and picked up two new carpet tacks in the city streets. 

 From there on to Grand Marais is just one hundred 

 miles. 



For a mile or two beyond Two Harbors the road 

 follows the rim of the low bluffs on the shore of Supe- 

 rior and the view is superb. It then turns back from 

 the lake and buries itself in the hills. It is good driv- 

 ing ; hilly, but the road is good. Two striking features 

 characterize the landscape. The rocky hills, which are 

 revelation to anyone from another section of the state, 

 and the complete desolation of the country. As far as 

 Cramer, here is no timber, just a little scrubby brush 

 and blackened, fire swept, hills. The reason is not far 

 to seek. The road follows the railroad that far and the 

 railroad is operated by the Alger-Smith Lumber Com- 

 pany. For years this company has consistently burned 

 over the country where they have logged their own 

 cut-over lands and the adjacent lands of the other own- 

 ers and of the state. Their operations have been little 

 short of criminal. They have destroyed millions of feet 

 of birch and hardwoods which have had a tremendous 

 value. They have destroyed the beauty of the country 

 for at least a generation and thousands of tourists will 

 curse them for years to come. The worst of it is that 

 they own timber right on up into the heart of our most 

 beautiful lake country. Are we going to let them con- 

 tinue to devastate that at their pleasure? The mere 

 beauty of that country is worth millions of dollars to 

 the state in tourist trade. Are we going to let one com- 

 pany destroy it? 



At Cramer the road leaves the baneful influence of 

 the Alger-Smith Company and passes into another 



20 



