ll tax the patience
of the House to read:--

"Mr. Rogers. Will the gentleman allow me to ask him a question?

"Mr. Washburn, of Wisconsin. Certainly.

"Mr. Rogers. Are these pine lands entirely worthless except for timber?

"Mr. Washburn, of Wisconsin. They are generally! worthless for any other
purpose. I am perfectly familiar with that subject. These lands are not
valuable for purposes of settlement.

"Mr. Farnsworth. They will be after the timber is taken off?

"Mr. Washburn, of Wisconsin. No, sir.

"Mr. Rogers. I want to know the character of these pine lands.

"Mr. Washburn, of Wisconsin. They are generally sandy, barren lands. My
friend from the Green Bay district (Mr. Sawyer) is himself perfectly
familiar with this question, and he will bear me out in what I say, that
these pine-timber lands are not adapted to settlement.

"Mr. Rogers. The pine lands to which I am accustomed are generally very
good. What I want to know is, what is the difference between our pine
lands and your pine lands?

"Mr. Washburn, of Wisconsin. The pine timber of Wisconsin generally
grows upon barren, sandy land. The gentleman from Maine (Mr. Peters),
who is familiar with pine lands, will, I have no doubt, say that pine
timber grows generally upon the most barren lands.

"Mr. Peters. As a general thing pine lands are not worth much for
cultivation."

And further on I find this pregnant question, the joint production of
the two gentlemen from Wisconsin:--

"Mr. Paine. Does my friend from Indiana suppose that in any event
settlers will occupy and cultivate these pine lands?

"Mr. Washburn, of Wisconsin. Particularly without a railroad?"

Yes, sir, "particularly without a railroad." It will be asked after a
while, I am afraid, if settlers will go anywhere unless the Government
builds a railroad for them to go on. (Laughter.)

I desire to call attention to only one more statement, which I think
sufficient to settle the question. It is one made by the gentleman from
Wisconsin (Mr. Paine), who says:--

"These lands will be abandoned for the present. It may be that at some
remote period there will spring up in that region a new kind of
agriculture, which will cause a demand for these particular lands; and
they may then come into use and be valuable for agricultural purposes.
But I know, and I can not help thinking that my friend from Indiana
understands, that for the present, and for many years to come, these
pine lands can h