INDEPENDENCE
ON THE FARM
PLENDID RESULTS FOLLOW
FARMING IN THE CANADIAN
WEST.
Americans In Canada Not Asked to
Forget That They Were Born
Americans.
Farm produce today Is remunera
tive, and this helps to make farm life
agreeable. Those who are studying
tho economics of the day tell ub that
the strength of the nation lies In the
cultivation of the Roll. Farming Is no
longer a hand-to-mouth exlBtence. It
means Independence, often affluence,
but certululy independence.
Calling at a farm house, near one of
the numerous thriving towns of Al
oerta. In Western Canada, the writer
was given a definition of "Indepen
dence" that was accepted as quite
original. The broad acres of the farm
er's land hail a crop and a splendid
jne, too, by the way ripening for the
reapers' work. The evenness of the
crop, covering field after field, attract
ed attention, as did also the neatness
of the surroundings, the well-built sub
tantial story-and-a-half log house, and
the wall-rounded sides of the cattle.
His broken English he was a French
Canadian was easily understandable
and pleasant to listen to. He had
como there from Montreal a year ago,
bad paid $20 an acre for the 320-acro
farm, with tho little improvement it
find. He had never farmed before, yet
his crop was excellent, giving evi
dence as to the quality of the soil, and
the good Judgment that had been used
In its preparation. And brains count
Jn farming as well as "braw." Asked
how ho liked It there, ho straightened
Ills broad shoulders, and with hand
Dutstretched towards the waving fields
of grain, this young French Canadian,
model of symmetrical build, replied:
"Be gosh, yes, we like him tho
farrain' well, don't wet Joannette?"
as ho smilingly turned ,to the young
wife standing near. She had accom
panied him from Montreal to his far
west home, to assist him by her wifely
help and companionship, in making a
new home In this new land. "Yes, we
como here wan year ago, and we never
farm before. Near Montreal, me
father, he kep de grls' mill, au' de
cardin' mill, an' be gosh! he run de
cheese factor' too. He work, an' me
work, an' us work tarn liar', be gosh!
Us work for do farmer; well 'den,
sometin' go not always w'at you call
RANG THE BELL, ALL RIGHT
Mi
I Mi'
'Jt
-
I 'II !
i Win h
Mniiii!"wa;
iTitiNliiiiiiii ui.i 1 1' i afi.vf.;:. I
j'r,1iiinii'..'-wi'Htiii,!n
tP
(limalrs of Yirld of Wheat in Wrtfrii Canada for
1410 Mure Than One Hundred Million Bushela.
ie" right, an' de farmer he say de
mean t'lng, be gosh! and tell us go to
- well, anyway he tarn mad. Now,"
and then he waved his hand again
towards the fields, "I 'ave no bodder,
no cardin' mill, no gris' mill, no cheese
factor'. I am now de farmer man an'
when me want to, me can say to do
ider fellow! you go ! Well, we
like him the farmin'." And that was
a good definition of Independence.
Throughout a trip of several hun
dred miles In the agricultural district
f Western Canada, the writer found
the farmers In excellent spirits, an
optimistic feeling being prevalent
everywhere. It will be interesting to
tho thousands on the American side
of the lino to know that their rela
tives and friends are doing well there,
that they have made their home In a
country that stands up so splendidly
tinder what has been trying conditions
in most of the northwestern part of
the farming districts of the continent.
With the exception of some portions
of Southern Alberta, and also a por
tion of Manitoba and Southern Sas
katchewan tho grain crops could be
described as fair, good and excellent.
Tho same drought that affected North
and South Dakota, Montana, Minne
sota, Wisconsin and other of the
northern central states extended over
Into a portion of Canada just men
tioned. But In these portions the
crops for the prist four or five years
were splendid and the yields good.
The great province of Saskatchewan
tiaa suffered less from drought in pro
portion to her area under cultivation
than either of the other provinces. On
the other hand, instead of tho drought
being confined vvy largely to tho
south ot the main line of the. C. P. H.
