Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1885-07-29
The Cedar Business.

mand of the Northwest IS an immense
industry, and yet less is definitely
known of it, among those not directly
interested, than of almost any Other
forest product. The demand for ce
dar railroad ties, telegraph poles ans
paving blocks calls for the great bulk
of cedar. 1t is true that there is q
large amount of this wood used fol-
posts in the rural districts, but thi:
requirement, altogether, would moi
cut much of n figure in comparison tc
the demand for the other commanding
purposes named. Throughout the
Northwest there is nothing that car
compete with white cedar for railroad
ties. This is partly OH account of its
abundance in contiguity to the navi-
gable waters of the great lakes, which
makes transportation to market easy
and cheap, partly on account of its
durability, and partly because it is a
light wood, easily handled. Like
white pine, its very quality, adapta-
bility and handiness to regions of
consumption brought it to the fore in
the first place, and will keep it there
until the supply is exhausted. For
telegraph poles, fence posts and paw
ing blocks it will always distance
competitors while it can be had. The
question of future supply will, there
fore, be one of vital and great import
ance.
The cedar trade of this city dates
back to the time when the prairie
West began to be settled up, and has
run an even course with the lumber
business. 1t is, however, quite differ
emily conducted. AS has been said,
the bulk of the cedar arriving at this
port is for railroad, telegraph and
paving purposes. For this reason the
most of it is contracted for before it
is cut. There are several firms here,
with offices on South Water street, in
the vicinity of the lumber market,
who make n specially of acting as the
intermediates between the swamp on
the one hand, and the railroad and
telegraph companies and the street
contractors on the other. In this
manner cedar is handled, from the
stump to the consumer, and by the
method as stated following:
In the first place, the cedar dealers
secure contracts to furnish railroad
and telegraph companies, cities,
towns, street contractors or yard deal
ers, certain quantities Of product.
They then hunt up the necessary sup
ply. AS general thing this is found
in the hands of landowners Of various
grades, lumbermen, jobbers, spcculat-
ors or farmers. But the large number
Of cedar operators are men without
means TO carry on heavy stroke of
business unaided by the city dealers.
Hence it is common to furnish the
jobbers with means to 90 into camp
with an outfit in the shape of ad-
vances. This, of course, involves q
stipulated price for the cedar deliver
ed on the lake shore or river bank.
The briskness and profit of the
cedar trade each season depends main
ly on the railroad demand for ties. IF
that is active, business is good, for it
supplements the constant requirement
for street paving purposes, that does
not vary so much from year to year
as the railroad call, though it is grad
ually increasing us the cities grow.
AS a general thing the demand for
telegraph poles is influenced by the
amount of new railway construction
going forward. This year, as has
been true Of the years since the de.
cline in railroad building in 1882,
the requirement from the railroads
has been comparatively meager. AS
consequence the cedar trade has been
dull. The chief representatives of
the business here do not consider that
the depression prevailing is caused by
any market increase in production.
They think that if the demand for
railroad ties were large the trade
would be in healthy condition. This
conclusion is reached because the call
for street paving purposes is heavy,
and it is more likely to increase in
the near future than to decrease. In
deed a dealer remarked this week
that the street requirement had this
year been the salvation of the cedar
trade. Yet the smallness and slug
gishness of the railroad and tele-
graph demand has had depressing
influence on prices, and decline
within the year of probably 10 per
cent. has been suffered Since 1881
50 railway ties have dropped from SO
and 3S cents each to % cents. The
amount of decline in the value of
poles is not easily ascertained, as each
inch in size and the differences in
length cause wide range in values
that nobody but practical cedar