54 THe Determined Angler 



prise or spirit of themselves, while any nature student 

 could tell them that the business success of any terri- 

 tory is directly due to that territory's material that is 

 marketed, and that as soon as the marketable material 

 is used up the so-called enterprise, energy, spirit, etc., 

 of the ego-marketman go up with it. 



In Michigan (Bay City) thirty-five years ago the 

 wasters used to boast that Bay City was going to out- 

 rival New York City in size, intellect, money wealth, 

 social standing, etc., in a few years. All this on a 

 little timber they were cutting and selling. It was 

 remarked by a nature student that the success of their 

 ambition depended upon the pine trees they were 

 gradually consuming ruthlessly cutting down to 

 extermination and a practical man suggested that 

 they plant and propagate as well as cut and consume. 

 Also it was hinted that the lumber they made out of 

 the trees was the only thing they had to make possible 

 the social downfall of New York. 



"Oh, by no means, " they said; "we have enterprise 

 and spirit; that's what counts." 



But, the count was a failure the trees giving out, 

 Northern Michigan was turned into a sugar-beet farm, 

 and most of the unfortunates who counted on making 

 Bay City outrival New York are now of the very dust 

 that nurtures the present-day material that their off- 

 spring exists upon. 



The Michigan enterprise, spirit, etc., is now trans- 

 ferred to the few other timberland States, and the 

 natives of to-day, the early day of plenty, are just like 

 the old conceited Michiganders they foolishly ima- 

 gine the financial success of their territory is due to 

 so-called personal energy, pride, enterprise, progress, 

 etc., on' the part of themselves, when any naturalist 



