Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-05-06
PREY ON Settlers
State Game Warden Discusses Sit
uation-$I0 an Acre Secured
For Land Worth Soc

Herald, State Game and Forest Warden
Charles S. Pierce saws that his for
estry work is greatly hindered by lack
of-funds with which 10 properly guard
the forest lands from fire.
Speaking of the barrens in Roseommon
county and the adjoining Sahara. he
freely expressed his views along the J
lines. which have been expressed 10y
the members of the forestry commission
1T is certainly a great shame that
certain companies can buy sand wastes
from the state at fifty cents an acre
and sell il at $40 an acre to the poor
steel workers and others in the large
cities who have dreams of the indie
pendence of the farmer. | notice each
week in the Chicago papers great ads
which are intended TO entice men from
the large cities to these barrens, where
il is pictured they will be in the land
of milk and honey and independent
for life. Now anybody knows. who
knows anything, that the great ma
iority of these lands are not worth
even the fifty cents the spectators
nav for them A man will have more
fun for his money by Throwing 1t into
the lake and seeing the splash When
these poor fellows from the cities buy
a section of this land they expect to
he able to grow something upon It,
When they get 1t they find only bar
rem waste. fit for nothing in the world
The result is they exc ont miserable
existence for year or so and then
abandon the farm and are glad to get
5 back to the city, where the pay en-
= velope is handed out each Saturday
> night
There should be some legislation OF
some sort 10 prevent this sort of spec
ulation. | don't know what would be
required. hut certainly something is
a In discussing the same point Charles
W. Garfield expresses himself similarly
= There are few good farms. OF
# course. in all that waste, be says
hut if man gets good piece OF
= land he is surrounded on all sides
with barren waste upon which no.
l. body can live. / know of one very
fine farm with fine buildings and goot
crops and everything you could desire
Is here. The owner wanted TO sell 1t
e although il was an excellent piece o
IS property, nobody would buy 1T, be
.e cause they would be so absolutely iso
y lated from any neighbors or friends
20 The land around the farm was sue
f. that nobody could possibly live on II
N The fine farm finally sold for mer
ot song
lie The forestry commission therefor
is argues that even this good farm Ian
should not be used for such bu
/ should be turned over to the forestr
al commission for forestry purposes.
I'd There we could have our nurseries an
al NV planting trees in such localities W
be could soon raise a forest that woul
e be worth the while. -
Much of the land in the barrens
n of no value at alt, that l can see,
declared Mr.. PIERCE. do not be-
II. lieve il would even raise fores
y The prevailing impression is that tn
land was once covered with fores
. This is untrue Much of it was COY
cred in the old numbering days wit
jack pines and scrub oaks and popli
nd as it is now.
e. In reply to this Mr.. Garfield poin
out the value of poplar four inch'
lie in diameter, as pulp wood ana d'
n clared if the land won't raise pines
a is worth while to raise poplar on
,et for the pulp market