Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1870-10-26
The Pine Forests Of America,

A writer in the st. Louis Repubii-
can gives the following valuable facts
and specifications in regard to the
lumber production and trade of this
country:
"Ten years ago stumps in Maine on
the Penobscot and Kcnnebec rivers
was at what was considered nominal
value, from fifty cents to one dollar
per thousand feet. When it can be
obtained now, it is sold from seven to
ten dollars. On the st. Croix river,
Minnesota, stumpage was only fifty
cents to one dollar per thousand feet
FIVE years ago, now it averages from
two dollars and fifty cents TO i've dol
lars and fifty. Nothing under the
former figures is desirable. Pine
lands can scarcely be found in Gov
crnment hands. 1t is gradually con-
centrating into the hands of fewer
parties, and is most rapidly onhanc-
ing in value. There are parties who
now number their lands in rash tracts
Messrs. Chapman 4 Thorp, of this
city, or the Eau Clare Lumber Com
pany, for instance, own over SO,OOO
acres; Knapp, Stout & Co, of Du-
buque, now connected with the firm
of Boss & Walkup, of this city, own
and control 100000 or more acres, and
several other parties on the Wiscon-
sin, Chippewa, st. Croix, Upper Mis-.
sissippi rivers and tributaries, own
and control from 20 to 10000 acres
each. The business, in fact, has as
sumed a very different phase from that
of ten years ago, and all available or
valuable pine lands are now private
property, and owned in the main by
men who appreciate their value, and
who are fast clearing away the forests
and sending the products to market.
Now, with all this large concentration
of lands and the heavy draft that has
been made on the forests of pine IN
the past few years, il becomes a serl.
ous question to the man who will
think what is to sustain this immense
draft for one of the most common ne
cessaries of life, and demand for
which every improvement in civiliza-
tion is only increasing While the
object of those who control this large
interest in monopolizing to a great ex-
tent the trade OF the future will be
most seriously felt when the heavy
demand that is 10 come from Europe
and prospectivoly that Of Asia, the
former OF which is already drawing
on us for supplies.
"The lumber trade of Michigan,
Wisconsin, and Minnesota, for the
year 1869, shows the amount cut as
being 2.O29 ,372 ,255 feet for the State
of Michigan. 317 400, 600 feet for the
State Of Minnesota, and 964 0O,6OU
feet for the State of Wisconsin. This
includes the lake shore and the whole
State of Wisconsin, which heretofore
has been difficult to get report from
The total amount cut in these States
was 1911 ,372, ,255 feet, and that to OBJ
tain this quantity there have been
shipped s3,O32 acres or 1850 square
miles of pine have been removed. II
is calculated that 100000 acres o
land still remain unstripped in Mich
igan, which will yield $4,000, 100000
feet Of lumber While 100000 acres
are still standing in Wisconsin, whicl
will yield II ,25O, 900, 600 feet, and thai
which remains in Minnesota, taking
the estimate Of few years since o
that which was surveyed and uneX
plored after deducting the amour
cut the past few years, we find $3.50,
600 acres to be the proper estimate o
trees now standing which will yicl,
30, ,3G2, 100000 feet of lumber. Thi
, makes a total of 1860, 900 acres o
pine lands, which remain standing il
the above States. that will yield 5S,
642, 100000 feet of lumber, and il !
thought that fifteen or twenty year
will be required TO cut and send L
, market the trees now standing =
These figures show the increased rat
OF consumption during the past year
and Indicate with what rapidity on
forests can be cleared. We will TAX
b the older lumber States for instance
= which have surprised every inhabitan
8 at the carly disappearance of thei
= white pine. Tho Maine forests hav
d been so well stripped that not a ire
of old growth is to be seen in them =
The white pine is represented only b.
saplings, which will not be OF any SCI
I vice, as lumber, for years, and mos
\ of the lumber they use now come
from Michigan. Twelve years ag
New York was u great lumber STATE