The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1853-06-30
Minnesota River Trade.

II any thing could excite surprise in these days Of
progress and improvement, the change which the
lumber trade of Minnesota has wrought within few
years. is well calculated to do After the extnc
ton Of the Indian title the pine lands the St.
Crox, few enterprisng individuals took possession
of the power the Falls Of ST. Croix. others
made locations where water power could be obtained
from small tributaries below the Fails. The object
of these locations the erection Of mills for the
manufacture Of lumber for the St. Louis market. At
that time the rafting and running Of pine log, St,
Louis not though. of.
| in 1874, the dam and boom at the Falls Of St.
CroN broke away during freshet, and quantity of
Pine logs, collected for the supply Of the mills the
river carried down to Lake 81. Crox.
The logs once in the Lake, could not be converted
into lumber there being mills in the vicinity. The
owners, therefore, DESTROYS of realizing something for
them, concluded raft and them the ST. Louis
market. The logs sold that place, the great
| er portion TO West S Vandvener who had saws ar.
ranged for saving them. Their mill from that time
took the name of the "Pine MILL" which it retains to
this day.
The expectation Ct lumber in the log thenceforth
became a business. and was confined entirely to the
ST Croix for several years, during which time the
demand continued to increase. Every mill in ST.
Louis became spine MILL and many mills were
constructed for the manufacture of pine lumber al 9TH
er important points on the river.
In lS4S, rcshet in the Mississippi carried large
amount of logs which had been obtained supply the
Mills at ST. Anthony those Falls, thus demon.
stratng the pacticability of running logs from the
Mississippi pineres to the ST. Louis Market, thing
that had been considered among the impossibilties.
From that period to the present, the amount Of cap
ita invested in the logging on the Mississippi and
ST. Croix rivers has gradually increased, while the
demand for pine logs the river between cur Terri
torial line and ST. Louis has increased much more
rapidly. There are Fifty five mills on the Mis-
sissippi river (incnding those in St. LOUISE which
are constructed for the manufacture Of pine lumber
The moderate supply Of pine requisite for these mills,
Exclusive of the supply Of hard wood may be safely
estimated fifty millions Of feet. Owing to the diff.
Guilty and risk Of running logs from Chippewa, Black,
and Wisconsin rivers, the mi'crs can only look to
the Mississippi and ST. Croix for any certainty OF
obtaining this supply.
The Mississippi and St. Croix this season, owing
to the retention of logs in the country last year, will
probably send from thty-fve forty millions Of feet
of logs 'narke, below. Hereafter, however, we
do not believe probable that the supply cut for ex
portation viii be equal to the demand
There are now on the ST. Croix, nineteen upright
and two rotary in operation; on the Mississippi
there thirteen upright and one circular saw ope-
rating and abou, to be put in operation. The ST.
Croix, therefore, will require for the supply of mills
on that river, say twenty-five millions Of feet. The
mills on the Mississippi will require, say fifteen mil
lions of feet. This exhibits aggregate of thirty
seven millions Of feet of logs required for the supply
of mills at home, and market for fifty millions OF
feet abroad.
Let us now sec what amount of logs are cut annu
ally, to supply this demand On the St. Crox las,
winter, there were twenty-three teams Of oxen, be-
sides some horse teams. The whole may have cut
and hauled say thirty millions of feet On the Mis-
sissipPi and Rum Rivers there were twenty-one
teams. and the logs and hauled were in the neigh
borhood Of twenty-five millions Of feet In all. say
ay-two millions of feet, worth five dollars per thou
sand, and amounting hundred and sixty thous-
and dollars.
Ii we deduct the quantity necessary for the supply
OF the mills at home, from the quantity Gu, last win
ter find but about fifteen millions of feet for expor
ta,on in the log; and should there be the same in.
crease in the number of saws next year that has been
the past season, there viii be scarcely supplv for
the demand at home the year, unless there is a
corresponding increase in logging operations next
winter.
We understand that arrangement, are now making
for very great increase in the logging business of
the Rum River and its tributaries. To render the
logging operations on the Mississippi profitable to the
operator, there should be Improvement in the shear
boom at the Falls of St. Anthony, so that the logs
may be prevented from lodging on the Falls. The
facilities for securing logs in the Mississippi Boom,
and for rafting out of it should also be increase and
then the logger could feel secure of reaching market
with the proceeds Of his labor early each season. let
the quantity Of logs be 50 great.