Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1881-07-21
PORT EDWARDS.


miles south of this city. Its situation
is one of the best, the river being wide
and rapid making one of the most de-
sirable water powers and mill sites on
the Wisconsin river.
The soil is a mixture of loan, sand
and clay and quite level, suitable for
the cultivation of most all kinds of
grain, or vegetables. Corn, oats and
potatoes are the principal products
raised, being the most necessary for
home consumption.
! One of the first saw mills ever built
on the Wisconsin river was erected at
Port Edwards, a short distance above
the present site, in the year 1886 by
Messrs. Merrill & Whitney, of Green
Bay. This mill was operated by the
above named firm for five years, when
John Edwards Sr. purchased the mill
and site and operated it until the sum-
mer of 1859 when he in turn sold it
to his son John, the present owner,
when he first came to Port Edwards.
| The location of the mill was changed
and a new mill was built on the pres
ent site by Mr.. John Edwards who
run it successfully until the year 1873,
when he sold half interest to Thos.
B. Scott, and at that time the pres
ent mill was built. We have no fear
of contradiction, when we say, it is
the best mill, and turns out more, or
at least as much lumber, as any other
mill on the river. The main building
is 1T feet long by so wide; the shingle
room 24x40, the file and saw room "a
by "a, while the pump and hose room is
24x40. The mill has 5 large water
wheels run with power 10 feet head.
AS you enter the west entrance the
first thing of attraction is the rotary
saw, which is superintendent BY Chas.
| Gouger. This saw furnishes the
whole mill with work, taking the log
in ruff state and siding it, in different
sizes. 1t is then run along by rollers
to the single and gang departments,
each taking their respective parts.
Mat Krop who has charge of the gang
saw runs the cant through the gang
which is one of the latest improved
patterns, weighing 16 tons. The cant
having run through the gang has been
sawed into boards varying from II to
| Is inches wide and one inch thick, are
carried by chain and hooks to the
edger. where John Burg and Jeuel
Dennit pass them through the edger.
From this point they are taken to the
trimmer by chains where Christ Erick-
son has charge of them, passing them
through the trimmer they are cut in
regular lengths according to condition,
from there the lumber is taken to the
sorters, the same size and lengths ia
ken together are loaded on horse cars
and drawn to the yard and piled. Be.
fore the lumber is loaded on the cars,
the tally keeper, Allen jenkins, keeps
correct account of all lumber cut
during the day, which is placed on
record. Now we will return and fol-
low the can't through the Single de-
partment. The cant is run by rollers
to the circular saw and cut into pieces
just the length of single; from
here it is taken by man and put
through the shingle cutter, then they
are passed through the rippers, and
after the rough edges are teken off
they are thrown to the packers, Wal
ter Gardner, Andrew Knutson and
Charley Wilkie, who rack all that is
sawed during the day, being 100, 900.
The slabs are sawed into lath and
picket lengths, and are ripped at the
rate of $4,000 lath and 5000 pickets
each day, the worthless slabs being
taken out of the mill with horse cars
and burned.
The ilers, directors and superintend-
ents are as follows: Mr.. Darling is
filer and has charge of the Gang saw.
S. Cleveland files and has charge Of
the Rotaries Chas Linde is fler and
superintends the shingle department
D. Courier is mill superintendent and
0. B. Hamilton has a general super
vision of all the machinery in the mill
In addition to the above they have
new building so K 60 used for
planning mill In this there are five
machines, as follows: A surface plan
er, double headed hatcher, moulding,
re-sawing and picket heading machines,
all run by power taken from the saw
mill by a shaft 200 feet long. This
department is under the care of Chas
Schean, who keeps it as neat as wax
In III. lumber ward NO found Inhn