New-York tribune., 1873-01-02
THE MIcHIGAN LUMBER TRADE.

lrROM An OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OP rHE TRiBuNK /
SAGINAW, Dec. 2l.-1he lumber manuiactur-
ing season Of is72 d nc end Manufacturers and
dealers counting up the seasons product sales the
comparison of which with those Of former seasons will
not be- . favorable one The closed early, bee
forming on the river about lld Of November, and
from that date the freezing went steadily on until thc
mass lee thick for the best of iron tugs
a. break Several vessels expecting TO get away with
their cargoos OF lumber Obliged 90 lay up here for
the winter The propeller Duukitk with tow Of
bargr- attempted ito leave but found the mass of ice IN
the bay too great and after getting large hole broken
In her side put and returned after some dimcnlU
o this port where she Will remain About the Stb the
majority of the mills along the river had closed Their
| operations Tho sudden closing Of the season left
large amounts Of lumber upon the docks which inannac
urer had confidently expected TO ship and get returns
| upon this Ftl. and consequence money n much
soarcer than at this time last yeSr
Looking back over the season OF 1872 Il cannot he said
that 10 has been favorable one 20 manufacturers uion
our river There accumulated upon the docks much
larger amount ~ lumber which Will have 10 await me
rcopcnng or navigation for shipment Than has ever
been carried over before The for TINS ~ that
reeh- for the,month OF October aud the first few DAYS
of November reached . higher Ggurc than they have
ever been known before A 80 per thousand being the
rate 10 Buffalo and Chicago Added 70 this was the
prevalence of the horse disease which rendered the
arrival or cargoe- Of lumber shipped 20 Albany markets
4 IA "A
ring Co hold their lumber here rather than ia trnstu
the docks became filled In some cases 20 their utmost
capacity. But small amount Of this lumber can he
shipped by rail. aud thus great deal OF capital -
locked mp along the which should bc Ia circula
0n aid In getting out the log crop ~ the coming Win
SIN back OF this the unexpected Close OF the season
LETT large quantity Of logs in the min hooms and s
further back the immense chung mp stock Of
last winters gathering. Putting 10 at fair estimate,
venture the assertion that there stock o logs n the
different river bo0ms aud hung up" on the streams 10
this vicinity that would keep every mill the Saginaw
RIVER running during the entire season of 1919 at the
full capacity. This s not idle assertion, however
large it may seem ana best posted mill men viii
not deuy 10. The rttebawasse Boom company areicar
rying over from 6Joo0O 90 sOOooo feet of logs and
they estimate that 2OOoOOO feet beside are hung
up on the tributaries OF that stream Upon the Cass
River there are more than 50.0OoO more. while the
RIFE Pine Au Sable and numerous other streams 80 TO
swell the aggregate Of this immense hung mp" stock.
MONEY RESULTS or THE SEASON
n requires large capital 10 over TINS enormous
amount OF logs and lumber and that buyers may take
advantage OF the "tuapu" n something TO be feared
by our manufacturers. OF the business this Win
ter must 20 logs must he put In 10 keep things
moving andIthe result will be poorer class OF lumber
for the first part OF the OF 1879 account Of the
stock being the present Winter nearer the mouth Of
the streams and this IS always Of inferior quality
The reason for numbering lower down the streams is
that much Of the "hungup" stock 20 far back that
nothing but heavy ireshe will bring II ont. and as that
cannot be depended upon always, this winters stock
WILL in all probability, beI the firsf TO reach the
mills. Added 70 this, large quantity OF the
stock now lying back was damaged great
deal by fire last season. largo amount was
totally destroyed Prices during the season of 1879 have
been good The manager of OF the largest firms at
this point assured the writer time that it, nm
her neyey netted more remuneraiye rates than during
he mas
manufactured that the season falls behind s predeces
sor and not in the prices received IL was ushered In
by one OF the severest droughts with which an open
Ing has ever been attended The ordinary Spring fresh
OF s Tefs SresG eG erop of logs which were 6anEe in the
Winter OF 1sl72 lay drying upon the river banks with
not water enough move Them 1t was not until near
the month OF July that much rain fell, and there was
not enough TO start more than small portion VI the
logs.
About the 4th of July occurred the strike OF the mill
operatives along the valley. This caused suspension OF
the mills for space OF about three weeks and in most
cases reduced tine number of hours of days work from
70 TO III or III for the remainder of the This
not very much time TO the reader. but taken of
from the working time OF the saw-ms Of this valley for
an entire season. IL most sensby lessons the amount OF
lumber manufactured Before the strike, prices ranged
at g. and s95 per thousand for the different grades OF
lumber Freigns were extraordinarily high; in ,fact,
old vessel say that up to the great storm
of Sept 20 and 80, the freighting season OF
1874 has been the most profitable one ever known
on the "GYeat Lakes" The strike produced the
effect OF advancing lumber fully nifty cents per thou
sand From the time the strike ended TO the latter part
OF October a. So SIS, and $50 were the prices obtained
was noted the season closing at 81, $ and $35 The
for tins decline may be attributed to the eIorb
family high freghts which were asked and also TO the
doubt about OF lumber shipped to Eastern mar
kes reaching their destination, from me scarcely re % o.
zootic" The growth OF the Saginaw Valley In CONNER
al importance a as saec & upon IN "aih ali the uG9 ppaisss
bestowed upon IT, all the pufs it has received in the
drawn The past i've years have been productive OF
steady growth IN everything 70 sohG G sub ts
most competent, and, in some cases, dislnterested
Judges, have pronounced the supply OF standing pine
since We led TO suppose and it is predicted that
the time OF it's exhaustion is still far In the future AS
provements among the different mills along the river
than have been made during any previous season ana
Of a large amount OF capital IN their coEstructOn
GROWTH IN THE WEST.
The cities of the Saginaw Valley exhibit Z growth in
beauty OF architecture and durability OF building which
keeps pace with remarkable rapidy. Other manufae-
turing enterprises than salt and lumber are being at
tracted here and there is ample for Exten
siye works for the manufacture Of salt barrels under
new patent have been erected at Saginaw City. con-
trolled by strong company OF $4,000 capital and at
Bay City located establishment for making wooden
gas and water pipe under Wyckofs patent which said
TO be an excellent pipe The building of new railroads
nrovpe OF great importance to valley AT least four
new roads constructing all Leading nto one or oIhei
and Bay city Road from Detroit tSorssyy to Bay
the distance between the two cities by some
10 or Il lss and through some OF the npes and
most fertile farming lands in michigan Az Bay City
bridge will built the Saginaw River and con
nection made with the Jackson, Lansing aud Saginaw
Road extending north 70 the straits OF Mskinaw Inc
northern extension OF this will be completed some time In
June next The j. L. and T. Roadbeing operated by tho
saIne company that the Detroit and Bay City, e.
the Michigan Central, grand trunk line will be estaD-
lisned from Detroit TO Mackinaw, which viii tray
erse OF the best portions OF cur State as regards