It is to be found in patches right
through tho center of northern Sas
katchewan also. In spite of this, how
ever, Saskatchewan has a splendid
crop. A careful checking of the aver
ages of yield, with the acreages In the
ditferent districts, gives an average
yield of 15 ',3 bushels to tho acre.
Ia Southern Alberta one-fifth of the
-winter wheat will not bo cut, or has
been re-own to feed. There are In
dividual crops which will run as high
as 45 bushels on acres of 600 and 1.000
acres, but there are others which will
drop as low as 15. A Bitfe average for
winter wheat will be 19 bui.hcls. The
sample Is exceptionally fire, excepting
In a few cases where It has be n wrin
kled by extreme heat.
The northern section of Alberta has
been naturally anxious to Impress the
world with the fact that It has not
suffered from drought, and this Is quite
true. Wheat crops run from 20 to 30
lufchels to an acre, but In a report
such ns this It Is really only possible
to deal with the province as a whole
and while tho estimate may seein very
low to the people of Alberta, It Is fair
to the province throughout.
When the very light rainfall and
other eccentricities of the past season
are taken into account, It seems noth
ing short of a miracle that the Cana
dian WeBt should have produced 102
million bushels of wheat, which Is
less than 18 million bushels short of
tho crop of 1009. It Is for the West
generally a paying crop and perhaps
the best advertisement the country
has ever had, as It shows that no mat
ter how dry the year, with thorough
tillage, good seed and proper methods
of conserving the moisture, a crop can
always be produced.
As some evidence of the feeling of
the farmers, are submitted letters
written by farmers but a few days
ago, and they offer the best proof that
can bo given.
Maidstone, Sask., Aug. 4, '10.
I came to Maidttone from Menomi
nee, Wis., four years ago, with my
parents and two brothers. We all lo
cated homesteads at that time and
now have our patents. Tho soil Is a
rich black loam as good as I have ever
seen. Wo have had go6d crops each
year and in 1909 they were exceeding
ly good. Wheat yielding from 22 to 40
bushels per acre and oats from 40 to
SO. We ure well pleased with the
country and do not care to return to
our native state. I certainly believe
thai Saskatchewan 13 Just tho place
for a hustler to get a Btart and make
himself a home. Wages here for farm
labor range from $35 to $45 per
month. Leo Dow.
Tofield, Alberta. July 10, 1910.
I am a native of Texas, the largest
and one of the very best states of the
Union. I have been here three years
and have not ono desire to return to
the States to live. There Is no place
I know of that offers such splendid
inducements for capital, brain and
brawn. I would liko to say to all who
are not satisfied whefe you are, make
a trip to Western Canada; if you do
not like it you will feel well repaid
for your trip. Take this from one
who's on the ground. We enjoy splen
did government, laws, school, railway
facilities, health, and last, but not
least, an Ideal climate, and this from
a Texan. O. L. Pughs.
James Normur of Porter, Wisconsin,
after visiting Dauphin, Manitoba,
rays: "I have been in Wisconsin 25
years, coming out from Norway. Never
have I seen better land and the crops
In Fast Dauphin are better than I
have ever seen, especially the oats.
There Is more straw and It has heav
ier heads than ours In Wisconsin.
"This is Just tho kind of land we
are looking for. We are all used to
mixed farming and the land we have
Eeen is finely adapted to that sort of
work. Cattle, hogs, horses and grain
will be my products, and for the live
stock, prospects could not be better.
I have never seen such cattle as are
raised here on the wild prairie grasses
and the vetch that stands three or
four feet high in the groves and on
the open prairie.
