Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-03-26

were already under way, the logs from
which were usually sold to the mills of
Marquette and Menominee.
But work was on a small scale and
with an eye to the immediate present
only. 1t was accomplished by purchas-
ing one forty and cutting dozen.
Thorpe's map showed often near the
forks of an important stream a section
whose coloring indicated private pos
session. Legally the owners had the
right only to the pine included in the
marked sections, but if any one had
taken the trouble to visit the district
he would have found operations going
on for miles up and down stream The
colored squares would prove to be moth
ing but so many excuses for being on
the ground. The bulk of the pine was
stolen from unbought state or govern
ment land.
This in the old days was common
enough trick.
Thorpe was perfectly conversent with
this state Of affairs. He knew also
that in all probability many of the col
ored districts on his map represented
firms engaged in steals Of greater or
less magnitude. He was further aware
that most of the concerns stole the tim
Der because it was cheaper to steal
than to buy, but that they would buy
readily enough If forced to do so in or
der to prevent its acquisition by anoth-
er. In his exploration, therefore, he de-
cided to employ the utmost circumspec-
ton. He would pose as hunter and
fisherman.
For a week he journeyed through
magnificent timber, working always
more and more to the north until final
~ he stood on the shores Of Superior.
He resolved to follow the shore west
to the mouth of fairly large river
called the Ossawinamakee. It showed
IN common with most streams Of it's
size, land already taken, but Thorpe
hoped to find good timber near the
mouth. After several days hard walk
Ing with this object in view he found
himself directly north of a bend in the
river, so he turned through the woods
due south, with the intention of strik-
ing in on the stream. This he succeed
ed in accomplishing some twenty miles
inland. where also he discovered well
defined AND recently used trail leading
''llp river. Thorpe camped one night
at the bend and then set out to follow
the trail.
1t led him for upward of ten miles
nearly due south, sometimes approach
Ing, sometimes leaving, the river, but
Keeping always in its direction. The
country in general was rolling. Low
parallel ridges of gentle declivity Gid
ed constantly across his way, their
valleys sloping to the river Thorpe
had never seen grander forest Of
pine than that which clothed them.
At the ten mile point he came upon
dam. 1t was a crude dam, built Of
logs, whose face consisted of strong
buttresses slanted up stream and whose
sheer was made of Embarked timbers
laid smoothly side by side at the re-
CURED angle. At present it's gate was
open.
The purpose Of the dam in this new
country did not puzzle him in the
least, but its presence bewildered him.
Such constructions are often thrown
across logging streams at proper in
Iervals In order that the operator may
be independent of the spring freshets.
The device is common enough, but it
ts expensive. People do not build
dams except in the certainty of some
years of logging, and quite extensive
logging at that. If the stream happens
to be navigable the promoter must first
get an improvement charter from a
board of control appointed by the
state. So Thorpe knew that he had
to deal not with hand to mouth lum-
Der thief, but with a great company
preparing to log the country on a big
SCALE
He continued his journey. At noon
he came to another and similar struc-
ture. Here he left his pack and pushed
ahead in light marching order. About
eight miles above the first dam and
eighteen from the bend of the river
he ran into ''slashing" of the year
before. The decapitated stumps were
already beginning to turn brown with
weather; the tangle of tops and limbs
was partially concealed by poplar
growths and wild raspberry vines.
To Thorpe this particular clearing be-
came at once Of the greatest interest.
He scrambled over and through the
ugly debris which for year or two
after logging operations cumbers the
ground. By rather prolonged search
he found what he sought-the section
corners" of the tract, on which the gov
eminent surveyor had long ago marked
the descriptions" A glance at the
map confirmed his suspicious. The
slashing lay some two miles north of
the sections designated as belonging to
private parties. 1t was government
land.
Thorpe sat down, lit pipe and did a
little thinking.
He had that very morning passed
through beautiful timber lying much
nearer the mouth Of the river than
either this or the sections farther south.
Why had these men deliberately ascend
ed the stream? Why had they stolen
timber eighteen miles from the bend
when they could equally well have stol-
en- just as good fourteen miles nearer