The daily republic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1853-1853, 1853-07-15
From the ST. Paml (Juinaesota) Pioneer, June 80.
Minnesota River Trade.

From the St. Paul (JMinnesota) Pioneer, June 80.
Minnesota River Trade.
If any thing could excite surprise in these days
OF progress and improvement, the change which
the lumber trade Of Minnesota has wrought with
in few years is well calculated to do 20. After
the extinction of the Indian title to the pine lands
on the st. Croix, few enterprising individuals
took possession of the water-power at the Falls OF
St. Croix; Others made locations where water
power could be obtained from small tributaries
below the Falls. The object Of these locations
was the erection of mills for the manufacture OF
lumber for the St. Louis market. Al that time
the rafting and running Of pine logs to st. Louis
was not thought of.
In 1874 the dam and boom at the Falls Of st.
Croix broke away during fieshet, and . quanti-
ty of pine logs, collected for the supply of the
mills on the river, were carried down to Lake st.
Cfoix. es ia'' ls5a aaf Ad ~ as
The logs, once in the lake, could not be con-
verted into lumber, there being no mill in the vi
entity The owners, therefore, DESTROYS Of real
izing something for them, concluded to raft and
run them for the st. Louis market. The logs
were sold at that place-the greater portion to
West & Vandeventer, who had saws arranged for
saving them. Their mill from that time took the
name of the "Pinc MILL which it retains to this
day; .s
forth became business, and was confined entire
time the demand continued to increase Every
mill in ST. Louis became sspine mill - and ma
ny mills were constructed for the manufacture of
pine lumber at other important points on the
river. ssa s2EifF ati sa 9u7gssaiis 7t1eie sg8
In l848 a freshet in the Mississippi carried a
large amount Of logs which had been obtained to
supply the mills at st. Anthony over those Falls,
thus demonstrating the practicability of running
logs from the Mississippi pineries to the st. Louis
market, thing that had been considered among
the impossbilities. "a al VI Z
From that period to the present the amount Of
capital invested in the logging on the Mississippi
and St. Croix rivers has gradually increased,
while the demand for pine logs on the river be-
tween our territorial line and St. Louis has in
creased much more rapidly There are now fifty
FIVE mills ON the Mississippi river, Gncludng
those in St. Louis, which are constructed for the
manufacture of pine lumber The moderate sup
ply Of pine requisite for these mills Exclusive of
the supply of hard-wood) may be safely estimated
at fifty millions Of feet. Owing to the difficulty
and risk Of running logs from Chippewa, Black,
and Wisconsin rivers, the millers can only look to
the Mississippi and St. Croix for any certainty of
obtaining this supply. -
The Mississippi and st. Croix this season, ow-
ing to the retention of logs in the country last
year, will probably send from thirty five to forty
millions Of feet of logs to market below. Here
after, however, we do not believe it probable that
the supply cut for expectation will be equal to the
demand. Itg! al tgaat ts4,
There arc now on the ST. Croix nineteen up
right and two rotary saws in operation; on the
Mississippi there are thirteen upright and one
circular saw operating and about to be put in
operation. The ST. Croix, therefore, will require
for the supply of mills on that river, say twenty
two millions of feet. The mills on the Mississippi
will require, say fifteen millions of feet. This
exhibits an aggregate of thirty-seven millions Of
feet Of logs required for the supply Of mills at
l.. H. 80 Cno<
abroad ae .1d io gE8tDa b fa,.gi,9l
Let us now see what amount of logs are cut
annually to supply this demand. On the st.
Crox last winter there were twenty three teams
Of oxen, besides some horse teams. The whole
may have cut and hauled say thirty millions Of
feet. On the Mississippi and Rum rivers there
were twenty-one teams, and the logs cut and
hauled were in the neighborhood of twenty-five
millions of feet. In all, say fifty two millions of
feet, worth five dollars per thousand, and amount
ing to two hundred and sixty thousand dollars.
If we deduct the quantity necessary for the
supply of the mills at home from the quantity cut
last winter, we find but about fifteen millions of
feet for expectation in the log; and should there
be the same increase in the number of saws next
year that has been the past season, there will be
scarcely supply for the demand at home the
next year, unless there is corresponding increase
in logging operations next winter. t at
We understand that arrangements are now
making 1Or 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 an inn
provement in the shenr-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
it, should also be increased, and then the logger
could feel secure of reaching market with the pro-
ceeds of his labor early each season, let the guam
tty of logs be ever SO great