Sir Wilfred Laurier Talks to Amer
icans. Sir Wilfred Laurier, Premier of
Canada, is now making a tour ot
Western Canada and In the course of
his tour he has visited many of the
districts in which Americans have set
tled. He expresses himself as highly
pleased with them. At Craig, Sas
katchewan, the American settlers
joined with the others in an address
of welcome. In replying Sir Wilfred
said In part:
"I understand that many of you
have come from the great Republic
to the south of us a land which Is
akin to us by blood and tradition. I
hope that In coming from a free coun
try you realize that you come also to
another free country, and that al
though you came from a republic you
have come to what Is a crowned
democracy. The King, our sovereign,
has perhaps not so many powers as
the President of the United States,
but whether we are on the one sido
of the lino or the other, we are all
brothers by blood, by kinship, by ties
of relationship. In coming here as
you have come and becoming natural
ized citizens of this country no one de
sires you to forget the land of your
ancestors. It would bo a poor man
who would not always have In his
heart a fond affection for the land
which he came from. The two greatest
countries today are certainly the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland and the Republic of the Unit
ed States. Let them be united to
gether and the peace of the world
will be forever assured.
"I hope that in coining here as you
have, yon have found liberty, justice
and equality of rights. In this coun
try, as in your own, you know nothing
of separation of creed and race, for
vou are all Canadians here. And If
I may express a wish It Is that you
would become as go-id Canadians as
vou have been g'-od Americana und
that you may yet remain good Amer
leans. We do not want you to forget
what you have been; but wo want you
to look more to the future than to the
past. Let me, be fore we part, tender
you the sincere expression of my
warmest gratitude fur year reception
9
mountains,
HE ordinary resident of
the United States has no
conception of what Alas
ka really Is. He has heard
of the "Klondike" for the
lust 14 years, and he
wrongly thinks It Is in
Alaska. lie has heard of
great glaciers and high
and that somewhere the
thermometer occasionally registers 80
legrees below rero. Beyond this Ms
knowledge Is likely to bo oven more
fragmentary and unreliable. In real
ity, Alaska Is on continental dimen
sions, and one can no more state
briefly what Its characteristics aro
than he can similarly describe thoso
of tho eutlro. United States; yet a few
words concerning Its most salient fca-
ures will not be amiss.
Alaska was purcfiasod from Rus
la In 18G7 for $7,200,000. Tho value
f all Its products slnco that date has
icen nearly $3.r.0,000,000. It has an
area of 580,000 square miles, or 375,-
000,000 acres, or more than ten times
Serving Two Masters.
"Can a man serve two masters?"
exclaimed John M. Callahan, candi
date for the Democratic nomination
for secretary of state, at a meeting
1u Eagles' hall tho other night. "I
say he cannot, und that remind mo of
tho answer I got from an Irish friend
of mine when I asked him the same
question.
"Kin a man serve two masters, Is
ut," says my Irish friend. "Ol ouly
knowed wan man that could do ut, and
in the lnd they sent him to Jail far
bigamy!" Milwaukee Wisconsin.
The Rlaht Way.
William Muldoon, the noted trmlntr.
was talkln. apropos of the Jeffrie
Johnson fight, of training.
"In training," he said, "the strictest
obedience is required. Whenever I
think of the theory of training I think
of Dash, who, after 18 years of mar
ried life, is one of the best and nap-
nlARt husbands In the world.
" 'Dash,' I once said to him, 'well,
Dash, old man, how do you take mar
ried lifef
"'According to direction,' b to
plied."
TOE BO
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u c.rr j u$mk Jtvm i lima ni
vj&y- 'y-:y-y,: tfz? y-x-yvy ,fi
liat of tho 'state of Illinois. From
outheasteru Alaska to the end of
he Aleutian Islands is as far as
from Savannah, On., to Los AngnJes,
Cal. Its northernmost and southern
most points are as widely separated
an Canada and Mexico. Its ranee of
emperature Is greater than that be
ween Florida and Maine.
More than one-third of this Im
mense territory Is yet but little ex
plored, despite tho many years that
It has been In the possession of the
T'ulted States, and despite the active
efforts of prospectors, of traders and
of representatives of various branches of the
national government The permanent nonu-
atlon at the present time is estimated at some
40,000 whites and 25,000 natives; about half ot
he latter are Eskimo in tho region adjacent
to Bering sea and the Arctic ocean. The most
mportant product is gold, of which the output
In 1908 was valued at more than $19,000,000.
Fisheries rank second, and the salmon packed
In 1908 had a value In excess of $10,000,000.
