Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-06-17


GRAFTON of the whole is not unlike the
conduct of a big factory. It used to
be said that to profit in farming one
must either hold or drive the plow,
but even this is true no longer. An
interest" in good farm, perhaps on
shares, is often the best dividend
payer man has.
Defense Against Forest Fires.
The science of forestry consists
largely in the northwest in suppressing
forest fires. Wisconsin doesn't do
much except talk on this subject but
Minnesota is doing business. The
chief warden of that state has issued
his ninth annual report, book OF l3o
pages. The number of forest fires
mostly on brush and cut-over land
reported by local fire wardens (town
supervisors in 1902 was 81, doing
damage to the amount of $500; num-
Der of prairie fires, 46; damage, $12,-
31S Nose of the fires occurred in
April and May, when dry weather pre-
vailed.
The following is a sample report:
Lenoard Groth, chairman, town OF
Stanchfield Qsanti county,, April %:
ION the 18th of April, about II a. m.,
a fire burned over 80 acres of brush
and light timber and destroyed little
fencing; damage amounted to very lit
tie Fire was set by party burning
weeds and other combustible material.
A strong wind blowing at the time
brought the fire into a tamarack
swamp overgrown with long grass and
it quickly spread 20 the brush and
timber. Weather was very dry and
windy, as there has been no rain OF
note this spring. The fire was eXtin-
guished with the help Of forty persons
by blowing, using wet sacks and back
firing. The party who caused the fire
was arrested, pleaded guilty and paid
a fine of $50
The failure of the civil service bill
did not attract much attention. But
this was long true of the idea of regu-
lating freight rates when Mr.. Hall had
if in charge and before Governor La
Toilette espOused it. The measure is
of great Importance, however, for it
regulates the very machinery of gov
eminent. Within a few years some
public man will make civil service a
household word in Wisconsin and the
absurd spectacle of rotation at the
state capitol and the state institu-
tons will then cease.
Commencement Under Way.
This is time of commandments.
Our Young friends of the state univer-
sity are hard at it. Did you ever stop
to t. nix that not one in a hundred
of American youth graduates from a
college. Indeed, of those who enter
the public school primary system, only
3 per cent. graduate from the high
schools of every hundred. And of
those who graduate from the high
school. the great number of girls
speedily get married and of the boys
'.go into business" The four more
long years O. study seem to them an
eternity and they are anxious to be
earning something.
Decline in Cheese Industry.
Twenty years ago the OHlteu SldCeS
exported about $1O,000,000 worth of
cheese annually; now the exports have
fallen below $3,000,0OO.
There are a number of explanations,
the chief one being that our dairymen
attempted the sharp practice of palm
inc off filled cheese; Cheese made of
skim milk and lard upon our foreign
customers who were deceived thereby
for but a short time and then turned
in disgust at our product and methods
of business.
An attempt is being made to regain
their confidence. Winconsin is acutely
intereted in this matter for cheese is
one of the products. Our state is
splendidly equipped by nature to
make it.