The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-09-07


are from five to six million acres OF
good farming land waiting in northern
Wisconsin for the hand Of the settler.
Within this generation, according to
the present outlook, the bulk of this
land will pass from the ownership OF
companies and land dealers, and be
(. converted into farms. There is prob
ably no area of it's size in the world
that presents such an opportunity, such
combination of advantages, to the pa
tient, industrious farmer with small
capital as this great section OF northern
Wisconsin, already filing up with the
right kind of people. This is said after
a brief but discriminating survey Of
large part of the territory mentioned.
There is no question whatever about
the advantages of northern Wisconsin.
Most of them are apparent right on
the face of things, and DO not need
prejudiced observer. The inquiring
mind that wants to know the reason
for the rapid movement OF homeseekers
into northern Wisconsin this year, and
in fact for the last half dozen years,
can get the story in nutshell about
as follows:
Low priced Ian, cheap because still
in wild state, but sure to command
much higher prices when once i'm
proved.
Soil unequaled for growing clover,
Timothy, oats, rye, barley, peas, pota,,
toes. sugar beets and other root and
forage crops.
cattle, sheep and hogs cheaply, and fur
nishing feed to fatten them for market.
Abundance of water, and land that
never suffers from drouth.
Wood for fuel and for market, both
hardwood and pine, in abundance.
Unrivaled advantages for dairy farm
Vast natural preserves Of game and
fish.
Climate unsurpassed in the world for
healthfulness.
Large centers of population to fur
nish markets, in every direction: West,
the twin cities; north, Duluth, Superior,
Ashland, and marine business; east,
milwaukee,, Racine, Green Bay and
other lake cities and the copper towns;
south, Chicago. e
Homeseekers who have visited this
territory have discovered these facts,
and those who have been really in
search Of homes at low cost have usual
ly been buyers after making their in
vestigation. Not only that, but they
have, when once settled, become walk
. ing advertisements for the country,
writing enthusiastically to their friends
and telling them what they will find
here The North Wisconsin Farmers
association has done wonders in this
way for the four northern counties Of
Ashland, Bayfield,, Douglas and Iron,
but the interior counties have their
boomers also. The advantages of farm
land in this new country. are being
pressed to the attention Of thousands
Of struggling farmers in the older states
of high rents and high-priced acres.
/. Such Opportunities Few.
It is no wonder these efforts are
bringing results. There is not much
low-priced land remaining. in the north
central states of the union, in prox-
unity to the markets and in the choice
climate of the north-temperate zone.
Such areas are filing fast with the an
nual migration from hundred dollaran-
acre territory to land where poor
man can get a start.
After many years of comparative neg
lect the cut-over timber lands of north
ern Wisconsin are coming into their
own. After the decades of lumber
activity, during which the woodsmen
e en9 S the giant pines f i} the land
the mighty lumber industry is. waning
with the disappearance of pine in north.
ern Wisconsin, it's broad acres are just
coming to realize, their permanent mis-
sion in the world. Centuries they lay
Now they have emerged into the light
Of the sun, of settlement and of cult
walton, which will make these same
acres TEEN like the older world s gran
aries. In all these years settlers have
or thru the forests. Now, the forests
are going or gone, the prairies are filed
and the new movement is to the cut
over lands. The earlier settlers have
achieved results enough to dispel al
the old prejudice against cut-over land
Nav ho1, r41, 1>1,,o ii
comfortable homes and good livings from
Its increase, and those who come after
them need only to profit by their ex
ample. Everywhere in this region. are
wild acres lying adjacent to titled
same promise az the older. farms. Il
10 only waiting to be put thru the same
process. to yield like results, and the
man who comes at this time will enjoy
the good roads and all the other ad
pioneers. :, The older settlers have al
1 the land they want to handle. New
break and till the land still in a wild
state. ~
Returns from Timber.
This land offers one big advantage
that does not accrue to the settler OF
the prairie. It pays for the clearing
There is not much merchantable pine
4 standing on such land, but whereve
there is good, fertile land for sale, the
] cutting Of the pine has left behind
/ good growth Of hardwood trees, some
| large and straight enough to be valu
I able for lumber or cooper stock, ant
others fit only for cordwood, but there
is always a ready markets at goot
price for cordwood, and the settler cal
\ secure an income while clearing his Ian,
Il that in many cases will pay him bacl
the purchase price: before he ha
4 fairly begun to till his farm. Of course
4 it means work, but that is what the maj
/ of small capital looks for when he look
| for home Of his own. He has worked
as a hired hand or renter, and he i
1 willing to work all the harder for hi
nwa farm and Preside. The cordwoo'
output Of Wisconsin is enormous, and i
Il is a big trade in ITSELF but there is n
/ danger that it will ever become dru
4 on the market. Each incoming wave O
settlers clears its land and markets it
& wood, and then drops out of the market
A The production will not materially in
crease, while the markets of the cities
which are 80 near in every direction
are taking 1t in constantly increasing
quantities.
OF course no one claims that all tn
land of, northern Wisconsin is good
4 The geological map Of the state show
i belts of different kinds Of soil, which