Most of the internal improvements of
Alaska have been made by the war depart
ment. 'The telegraph system is constructed
and operated by the signal corps, with offices
at all important points. Transmission depends
not only upon cable and land lines, but on
high-power wireless stations as well. Roads
are built chiefly by the corps of engineers of
the war department. Railroads, except for
short lines running out to a few mining camps.
are utterly lacking, and the total railway mile
age does not exceed 350. Transportation In
summer Is by steamboats on the larger
streams and by poling boats on the smaller
ones; in winter, by stages where the roads are
good enough, and more generally by dog
teams. Alaska has 4,000 miles of navigable
rivers; without them most of the present de-
lopment would have been impossible.
Alaska does not have even a territorial
form of government, though during the past
few years it has had a delegate In congress.
Called a territory by courtesy, Its anomalous
standing for years was that of a customs dis
trict. It has executive and Judicial officers
appointed by the president and the senate,
but no legislature; all leglalatlon Is by congress.
The United States geological survey recog
nizes four main divisions oi me suriace ui
Alaska, These are:
(1) The Pacific mountain system, wnlcti, in
southeastern Alaska, is a continuation of the
mountains of British Columbia, extends north
west to the Mount McKlnley range, and then
swings sharply to the southwest, with a pro
longation far into the raclllc ocean, repre
sented by the Aleutian islands.
(21 The central plateau region, which in
cludes most of tho Yukon and Kuskokwlm basins.
HI The Rocky Mountain system, which
bounds the central plateau region on tho north
'.nd northeast.
(4) The Arctic slope to the northward of
the Rocky mountain system.
The Pacific mountain region Is character
zd on the coast by Innumerable fiords and
Inlets, by deep inland passages and mountains
vliMi rise thousands of feet almost straight
. from tide water. In tho interior it culml
. (es in Mount McKlnley, the highest point
i the North American continent. There Is
s, ry little level land in thi- region, especially
; tv.e southeastern l.ari. Trio mountains aro
i-. rM masses el' rod: and the upper parts of
..'.',;, j,V er;ered with i.erpdmi! snow and ice.
.;,,",!,,. t nui.iy ad-rs r-:ich tide water,
'V. :ii t!. ' ii:t-rir they arc e. : ve J to higher
'i he central plateau region .'S
.!;uer.u m it is a roHini; hill a
i country wi'li !'
;i i.i nearly :i" ;:r- '
:( combined. Tie-
no! so :ut'ch
id low .n(, tin-
e .trc;im valleys. Its
t as that of the other
raising of this region
above an earlier level has resulted In stream
cutting, which obscures its original plateau
character. It Is In tho extensive valleys and
on the adjacent slopes of tho Yukon, Tannna
and Kuskokwlm rivers and their tributaries
that the Interior forests reach their best devel
opment. The Rocky mountain region is a compara
tively narrow elongation of the Rocky moun
tain system of North America, and stretches
across northern Alaska nearly from east to
west. The mountains of this region reach a
considerable though In no case a noteworthy
height. -On their southern slope head many
streams which empty Into the Yukon; those
on the northern slope empty Into the Arctic
ocean.
The Arctic slope region, lying north of the
Rocky mountain region, Is composed of roll
ing tundras, in which truly Arctic conditions
prevail It has been less explored than any
other portion of Alaska.
In many places in the interior the post
glacial silts and sands form an excellent soil,
and upon them whatever future agriculture
there may be In Alaska will chiefly be devel
oped. The climate of the southern and southeast
ern coast region of Alaska Is mild and wet.
The annual precipitation at" Juneau and Sitka
Is from 80 to 90 Inches. A( these points the
precipitation is chiefly in the form of rain, and
only during a short time in the middle of the
summer are there likely to be days when rain
does not fall. In the mountains Immediately
above tide water, however; the snowfall Is
very great. This Increases to the northward,
and at Valdez a winter's snowfall of nearly
sixty feet has been recorded. The lowest tem
perature on record at Sitka Is 4 degrees P.
below zero, and the highest 87 degrees. At
JunT'au the lowest record Is 10 degrees below
zero, and the hlgheBt 88 degrees. The Sitka
temperature is but little cooler than that of
the northern part of Puget sound or of Scot
land. '
Sharply contrasted with tho climate of
southeastern and southern Alaska Is that of
the central plateau regions of the Interior.
