386 Forestry Quarterly. 



interests, the sawmill upset local and hereditary economies and 

 thrift. The most remarkable part in the economic history of the 

 town is furnished by its tax assessments. 



In 1875, the total assessed valuation of this town was $266,000, 

 in 19 10 it was $442,000. Then 20 per cent, of this property was 

 of non-resident ownership, to-day non-residents own 60 per cent. 

 Within that period of time, population has decreased very nearly 

 one-half- It was about 30 years ago that the portable sawmill 

 was introduced into our midst, and sawdust piles show how 

 thoroughly it has visited every section. An immense quantity 

 of white pine has been cut off, it would be difficult to estimate the 

 amount, but the amount of timber which can be cut during the 

 next 40 years will be quite small as compared with what has been 

 cut the last 40 years. The town has very much less timber ripe 

 for cutting now than thirty-five years ago, has declined nearly one- 

 half in population and still the assessed valuation has increased 

 65 per cent. Prices of commodities have risen, white pine in 

 particular. I was visiting here in 1900 when about as much tim- 

 ber was being cut as at any time, and the farmers seemed to think 

 $2 per M feet on the stump was a very fair price. The first lum- 

 ber I sold was in 1907 at $8 per M and I have not sold any under 

 that price since. A great deal of the money with its owners has 

 moved away from town, some has gone onto the paternalistic sav- 

 ings bank, and a very little has been put back into the soil. 



This town has never carried any debt, it has managed to keep 

 out of this at the expense of the population, and to do this has 

 called for interesting work on the part of assessors. Our scenic 

 or natural topographical beauties have brought very few summer 

 non-residents, we don't have that wealthy class, who might out of 

 their abundance experiment in forestry, instead there are a great 

 many small holders without a generous vision of the future. 

 They want to let the timber grow, and have the taxes, the expense 

 of holding, cut down. Such a spirit is felt within the town as 

 well as outside and operates quite effectively against good schools, 

 good roads, etc., and the effect of this upon the population can 

 easily be seen. 



Our own land in sight of town officers has had seemingly a 

 square deal. It is practically all timber, and was assessed for 

 $11 per acre in 1875, $^5 in 1895, $19 in 1903, $27 in 1904, and 



