Canyon City news. (Canyon City, Tex.) 1903-1908, 1904-12-09
1.-The Blazed TTail'
CONTINUED from 1st page1


east or west by nnmh"r. Al Thorp"
bad to do was 80 ind the same hgufes
on lis map. He knew just where he
was
United States land office ~ Detroit.
He had set ont for tie purpose Of
looking a suitable bunch Of pine in
the northern peninsula which at the
time was practically untouched. Ac.
cess TO the interior could only be ob.
tanned on foot or by river The South
Shore railroad had as yet penetrated
only as far as Seney. Marquette. Me.
nominee and few smaller places
along the coast were numbering near at
home. but they shipped entirely sy
water.
Thorpe, with the farsightedness of
the pioneer had perceived that the ex.
ploitation OF the upper country was an
affair Of few years only. The north
would not prove as accessible as il
now seemed. for the carrying trade
would some day realize that the en-.
tire waterway Of the great lakes Of
fered an unrivaled outlet. With that
discovery would begin a rush to the
new country He resolved to antici-
pate ii and by acquiring his holdings
before general attention should be turn.
cd that way 10 obtain the best
He was without money and practi.
cally without friends. while govern.
ment and state lands cost respectively
$3.50 and sl.25 an acre cash down.
But he relied on the good sense Of cap
italists TO perceive from the statistics
which his explorations would furnish
the wonderful advanta ges OF logging
new country with the chain Of great
lakes as shipping outlet at It's very
door. In return for his information
be would expect q half interest in tie
enterprise.
Thorpe was by no means the first 10
see the money in northern pine. Out
side the big mill districts already
named cuttings Of considerable size
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 a dozen.
Thorpe's map showed often near the
forks of an important stream a section
whose co!oring indicated private pos
session Legally the owners had the
right only the pine included in the
marked sections. but if any one had
taken the trouble 10 visit the district
he would have found operations going
on fol miles up and down stream. The
coiorcd squares would prove to be moth
Ing but so many excuses for being 0,
The ground The bulk of the pine wa
stolen from unbougLt state or govern
ment land
This in the old days was a common
enough trick
Thorpe was perfectly conversant with
this state Of affairs. He knew also
that ia all probability many Of the col
ored districts on his map represented
hrlns engaged in steals Of greater or
less magnitude He was further aware
that most Of the concerns stole the tim.
bel because il was cheaper 10 steal
than TO buy but that they would buy
readily enough If forced 10 do 50 in or
der 10 prevent its acquisition by anotl.
er la his exploration. therefore. he de
cided to employ the utmost circumspec.
lion He would pose as hunter and
fisherman
fof week be journeyed through
magnificent timber working always
more and more TO the north. until final
~ he stood On the shores of Supcrior
III" resolved 10 follow the shore wes,
10 ia" mouth OF fairly large river
called the oSsawInamakee II showed
10 common With most streams of IFS
slz" land already taken. but Thorpe
hpprd 20 find good timber near the
month hf'ei several days hard walk
an: WI & i object 10 view be found
himself dir "tly north of bend in the
fivei % he turned through the woods
du" south with the intention Of strik
'h2 "a on ID" stream This he succeed.
"d in "Vonr isnine sorae twenty miles
Inland, where also be discovered "a wei