The Pacific mountain system cuts off the
warm, moisture-laden ocean winds so that the
Interior has a seml-arld continental climate
subject to sudden changes and great extremes.
Satisfactory records are lacking, but such as
are available Indicate an annual precipitation
In tho Yukon valley of about fifteen Inches,
Including melted snow. As low as 80 degrees
F. below zero has been registered In winter,
and in the summer as high as 93 degrees. The
summers are short und comparatively hot;
the winters long and lntonsoly cold.
Despite tho low temperatures and long wlnl
ters of the Yukon valley, there Is ordinarily
a good growing season of at least threo
months. During much of this tlmo daylight Is
almost continual, and growth Is rapid. This
compensates in a marked degreo for tho short
nits of the M-ason; and since tho evaporation
is not great tho vcg tation is by no means of
an arid character, notwithstanding the small
precipitation. The frozen i;ubsoil is practically
impervious to water, which accumulates In
poorly drained areas and caused tho many
swamps and "muskegs."
The ' (iiff.- rcntlutlons between forest types
aro as sharp nH those be
tween tho topographic
and climatic, and, ot
course, depend upon them.
The coast forests of south
ern Alaska are the north
ernmost extension of the
coast type of Washington
and British Columbia. The
Interior forests are an ex
tension of tho Interior Ca
nadian forests. The fort
ests of the Susltna ami
Copper river basins are
somewhat Intermediate In
character, since these riv
ers rise In the Interior
and break through the
mountain bnrrler to the southern coast. On
the coast of southeastern Alaska trees grow to
large size; In the InWerlor the timber is much
smaller. The higher mountain areas are com
pletely above timber line. Climatic conditions
In the region adjacent to Bering sea and on
the Arctic slope make forest growth altogether
Impossible, so there are great stretches of
tundra whose vegetation consists chiefly of
moss, sedges and a few small shrubs. Moss
may he said to be the garment of Alaska, and
layers of It 12 to 18 Inches thick are not at '
all uncommon either on the coast or In the
Interior.
It Is estimated that the total forest and
woodland area of Alaska Is approximately 100,
000,000 acres, or about 27 per cent, of the land
surface of the territory. Of these, about
20,000,000 acres may constantly bear timber
of sufficient size and density to be considered
forest in the sense that much of it can be
used for saw timber, while the balance, or
N0,000,000 acres. Is woodland which bears
some saw timber, but on which the forest Is
of a smaller and more scattered character
and valuable chiefly for fuel.
There Is not sufficient lnformrfWon upon
which to base any satisfactory estimate ot
the total stand of timber In Alaska. It has
been estimated, for Instance that the coast
forests contain 75,000,000,000 feet of merchant
able saw timber, but this estimate might be
much exceeded were both the spruce and hem
lock closely utilized. More than twenty cords
per acre have been cut In good stands of birch
and aspen in the Interior, but, on the other
hand, there are -large areas of black spruce
that Is too small to use for any purpose; so
that It Is still Impossible to give a satisfactory
estimate of the total stand. i
The coast forests of southeastern and south
ern Alaska are nearly all Included In the Ton
gass and Chugach National forests, which com
prise 2C,701,C3C acres; and a large proportion
of this area Is forested. The species are chiefly
western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), Sitka
spruce (Picea sltchensls), western rod cedar
(Thuja pllcata), and yellow cedar (Charaaecy
parls nootkatensls). On the coast the timber
line is low. On deer mountain at Ketchikan, for
instance, spruce saw timber stops at about
1,500 feet, and the peak, with an elevation of
3,000 feet, bears only stunted black hemlock.
In tho coast region the stand Is generally
dense, and as much as 25,000 feet per acre has
been estimated for considerable tracts. Sitka
spruce probably averages 20 per cent, of the
stand, and western hemlock about 75 per cent.
