560 AMERICAN FORESTRY 



present times; it would require no Many newspapers of the State vio- 



greater stretch of power to regulate the lently opposed the sale of the State Park 



cutting of timber where it would obvi- lands. The Oshkosh Daily North- 



ously entail a public calamity, or to western made a plea for the preservation 



encourage its production where it is of the park on February 8, 1897. The 



so much needed for the public good. Ashland Press said, "Why does the 



"One of the most serious evils this legislature wish to sell the timber on 



&* 



State has to contend with is the purchase the State Park lands ? Is there a crying 



of large tracts of land by persons who need of more money to spend?" Both 



reside in some other States, or who, if the Milwaukee Daily News and the 



residing here, still have no permanent Superior Evening Telegram published 



and living interest in the land. It is on February 4, 1897, vigorous warnings 



purchased by such persons not for the against the bills. 



ordinary, legitimate and proper purpose In spite of the warnings of the news- 



of converting it into a farm or home- papers in February, the bill for the sale 



stead for himself and family, but solely of the park lands passed, 



with a view of stripping it of its valuable It had been the policy of the State to 



timber. Leaving the worthless trees give the widest opportunities to the 



and bushes to encumber the ground, lumbering interests in the sale of 



he sells it for what it is worth, and renews State Lands, as will presently be 



his depredations upon other lands." instanced, and so the sale of the State 



In 1878 the legislature set aside the Park lands was no violation of the 



State Lands in twenty-three townships prevailing policy except that the lands 



in Iron and Vilas counties, some 50,000 had been set aside and dedicated to 



acres, as a State Park with an express use as a Forest Park, had been held for 



provision that no authority should be 19 years for that purpose, and were in a 



given to anyone to cut down or destroy region full of lakes and streams and 



any timber on such lands. Thus was eminently suited to park or forest 



the first State Forest Reserve established, reserve purposes. To those who would 



For 19 years the State Park lands say that 50,000 acres was too large a 



were held intact. But in 1897 the tract to be retained by the State, we 



lumbermen who were operating in that would reply that 50,000 acres was not 



part of the State were getting to the too much to be retained for all the 



end of the timber supply on their own people by a State that would sell 



lands. They wanted more timber, and unlimited amounts to any one man and 



how quickly, how easily and how cheaply that did sell in little more than a single 



they got the "State Park" lands was year 16,390.46 acres to one man, George 



soon a matter of history. Baldwin of Appleton, from January 6, 



The results of this sale give some 1882, to January 13, 1883, and also sold 



astounding figures, 31,988.30 acres were to his firm, Feind & Baldwin, 8,397.90 



sold at an average price of $8.14 per acres within practically the same period, 



acre. One man bought, in his own and April 5, 1882, to January 23, 1883. 



his company's name, 4,455.51 acres. In fact, between January 1, 1882, and 



More than one-third of the entire February 1, 1883, a period of only 1 



acreage sold went to four companies, year and 1 month, the State of Wiscon- 



More than two-thirds went to only sin sold 258,820.65 acres of land, 



eleven purchasers. 5,604.71 acres went An analysis of the sales of that period 



to ten other purchasers, which left only gives some startling results: Five pur- 



4,641.01 acres for smaller purchasers, chasers bought 48,030.46 acres, the 



Add to this the fact that the State has lowest single purchase being 5,760 acres; 



since bought back 8,949.40 acres of three others acquired 10,211.27 acres; 



this very same land without the timber eleven others acquired 27,129.69 acres; 



at an average cost of $3.32 per acre, and twenty-seven others acquired 36,005.63. 



it is easy to see how much more quickly Thus forty-six purchasers acquired a 



legislatures respond to the demands of a total of 121,377.05 acres or an average 



small body of private citizens than to of 2,638.63 acres apiece. Fifty-two 



any pleas for public welfare. others took amounts ranging between 



