Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1904-06-24
THE WISCONSIN VALLEY

From great producer OF raw
material Wood county and the entire
Wisconsin river valley has sprung
within few years into the rank of a
great manufacturing section with an
ever broadening prospect. She no
longer saws her timber into rough
lumber to be put In finished shape.
In other states and other mills much
of the timber remaining in the valley
will find its way to our many shops
and factories. She is no longer con-
tented to raise wheat and other
grains and ship to other countries to
be milled.
The Grand Rapids Milling Company
are shipping in large quantities of
Dakota wheat ,and shipping out in
large quantities some OF the best
-four manufactured in the state. She
is no :longer satisfied with shipping
train loads of live stock to Chicago to
be slaughtered and returned. She
does all this herself. Not only this
but she tans the hides, many of them
making the leather into harnesses,
saddles, boots and shoes. She even
turns the tables by importing pig
iron and making it into steel castings.
She packs and ships her surplus fruit
to other counties and states.
Thus Wood county and the WiScon-
sin Valley is doing her part to make
Central Wisconsin induStrially. in
dependent and to make good their
claim to be an empire. That is
according to the twentieth century
definition of an empire as a land
which contains within itself all the
essentials of life in comfort, produced
from it's own soil by the labor OF its
own people aided by the accumulated
capital which they have gathered in
their own treasure house.
In reporting upon the progress of
Wood county during the past year, it
is to be said that her various lines of
industry have advanced with q steady
growth. Times have been prosper
Gus, and the laborer and producer
have received good returns for their
toll. AS in past years, there has been
an increase in the amount of land
under cultivation, and general
betterment in town and country in
our buildings and improvements.
Here and there a new schoolhOuse
has been erected, new church built,
or new creamery established.
The county has an establish ereputa-
tion for it's dairy products, and during
recent years special attention has
been given to the prcSuction of cheese.
An industry which promises exten-
sive development is the production OF
cranberries. All the natural condi-
tions exist in portions Of the county,
and it is believed that the product
cannot be excelled anywhere. The
crop of the past year was especially
fine, and the growers have reaped a
better return than ever before. A
new method of gathering, introduced
this year, is to separate the berries
from the vines Ey means of common
garden rakes, and then food the
patch. and, as the berries float, they
naturally collect at common point,
and are saved in cleaner and better
condition than by haDd-picking, and
at fraction of the former cost.
Under the present condition Of high
wages but little land has been cleared.
The increased acreage is nnt over
per cent. and of farm products there
is less than 10 per cent. increase.
Livestock is about on par with 1903.
The output of milk is slightly more
than last year.
| The apple is our principal fruit, is
excellent in quality, with rs per cent.
increase in quantity and in price the
past year.
The rotatoe crop shows 25 per cent
increase. We have potatoes to sell
and that is perhaps the only vege.
table usually sent to market of which
we raise as much as we consume. The
era oflsubduing the lands to the plov
has not yet arrived. II will come ir
due time,
| Some new country roads have beer
Iopened and old ones repaired MANY
Impractical ideas are advanced OF
how to make good roads, but the mu(
during the spring months is always
with US.
| Labor is well paid, industry fairl,
rewarded, and the people OF th'
country as rule quite prosperous
Many mortgages have been paid OF
during the year, and the numbe
given is considerably reduced.