Tho spruce reaches a largo size, and occasion
ally attains diameters of more than six feet
and heights of 150 feet. Diameters of three
to four feet are attained by western red cedar.
While by far the most abundant species, west-
em hemlock, does not produce, as largo Indi
vidual trees as tho spruce or the cedar.
Practically tho entire forest of tho coast re
gion is overmature. It has boon accumulating
for atiea uninjured by fire or cutting. Shallow,
rocky soil, steep mountain slopes, or poor
drainage often prevent thrifty growth, and on
such tiles "stacheadedness" and decay aro
common. In favorable situations the rate of
growth of the coast trees is fairly rapid. Tho
following are typical:
A western red cedar stump In good soil on
the south slope of a gorge above Ket
chikan showed 235 rings. The diame
ter of this stump outside the bark wan
38 Inches. A 40-Inch Sitka sprue
stump In the same locality had 239
rings. This tree had been 125 feet
high. Near Wrangell three Sitka
spruce logs averaged 32 inches In di
ameter at tho butt Inside the bark,
with 2G2 annual rings. Two examples
of extreme ago In Sitka spruce were
noted In Tortage hay between Peters
burg and Juneau. A section of a log
54 inches in diameter taken 25 feet
above the ground had (100 rings; an
other log 51 inches In diameter 8 feet
above the ground had 525 rings. Both
were entirely sound.
Logging in southeastern Alaska
employs tho crudest of methods. It
Is now carried on entirely by band,
though logging machinery was used
In a few earlier operations. Only the
best Fpruce trees at the edge of tide
water are cut. The logs are frequent
ly made tho entire length of the tree,
and aro Jacked up and rolled Into the
water, whero they are tied Into raft
and towed to the sawmill by tugs.
. The annual lumber cut In tho coast
forests of Alaska is about 27,000,000
board feet. This consists almost en
tirely of spruce, since hemlock Is but
little used. There nre about 25 saw
mills on the coast, at Cordova, Doug
las, Juneau. Katalla, Ketchikan,, Pe
tersburg. Seward, Sitka, Valdez. Wran
gell, and other points, mont of them
rather crude In character and of small
capacity. A large proportion of the
output, probably more than one-third.
Is used for salmon cases, and much of
the best lumber goes Into them.
The southern and southeastern
coast of Alaska has a much greater
timber supply than there is any rea
son to think will be needed locally
for a long time to come. The perma
nent Industries of the region are fish
ing and mining. Tho mountainous
character of tho country will forever
prevent agricultural operations of any
magnitude. The total stumpago Is
large, much of It overmature, and the
proportion of hemlock too great. The
timber should be cut and utilized as
soon ns possible and the spruce, which is more
valuable than the hemlock, should be given
an opportunity to Increase. Under present
conditions, with tho well-known ability of the
hemlock to reproduce under shade and ilpon
decaying logs and debris, It has the advantage
of tho spruce.
Slnco the Alaska coast forests do not con
talu timber ot either as high quality or as
. great variety as grows In Oregon and Wash
ington, there Is Uttlo likelihood that lumber
from them will compete largely In the general
market with lumber from those states. In
fact, borne lumber used In southeastern Alaska
Is imported from the Pacific coast states, but
good management, on the part of the Alaska
inlll3 should enable them to supply the home
demand for coir.mon kinds of lumber. While
Alaska muy eventunlly export considerable
material of this sort. It must continue to Ira
port timber like Douglas fir for heavy con-
. structlon work. Utilization for other purposes
than for lumber should be encouraged. The
most promising of these Is for pulp. Both the
spruce and hemlock are undoubtedly good pulp
woods, and, taken together, tbey comprise
almost the entire forest.
