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tellect, the foresight of Mattoon is felt in his effort to make
for this village a great future. The land owned by the Mat-
toon interests consists of 22,000 acres in the immediate vicinity
of the village. As fast as the timber is being cleared away
the land is being sold in small tracts to actual settlers. What
a boon for vegetation is the rich soil of this newly cleared
timber land!    It has not taken long for the stock raiser
to realize the immense possibilities of dairy farming where
stock can be kept at practically no cost and fed on the juiciest
herbage. That this has proven a lucrative undertaking and
that it is an inducement to new settlers is plainly demon-
strated by the erection of a cheese factory and creamery with
exceptionally complete and elaborate machinery.
                 .A4 MATTOON A$
    There had already been in operation for twenty years or
more a large factory in Sheboygan, owned by the same George
B. Mattoon. The enormous shipments of lumber to this She-
boygan factory suggested the advisability of erecting such a
factory in Mattoon. No sooner said than done, the new plant
began turning out millions of feet of veneer panels, bass, oak,
maple and other hardwood pieces of every description. Shrewd
calculations had made clear the saving on freight expense by
shipping directly the finished product.
    This gigantic concern, which had been incorporated as
the Wisconsin Timber & Land Co., in 1889 operated ten miles
of railroad from Aniwa to Mattoon and at that time operated
one saw mill. Today the company owns a continuous stretch
of railroad of twenty-two miles in length with a complete
equipment of locomotives and cars. The company has added
another sawmill, another factory for making furniture pieces
of all descriptions, and another veneer plant.
    When one attempts to estimate the amount of constant
personal attention which is absolutely necessary to the man-  94
7         agement of such extended interests, one can realize the neces-
          sity for business associates who can execute the inestimably
          difficult details with delicate discretion. Here again the mind
          of Mattoon demonstrated his exceptional qualifications in
          selecting Hiram and H. P. Weeks-two men second in ability
          only to Mattoon himself-and close seconds they have proved
          themselves to be.
              But for all the activity in these various institutions, the