The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-30
rom both the Canadian and United

from both the Canadian and United
States governments.
Tt is predicted that the International
Falls will make, Minnesota within a few
years famous as one OF the leading
states in the union in the manufacture
OF pulp and paper. The vast spruce area
tributary to the Falls is the greatest
pulpwood domain in the United States
and the greatest within reach of civili-
cation on the American continent. East
ern mills have exhausted their early
pulpwood supply and are now dependent
upon Canadian forests for material,
which means costly transportation and
high priced material. The Wisconsin
mills, hitherto the chief source of paper
production in the west, have likewise
exhausted their tributary pulpwood sup
material at high cost for transporta-
ton from northern Minnesota forests
OF which International Falls and it's
paper mills will be the logical industrial
center and near-at-hand pulpwood mar
ket. The pulpwood resources tributary
to International Falls, at minimum cost
of production and transportation to the
mills, are practically inexhaustible and
Will support paper and pulpwood in
dustry equal to the largest in New Eng
land for upwards of half century.
Second IN Importance only to. nearby
pulpwood area in the development of a
great print paper industry, is the water
power, and International Falls will have
perhaps the finest in the country, out
SIDE OF Niagara and st. Anthony falls.
BY the vote Of, the people Of Itasca
northern half Of this vast virgin empire
has been carved out and organized as
koochiching county, the baby coun-
ty OF Minnesota in years, but one of
the greatest both in size and natural
resources. The governor g proclamation
OF the county's organization was issued
on :Dec.s H.. The state drainage com
mission, since the recent excursion Of
business men and congressman to the
Big. Fork in the interests of extensive
drainage improvements, has planned
large drainage enterprises for the next
TWO years IN the forest-and-stream fast
nesses Of the new county, and logging,
ra1lroadlng, clearing, .ditching, road
making and farming will speedily con-
vert the recent wilderness into one Of
the. most productive and industrially
One of the interesting features in
connection with the completion Of the
last link in the railroad chain Connect
ing the Rainy river valley with the set
tied sections of central and southern
Minnesota is the fact that Edward W.
Backus, president of the Backus- Brooks
company and the Koochiching company.
which have virtually created the Biz
Fork & International Falls RAILWAY
company, in order to insure the speedy
construction Of railroad facilities To-
International Falls and the valley Of
the Rainy, was likewise the builder Of
the first fifty miles of the old Brainerd
! q Northern railroad, which afterward
became, the Minnesota & International
and a branch of the Northern Pacific.
Mr.: Backus, therefore, has proved his
faith and the courage Of his convictions
in the future Of the Koochiching coun-
try by twelve years not only Of bust
ness energy as lumberman and indus
trial organizer, but also as railroad
builder at two critical stages in the
history OF the new country's develop