease few years ago. And | believe,
also, this is the result of experience
and realization OF the fact that
building Il home in the timber is in
the long rum the safest and SureSt of
the two. The man who starts in on
the prairie is much more apt to meet
with dlScOuraging conditions: and
while the work Of cutting off the
timber and pulling the Stumps does
not have to be done there. conditions
have materially changed in the last
few years in favor of the settler on
timbcrcd lands. This is especially
true of the settler in North WiScOn-
sin. Pretty nearly every stick of
timber ON any given tract Of land now
has a cash marked value. He can
build comfortable house and neceS-
Sary outbuildingS and barns for the
care OF his stock from the material
nature has grown on his land. and
with very little outlay of money he
and his family and stock are comfort
ably sheltered. Fences and fuel. two
extremely important items, cost him
only the outlay Of labor.
again in the timbered sections,
not only every tree he fellS for his
clearing has its value in use or money,
but the working into lumber of the
trees furnishes employment for the
settler at renUmcrativC wages practi-
cally the year around. The prairie
settler has none OF these advantages,
and the cost of buildings, fuel and
tcnclng, much higher now than ever
before. are great drawbacks. Given
the same fertility of soil, the prairie
farmer is less sure of his crop, because
of the tendency to drOughts we'll
known to exist in practically all large
prairie sections.
The conditions of soil. climate.
markets. transportation facilities,
schools, roads, churches and all that
goes to make a section desirable in
which to build up home, are en-
tremely favorable in North Wisconsin.
The immense lumber interests have
called for the building of railroads
and towns away ahead of the
agricultural settlement of the country.
The soil of the Wisconsin Valley.
especially, is rich and productive. All
the grains, grasses and root crops grow
we'll here. Dairying and Stock-raiSing
are certain to become extensive and
profitable industries, there being in
many ways specially strong natural
conditions, tending towards their
rapid development.
From the great Sheep-raising
sections of the country there are re-
ceired daily hundreds of inquiries
from parties who are investigating
this section with a view of coming
here and many have already decided
upon starting ranches. 1t has been
demonstrated shat this climate is
peculiarly adapted to Sheep-breediny.
The animals raised here possess more
Nlgor and Vitality than those grown
III places further south. and these are