Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-09-01
Complete X view of This Grow.
ing Industry-.-Intere,l sting
Statistics.

-H IE H8N HHNE 80 49, NAAN hAAhANAANN
expanse from the Atlantic on the East TO
the Gulf Of Mexico on the west, the forests
Of cottonwood, cypress and poplar which
fringe every stream, the sturdy
oaks, cedars and walnuts which
crown every knoll, 10 realize the
grand dimensions this industry may one
day assume. That there must be dis
tributing points is a natural conclusion.
and that Memphis will be the least i'm
pOrtant OF these is an assured fact. A
number OF the most %enterprising Of her
citizens are engaged in this business. in
which it is estimated that not less than
SO 900 is now invested, This does not
include the amount invested in manufac-
tories. On the bank Of Wolf river, above
the city, there are fine sawmills, all busy
and working large forces Of men. Going
from the Navy Yard, the first mill is that
Of X. Il. Cochran u Co, which is now busy
night and day, using four electric lamps.
They have just finished filling an order of
10000 feet for the new cooperage com
pany, a like one for the lIanauer Oil
Mills, and are now engaged In saving
3O1,OO feet for the Chesapeake and Ohio
railroad freight depot. They use a 209
horse power engine, with machinery of
sufficient capacity to turn out $1,000
shingles. HO,OOJ laths and $1,000 feet of
lumber per day, besides a fully equipped
box ia tory, planning mill, tuning ma
chimes and scroll saws. They have on
hand Mt the mill and at their wards on
Union street, about 100000 feet of lum-
Der, 230,0O) shingles, and 100000 laths. be-
sides a quantity of manufactured lumber
About five million feet of logs float in the
river, waiting to be sawed. They deal
principally in building woods, and handle
about fifteen million feeta year.
A. Woodruff d Co., henext mill above
Oo%chren's, have two engines, one 40, the
other % horse power, with a capacity of
2O,tW feet Of lumber per day besides a
corresponding quantity Of shingles and
laths. They have now on hand about
SO,OVO feet Oflumber and 10000 shingles,
q quantity Of laths and unsawed logs.
This firm deals largely in walnut timber.
having handled in the past nine months
not less than half "a million feet o this
wood. They saw and keep in stock all
kinds of lumber.
The adjoining mill is owned BY Will
llams u Co. and has two engines and ma
chinery for turning out in a day $4,000
feet Of lumber, 10000 shingles. 1900
laths and 10000 fruit boxes, besides an
enormous quantity of packing boxes.
They have the only machine for making
fruit boxes in the South. They saw
principally. cypress, poplar and cotton
wood, and have on hand at the mill and
at their yard on HSecond street, 2,00lOO0
feet of lumber, 10000 shingles and 80O.-
OOO laths, valued at about $4,000. Sixty
hands are employed. They have several
million feet Of stock logs, AMI sawed last
year about 100000 million feet Of lum-
Der.
John Gents mill, above Williams &
Co, has a saving capacity Of about 1900
feet of lumber per day, shingles and laths
in proportion, and deals in cypress, pop.
lar, cottonwood and walnut. Besides his
local trade he does a good deal ofshipping.
Bell Brothers, further up on Wolf river,
have recently made great %impr9ysmeg9t
years ago, and are now prepared to saw
about 10000 feet a day. They deal prin-
cipally in walnut, oak and ash. which is
nearly all shipped to Philadelphia and
other Eastern markets.
Nj. ii. Coover IL Co. have a planning
mill on Washington street, between
Fourth and Yates avenue. and do A tbriy-
ing business. About thirty-hve men are
employed and $4,000 capital invested.
This concern consumes 100000 feet of
white pine a year, 10000 feet of clear
cypress and 500, 900 feet of rough lumber.
Sash. doors and blinds are principally
manufactured, though II large amount Of
scroll work and molding and turning is
done. The value Of the stock on hand is
about $1,000 The goods manufactured
are shipped to Mississippi, Alabama and
Arkansaw.
B. X. Plain & Co., Second street, be-
tween Union and Gayoso, employ thirty
men, and do much the same business as
Cooyer. This firm is interested with
Williams q Co.
g. 7. Bassett agent, has a planning mill
next door to Plain. His business does not
differ materially from that of the others.
Cole " Co., corner Union and Second
streets, deal in doors, sash and blinds,
framing and molding, and employ, lin
the busy season, twenty-five men.
They have on hand about 1000
window sash, 10000 doors, 5010pair blinds,
and perhaps a million feet Of molding,
the whole valued Mt about $4,000.
The planning mill Of Il. l.. Cochran &
Co. also supplies the stock Of the ware
rooms o fthat firm, on tho corner of Union
and Front streets. They carry a full stock
of doors, sash, blinds, scroll work, banis-
tiers, etc.
The Kennesaw Manufacturing Com
pany, at 81 Madison street, consume about
1000 feet Of lumber daily. Poplar is the
principal wood used, though cypress, pine,
cottonwood and red cedar are also worked.
They use abont C00,0OO feet of pump
tubing in the manufacture Of pumps of
all kinds, Of which they turn out about
ten thousand a year. They have capacity
for turning out 800 hollow ware vessels
per day, and manufacture buckets, tubs,
ehurns, and agriculture machinery, They
have on hand a stock valued at $4,000,
and find Il ready market for their goods,
which are all OF Il superior quality, in sew
enteen States.
The james & Graham Wagon Factory
is located on Jefferson street below
Leubrie's Theater, and occupies a
building three stories high, $50 feet
front and 100 feet deep, besides a ware
house running back with a front ON Adams
street. They employ 10 men and turn
out 5000 wheelsh year, with the expectation
Of increasing their capacity to 5000 in II
short time. They consume nearly 2,0O0,0 600
feet Of oak, hickory, pine and popular
lumber. They carry u stock valued nj
100000, and do a large business in this
State, Arkansaw, Mississippi, Alabama,
Georgia North Carolina and Texas, ship
ping a car load or more per day. Twenty
eight orders We're taken in one night this
week after six o.ciocna Eyerthing in this
perfect establishment is done Nv machin-
cry Among the most expensive Aad use
ful may be noted the turning machM.
which forms axles bya model without any
assistance except from steami sandpaper-
ing machine; M for mortising, with the
latest improvements; n skein filter, which
fits the thimbles upon axles with the ut
most nicity, and a wonderful appliance
for cutting on the spokcs Of wheels and
fitting on the fellocs. Fans turned by
steam are placed IN the part Of the factory
nearest the furnaces for tho comfort of the
men in warm weather. On the first floor
are the iorges and furnaces, sixteen in
number, besides a vast quantity of work
which has passed through the hands Of the
ilrst workmen. On henext floor are the
paint shop, wagon-bed shop, etc, and on
the third floor Is stored u vast quantity o.
materials, including about a thousand
wheels, which have been boiled In oil and
put away to dry for twelve months. Fire
plugs and hose are conveniently placed all
over the building,
To crafty the whims Of the old fogics
who Will have nothing but old fashioned
wagons, M little corner Is set inside for