PAPER MILLS AND FORESTRY IN CANADA 



775 



build up a whole community, most of 

 whom were of the most primitive type 

 and who spoke a different language and 

 were naturally distrustful of strangers 

 and strange ideas, it seems a large 

 undertaking, and it showed broad- 

 mindedness, idealism and courage of the 

 highest type. 



The first step was to put the village 

 in sanitary condition ; sewers were built, 

 a plentiful supply of pure spring water 

 was obtained, and a hospital was built. 

 The town had been a hotbed of typhoid 

 fever, but in a year this was stamped out. 

 It was necessary to discharge laborers 

 occasionally because they would persist 

 in drinking the polluted water. Then 

 housing and office and mill conditions 

 were improved and opportunities for 

 recreation were provided, bowling al- 

 leys, tennis courts and a skating rink. 

 The younger men were encouraged to 

 form hockey and baseball teams, and 

 the success of the hockey and tennis 

 teams in winning championships has 

 done much to rouse local pride and to 

 bring the people to united effort for the 

 good of the place. Probably the most 

 important improvement was a school. 

 This is open to all the citizens and is 

 fully equal to the best public schools 

 in the United States, with an excellent 

 kindergarten, and a manual training 

 course for the boys and sewing classes 

 for the girls. Then the improvement 

 of the village was begun. A landscape 

 architect was engaged and a plan for a 

 "village beautiful" prepared. Old and 

 unsightly buildings were torn down, 

 roads were laid out and macadamized, 

 concrete sidewalks were built and beau- 

 tiful elms planted along the roads, and 

 masses of shrubbery placed where they 

 would add to the general effect. Vines 

 were planted on the buildings, and many 

 buildings which were inharmonious 

 were remodeled. 



The social and spiritual sides of life 

 were not neglected, aid was given to the 

 struggling mission churches, and the 

 people were encouraged to get together 

 for the mutual good. One of the most 

 helpful things was a founding of a 

 branch of the Victorian Order of 

 Nurses. There are two great events of 

 the year when all gather for a general 

 good time the "Christmas Tree" in the 



winter and the "Clam Bake" on Labor 

 Day. 



A beautiful park was laid out in the 

 center of the village, and here on sum- 

 mer afternoons and Saturday half holi- 

 days everyone gathers to watch the ten- 

 nis matches. The park is not only good 

 to look at, but gives the children a safe 

 and healthful playground. A club 

 with reading and assembly rooms, gym- 

 nasium and billiard rooms, is open to 

 all and during the long winters is used 

 for dances, amateur theatricals and con- 

 certs. Then labor conditions were im- 

 mensely improved, working hours 

 were shortened, guards were installed 

 to prevent accidents from the machin- 

 ery, wash room and sanitary lockers 

 were provided, sanitary drinking foun- 

 tains placed at convenient points and 

 lighting and ventilation much improved. 

 In summer the daylight saving plan is 

 in operation, and the employees are 

 free at four o'clock and have the long 

 summer afternoons for healthy outdoor 

 sports. 



In 1905 the forestry question was 

 taken up, and the immense holdings of 

 the company, over 2,000 square miles 

 of timber lands, were investigated with 

 a view to introducing practical forestry 

 methods. Accurate surveys of all the 

 company's holdings were commenced 

 and have now been completed. The 

 maps show all topographical details, the 

 location of all burns, swamps and tim- 

 ber, and the areas in the different types 

 of the latter, and all lumbered areas. 

 Stock has also been taken over a large 

 part of the forest lands, so that the 

 amounts and kinds of timber which may 

 be cut are known. Volume tables have 

 been prepared, the first for Canadian 

 trees, and growth studies made of the 

 different species. In 1!Ks the company 

 began to plant, beginning with 5,000 

 trees, and plantations have ivn con- 

 tinued. Last vear a small nursery was 

 started, and this has been enlarged this 

 year and will be still further developed. 

 Kxperimcnts are under way \vith dil- 

 ferent species, in the hope of inidini; a 

 tree which will be suitable for pulp and 

 will grow faster than the native ones 

 Norway spruce is natnralh ihe first to 

 be tried. When this problem is settled 