The cutting which has so far taken place
on the coast of Alaska has had small effect
upon the forest. Tho bulk of It Is yet un
touched. Clearly, utilization should bo encour
aged as much as possible. With respect to
the coast forests, there Is little In the state
merit sometimes made, that tho timber In
Alaska should be held for the solo use of .Alas
kans. It should be manufactured Into the
most suitable forms and sold wherever It best
can be marketed. Natural barriers, so far
unsurmounted, prevent It from being of benefit
to tho Interior, where the need Is greatest and
the price highest. Moreover, the coast forests
are not capable of producing a great deal ot
the structural material that will be needed In
tho Interior when the latter region Is more
fully developed and made accessible by rail
roads. The annual growth of the coast forests Is
far In excess of the local needs, and unless
methods of utilization are developed which
will result In tho export of forest products
these forests cunnot bo handled rightly.
The forests of Interior Alaska are prac
tically all Included within the drainage basin
of the Yukon and Kuskokwlm rivers. They
are chiefly of the woodland type, and are esti
mated to cover approximately 80,000,000 acres,
but probably not more than 40,000,000 acres
bear timber of sufficient size and density to
make It especially valuable for either cord
wood or saw logs.
Several times as much timber Is used each
year in the Interior of Alaska for fuel as Is
used for lumber. The Interior of Alaska de
pends entirely upon wood for heat, light and
power.
Obviously all the forests of Alaska, wheth
er on the coast or In the Interior, should be
protected and made of the utmost permanent
use. The coast forests, which includo most
of the saw timber of the terrltor and by far
the heaviest stands, are nearly all protected
by national forests. They have not been dam
aged by fire and are but slightly reduced by
cutting. .They are overmature. Carefully
planned cutting should take place as soon as
possible: Every effort should be made to have
fhem utilized for lumber, and especially for
pulp. They should be so managed as. to In
crease the stand of spruce and decrease that
ot hemlock. In tho Interior forests, situated
entirely upon public lands, unregulated cutting
and devastating fires are going on. Tho coast
forests were reserved before they were Im
paired. Those of the Interior have already
been seriously damaged. Their protection can
not begin too soon. While the products of the
coast forests need a foreign market, the Inte
rior forests with tho best of treatment are not
likely to supply more than a part of the home
demand. If protected tlu-y will continue to
furnish logs for cabins, low-grade lumber and
fuel Indefinitely. Higher grade lumber re
quired by tho interior must always bo liuucvted.
Where Steady Nerves Win.
In one of the largest cooper shops
; Milwaukee. Wis., you can find a
. ; n who has been at his trade only
ive years and has every man in the
' o and every man in the history of
h. Fhop beat several lengths with
is daily barrel record. Hi sHs up,
"vi is. and completes 180 barrels a
'i,y For him speed and accuracy
se not so much a matter of will and
MToit as of dally habit.
Any one who would like to see
miracles of fast, whizzing, dizzying
hand work should visit a largo bindery
during the rush season. Most all the
fast work hero is done by the nim
ble hands of women. At folding. In
serting, and gathering, which re
quires regular and uniform muscular
movements, some of them succeed
In doing the phenomenal.
When you watch the girl who can
accurately fold 1,400 sheets of printed
matter In an hour, her Hying hands
remind you of a shuttlo In a sewing
machine. If you were to sit down be
sido her and match your speed against
hers, you would find she had you beat
about six times. Experience means
much to the bindery folder, but steady
nerves, the habit of concentration,
and natural nlmbleness mean more.
8plendid Race of Officers.
When It comes to the captain and
officers of the world's merchant ma
rine the public has no Idea what It
owes these men, especially if Judged
by tho silly, meager pay they receive
for their immeasurable responsibili
ties and labors. At sea there aro the
watches on the bridge, "Mount Mis
ery." and it may be in tho bitter cold
gales of the North Atlantic, with tho
spindrift lashing tho face and bllz
xard like fairly whipping the eyes al
most out of the face. Or many walk
"Mount Misery" under the dazzling
glare ot tropical sun. Or maybe or
pitch dark nights peering through
driving rain the wr.tch ia ever alert on
"Mount Misery" to "p'ck up lights"
that warn of danger and death. No
wonder sea, eyes get strainud and
bloodohot.
As Ucual.
"The cruel war Is over. A Russian
general has married the widow of a
Japanese lieutenant."
"And everything will be as usual. II
they have a child ;t will look
Jap find talk like a Russian. Aud all
j kids do the same thins