The diamond drill., 1920-08-07
COMPANY WILL PLAT AND SELL
FARMS LIKE CITY LOTS
INTERESTED LAND OWNERS
Upper Peninsula Companies May
Try the Scheme Out on Some Of
the Large Cut Over Tracts

Probably no other section through
out the great middle west is COM
manding, at present, which Is focused
upon the upper peninsula OF Michigan,
from the viewpoint of industrial act
iyity. The fact Is attributed largely to
the proposed establishment OF a Ford
manufacturing plont at Iron Mount
ain, Dickinson county, plant which
will employ $500 to 5000 men on the
start and which will be devoted en-
tirely to the manufacture of wood
parts for Ford automobiles. over
100000 acres Of hardwood timber
lands will feed the factory with raw
material
IL has come as sort OF climas to
a period OF unusual industrial activ-
ity throughout the upper peninsula
OF Michigan, period covering the
past few years, during which more
OF actual industrial development has
been accomplished than during and
corresponding era in the regions his
tory. The upper peninsula Of Mich
igan, with its miles OF excellent high
ways. its vast acreage Of virgin hard
wood timber, its lakes and streams
and the natural fertility OF its soils,
Is demanding rapidly increasing in
terest among the far-sighted inter-
ests throughout its neighboring and
other states.
II has not been entirely process
from within. In, fact, II was not un-
I'll outside interests began to mani
fest an interest In the possibilities OF
the region az a farming, grazing and
manufacturing center that Cloverland
came out OF its rut and registered
squirt. Those who have been activ-
ely associated with development
work in upper Mishigan point to the
year OF 1917 as the actual starting
point from which that region set out
TO capitalize 70 the utmost It's vast
wealth in natural resource, and,
though the work has benn going on
steadily, though in a limited way, for
the past nine or ten years, II was not
until few years ago that the actual
results began to show up.
one OF the greatest problems which
has confronted the region north OF
the Straits, ever since the hum OF the
saw-mill first pierced the dense for
ests OF hardwood, has been the util-
ization OF the vast acreage OF lands
left idle by the wood-man's axe. Lum-
bering Is now one Of Cloyerlands
premier industries, and II has created
a situation which has proven hard
nut TO crack. These vast areas, now
estimated to total over 100000 acres
have. year after year, grown rich
rich crops OF grass and clover, which
has thrived and died as the years
have come and gone, for want OF some
means OF successful utilization.
Early in the year OF 1917. however
a prominent western rancher, on
summer trip through Cloverland, sug-
gested that these great tracts OF
grass covered stump lands would
make excellent range for sheep ana
cattle. The suggestion was enough.
The lumber men and other landown-
ers fell In with the scheme immedi-
ateIy and. with the assistance OF de-
yelopment organizations within the
peninsula, a great campaign ioI
western livestock men was launched
THAT was four years ago. Today ar
estimate OF $4,000 head OF sheep and
& 900 OF beef cattle are grazing on
the cut-over regions OF upper Mich
igan. and the new venture Is proving
a success. There are about thirty
sheep and cattle ranches operating
in upper Michigan today.
With livestock raising a firmly es-
tabllshed institution, however, an
other plan for the more rapid and
profitable utilization OF upper Mich
igan's vast cut-oyer acreage has been
suggested, and bids fair 20 outrank
the livestock boom IN its popularity
among the landowners. And right here
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