Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-09-10

luItueT up, are also numbering towns.
In these stirring places the hardy lum-
bermen obtain their supplies to 90 into
the ''pineries" during the SHOWS of
winter, to cut logs. At these towns,
and wherever there is great saw mill
on the river immense quantities oflum-
Der are RATED and foated down the
Wisconsin into the Mississippi river to
market.
LUMBER RATS.
A wisconsin raft contains from
$4,000 to 10000 feet of lumber or
boards. From seven to ten of these
RATS are called a fleet, and when
the RATS arrive in the Mississippi ri
yer, they are all combined or fastened
together and are then called a "Mis-
sissippi raft" containing sometimes
from $50, 600 to 600, 900 feet of lum-
ber There are NO less than five great
saw mills in or near Grand Rapids and
Centralia, which latter place lies on
the west side of the Wisconsin FLYER,
opposite Grand Rapids. A free bridge
600 feet long connects the two places
All the lumber from "above' passes
down under this bridge A raft when
passing over the rapids" here (from
which the place takes It's name) has a
long oar st each end of the raft, and
five men to each oar to work it.
Sometimes, when RATS are careening
and plun&ing over the rapids in very
high water, man is washed off and
drowned. Yet such accidents are sell
dom. The river here contains unlim-
tied water power, yet undeyeloped.
LUMBERING.
In these great mills very large circu-
lar saws are principally used. Occa-
sionaily gang of % or 30 vertical
saws in one gate is seen. But the
great rapidity with which lumber can
be cut with first class circular saw,
renders the 0ld-fashioned vertical saw
a thing of the past. A frst-rate cir
cular saw will cut from $4,000 to co.
900 feet Of lumber in q hours at
least twelve times more than than the
best vertical saw. It is estimated that
during the winter there are not less
than 5000 men employed in cutting
saw-logs in the ''pineries' above this
place, and drawing them into the Wis.
consin river, to be foated down from
10 to 100 miles to the various mills
where they belong. Each lumberman
has distinct mark on his logs, which
mark is Only registered by the lumber
inspector, who is appointed by the
Governor, and whose duty iC is to
measure ''stray logs" or such as have
got down stream and beyond conven-
lent recovery by the owner. The man
who gets them is obliged to pay the
owner for the amount of lumber re-
ported by the Inspector as contained
in the logs. \ distinguished lumber
man near here had his trial last week,
in Grand Rapids. on an Indictment for
secretly using and appropriating logs
with other mems marks on them or,
in shorter phrase, for stealing saw-logs!
Had he been convicted, he would
have gone to the State prison
bat the jury did not agree, and the
case is to be tried in another county.
The wages Of lumbermen in the pine
woods, i. e cutting logs, are from %
to 40 dollars per month. For mill
hands, from % to 80 dollars per
month. In ordinary times, the price
of unsorted lumber, that is, as it comes
from the mill, is from $25 to $50 per
thousand feet. That is the price for
which 1t has generally been sold s'down
the river" Now, during hard times,
it will not sell for more than half that
price Therefore, as the expense of
cutting the logs, drawing to the river.
floating down, and securing them in
side the blooms" and Of saving them.
amounts to from eight to ten dollars
per thousand feet, to say nothing Of
rafting and running the lumber to mar
ket. There is evidently no profit in
manufacturing it at present And the
consequence is that most of the mills
have ..Shut down" and the rest are
running with as few hands as possible,
only to cut up the remainder of their
old stock Of logs. Of course the lum-
Der business here and all through the
great northwest, is painfully dull, and
[ see from the Wisconsin, Luabern,an
published at Milwaukee, that this
great Industry is badly paralyzed at
Saginaw, Mich, and every where else
The best saw mill in Wisconsin, is
owned in Centralia The senior part
ner of the firm, o. Garrison, ESQ.
having recently died. this valuable
property is for sale and be is a lucky
man who buys it. There is here vast
region of pine forest, stretching far
away to the North, they say even to
lake Superior, which it will require
many years to strip of its lumber, and
transport it from that wild wilderness
to the busy marts of commerce, aud
build it into the abodes of men, and
the various structures required in the
transaction of business and in the pro.
gress of civilization.