Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1911-04-18
RAMBLING THOUGHTS.

county board meeting last week.
That part of what was but short
time ago portion of the town of
Weston is nearly all plated into
building lots, and is being built up
fast.
1t is only few years since there
were bIG two or three houses along
the Sturgeon Eddy road. Now both
sides are pretty well built up with
modern, substantial dwelling houses,
and more are going up right along.
From the bank of the river it is
seen that the territory directly oppo-
site, on the vest side of the river, is
also being dotted with houses. Much
of that territory was covered with
growth of timber only a few years
ago.
The large island just north of the
4. Lille farm is at the present time
submerged in water. The water at
that point is very deep and boating
is excellent. Here, as at several other
points along the river between the
city and Rothschild is an excellent
place for dock, and large boat house,
where launches, as large as those on
any lake, could be maintained and
rented to the public. And it will all
come some day.
When one stops to think of the
possibilities right here of obtaining
park grounds along either the Wis
cOnsin or Rib rivers, of the boating
opportunities, where school children
and picnic parties can take in the
fresh air, fish and enjoy themselves
in wild, reckless health-giving pleas
ure, we must come to the conclusion
that we are more favored than many
other sections of Wisconsin. One
might make predictions of what the
conditions will be in the future, and
be called fool and a galoot for open
ing his yawp. But we venture to say
that within very few years the river
craft stirring up the waters of the
Wisconse will be as numerous as flies
in August, and that the banks of the
river and its tributaries north and
south of us will be studded with
breathing places-parks, which are
the lungs of city.
Our people will this summer get
| their first taste of what lake Wausau
means, and watch the orders go in to
factories for boats, Why don't some
enterprising business man start a
boat factory here? The trade posi-
bilities for such factory would be
great, we believe. InAaddition to the
business to be obtained at home there
is the whole lake territory north of us
to supply. All this trade is now go
ing to Oshkosh and other cities
some of it to points outside the state.
And here is another possibility ::
The dam at Rothschild has backed
water onto low land which formerly
was dry. bayous running up into
farms in some instances for hundreds
of feet. These, if fenced off from the
main body of water, would make the
finest kind of ponds for the raising of
ducks md geese, which is a very
profitable business when conducted
rightly. One enthusiast has figured
the market results of a goose farm as
follows:
Three hundred geese to start with
will, in three years time, lay 140, 400
eggs, allowing three eggs for each
goose per week Making an allowance
of 40,400 bad eggs there will be in
cubated and Matched 100000 geese.
The market results will be 3 pounds
of feathers per goose 100000 pounds
at 81, S3OO,00O; 100000 pairs of livers
at COO, 100000; 2 buttons per goose
bill at 1c, $1,000; 100000 dressed geese
at $3.50 per, Sl50,00o; total income,
s5l2, 900. Deducting S172, 300 for orig
inal capital invee ed and operating
| expenses, would 'e re a net profit of
1899, 700. If three men were to en-
gage in the business on this scale,
each buying 100 geese at the start
at 81 per, each ones net profit would
be S1l3, 255.33 OF 37,744 per cent.
While the profits might not result as
these figures indicate. still there is
money in the business.
Then again these bayous might DC
used for frog ponds. Many are en-
gagged in this business in Minnesota
and other states. Frog saddles bring
from SIPS to Sl.75 in the Chicago
market. Hotel and restaurant own
ers must have them for their patrons,
at no matter what price. Frogs null
tiply fast and require practically no
care Their hops could be sold to the
brewers and yeast makers at a profit.
Time viii work many changes in
this locality.