Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-29
their advantages, or at least they do not
seem to be making much use of them.
Settlers From the North.

What Pensacola needs is local enterprise
and immigration. A great many northern
settlers are coming down this way-home-
seekers from Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin.
Michigan and other northern states. who
sell their farms up there for 500 and $50
per acre and buy new ones down here for
$40 and $50 an acre. At first they are dis
trustful of the soil. but they soon discover
its advantages and adapt themselves TO the
new conditions with the traditional Yankee
tact and intelligence. The climate Is the
chief attraction. Those whose health has
suffered in the cold and windy winters OF
the north find great comfort and relief in
this climate. Many of the newcomers nave
sick wives or delicate daughters who find
the soft, moist air of the gulf coast grateful
to their lungs. During the last winter one
colony of twenty-eight families located near
Pensacola on timber land which had been
cleared and was for sale cheap.
The largest northern farmer In this 10
cality is Col F. G. Hecker OF Detroit,
partner of Senator Alger in a big lumber
plant His son. Frank FL. Hecker Is max
ing his home here and has built S2o.oOO
mansion in the pine woods, surrounded by
a cluster Of farm buildings of the Michigan
style, which make the Alabama and Florida
grangers open their eyes They are not ac-
customed to such grandeur. Mr. Hecker
has brought herd of high-bred stock, has
set out several thousand fruit trees and has
five or six hundred acres of land under
cultivation. A. E. Human OF syracuse.
N. Y. has similar establishment ana Is
demonstrating what may be done with this
soil when 1t is cultivated with northern
skill and energy.
Big Lumber Companies.
The Alger-Sullivan Lumber Company has
a tract of 100000 acres of pine lands. own
ed jointly by Senator Alger, Frank j.
Hecker and Martin Sullivan, local capi-
taIist They have an immense mill few
miles north of Pensacola, on the Louisville
and Nashville railroad, and a town which
they call Century" because 1t was started
in the year 1900. They are building up
quite an agricultural colony as well as
timber town, and have brought down
large number of farmer families from
Michigan.
Another Michigan concern, Stearns, Gull
yer & Co. of Ludington has similar plant
at Bagdad. in the adjoining county, with
about 100000 acres of timber and several
sawmills.
The jackson Lumber Company of Balti-
more, of which Ex-Governor Jackson OF
Maryland is the principal owner. mas a
thrifty town called Florala, because II is
lust on the boundary line between Florida
and Alabama. They have 10000 acres OF
timber.
The Southern States Lumber Company.
composed of New York capitalists, has the
largest tract of anymore than 100000
acres, within both Alabama and Florida. and
several big sawmills which are cutting
lumber for the export trade. One of their
mills lies on the same boundary line. They
run the logs in from Florida and drop the
sawdust in Alabama. There are several
other large companies cutting timber In
both states.
Cost Of the Land.
The timber lands cost from S. to $40 an
acre, according to the location and the
quality of the trees. The trees are first
tapped for turpentine. This is done very
much like getting maple sugar, except that,
instead of having spigot and bucket to
catch the sap, a trough. or box" as they
call it, is cut in the trunk of the tree, which
catches and holds the sap until 1t is gath
cred In buckets. A still, or boiling plant, is
located in a convenient place, where the
sap Is distilled very much like alcohol. The
liquid is turpentine; the residue at the bot
tom of the tanks Is the rosin of commerce
A forest is leased to turpentiners at from
3 to cents per tree, and after all the trees
are exhausted the lumbermen are sent in
to cut off the timber that is available for
saving. They use most everything down
here, however. All trees that will make a
strip of timber six inches square are mar
ketable. Then, after being cleared, the land,
covered with stumps Is sold for $40 and $50
an acre-twice as much as 1t cost origin
ally.