He was without money, and practically without friends; while Government and State lands cost respectively two dollars and a half and a dollar and a quarter an acre, cash down.But he relied on the good sense of capitalists to perceive, from the statistics which his explorations would furnish, the wonderful advantage of logging a new country with the chain of Great Lakes as shipping outlet at its very door.In return for his information, he would expect a half interest in the enterprise.This is the usual method of procedure adopted by landlookers everywhere.
We have said that the country was quite new to logging, but the statement is not strictly accurate.Thorpe was by no means the first to see the money in northern pine.Outside the big mill districts already named, cuttings of considerable size were already under way, the logs from which were usually sold to the mills of Marquette or Menominee.Here and there along the best streams, men had already begun operations.
But they worked on a small scale and with an eye to the immediate present only; bending their efforts to as large a cut as possible each season rather than to the acquisition of holdings for future operations.This they accomplished naively by purchasing one forty and cutting a dozen.Thorpe's map showed often near the forks of an important stream a section whose coloring indicated private possession.Legally the owners had the right only to the pine included in the marked sections; but if anyone had taken the trouble to visit the district, he would have found operations going on for miles up and down stream.The colored squares would prove to be nothing but so many excuses for being on the ground.The bulk of the pine of any season's cut he would discover had been stolen from unbought State or Government land.
This in the old days was a common enough trick.One man, at present a wealthy and respected citizen, cut for six years, and owned just one forty-acres! Another logged nearly fifty million feet from an eighty! In the State to-day live prominent business men, looked upon as models in every way, good fellows, good citizens, with sons and daughters proud of their social position, who, nevertheless, made the bulk of their fortunes by stealing Government pine.
"What you want to-day, old man?" inquired a wholesale lumber dealer of an individual whose name now stands for domestic and civic virtue.
"I'll have five or six million saw logs to sell you in the spring, and I want to know what you'll give for them.""Go on!" expostulated the dealer with a laugh, "ain't you got that forty all cut yet?""She holds out pretty well," replied the other with a grin.
An official, called the Inspector, is supposed to report such stealings, after which another official is to prosecute.Aside from the fact that the danger of discovery is practically zero in so wild and distant a country, it is fairly well established that the old-time logger found these two individuals susceptible to the gentle art of "sugaring." The officials, as well as the lumberman, became rich.If worst came to worst, and investigation seemed imminent, the operator could still purchase the land at legal rates, and so escape trouble.But the intention to appropriate was there, and, to confess the truth, the whitewashing by purchase needed but rarely to be employed.I have time and again heard landlookers assert that the old Land Offices were rarely "on the square," but as to that I cannot, of course, venture an opinion.
Thorpe was perfectly conversant with this state of affairs.He knew, also, that in all probability many of the colored districts on his map represented firms engaged in steals of greater or less magnitude.He was further aware that most of the concerns stole the timber because it was cheaper to steal than to buy; but that they would buy readily enough if forced to do so in order to prevent its acquisition by another.This other might be himself.
In his exploration, therefore, he decided to employ the utmost circumspection.As much as possible he purposed to avoid other men; but if meetings became inevitable, he hoped to mask his real intentions.He would pose as a hunter and fisherman.
During the course of his week in the woods, he discovered that he would be forced eventually to resort to this expedient.He encountered quantities of fine timber in the country through which he travelled, and some day it would be logged, but at present the difficulties were too great.The streams were shallow, or they did not empty into a good shipping port.Investors would naturally look first for holdings along the more practicable routes.
A cursory glance sufficed to show that on such waters the little red squares had already blocked a foothold for other owners.Thorpe surmised that he would undoubtedly discover fine unbought timber along their banks, but that the men already engaged in stealing it would hardly be likely to allow him peaceful acquisition.
For a week, then, he journeyed through magnificent timber without finding what he sought, working always more and more to the north, until finally he stood on the shores of Superior.Up to now the streams had not suited him.He resolved to follow the shore west to the mouth of a fairly large river called the Ossawinamakee.*It showed, in common with most streams of its size, land already taken, but Thorpe hoped to find good timber nearer the mouth.After several days' hard walking with this object in view, he found himself directly north of a bend in the river; so, without troubling to hunt for its outlet into Superior, he turned through the woods due south, with the intention of striking in on the stream.This he succeeded in accomplishing some twenty miles inland, where also he discovered a well-defined and recently used trail leading up the river.Thorpe camped one night at the bend, and then set out to follow the trail.
*Accent the last syllable.
