The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1885-12-12
NO. A.
MKCEEKtsAN PKNHs.

Muskegon News.

the Pine Business.
Muskegon News
| Don J. Leathers, Of Grand Rapids,
who has been known to diagnose an
election mnddle little BIT off color,
is nevertheless to the manor born
when it comes to pinc. Some Of the
largest deals Of this section have been
made through his hands or where he
has been called into council BE
never manufactured lumber nor bank
ed logs, yet ho has banked consider
able profit made In commissions and
level headed deals. He was here yes
terday closing up the details 81 the
White, Swan a Smith transfer to the
Thayer Lumber Company. He was
seen by a reporter for the Meas at the
Occidental and peremptorily pumped
pertaining to the pine prospects OF
the peninsula.
as stumpage higher this fall, Mr..
Leathers, than it has been for the past
few yearsln
"0h, yes; from 40 to so per cent
''What are the principal reasons
for the rapid advancep
''There ia corner on pine. But
comparatively few, if any, tracts are
now held for speculative purposes.
Nonresident speculative owners have
closed out and the pine forests Of
Michigan are owned by few men
and these are operating for immediate
profit. Money put in Michigan Pine
Is turned very rapidly. There isa
general scramble for desirable stump
age and lumber will be manufactured
with rush for the next few years"
elbow many more years of lumber
ing is there in Michigan 7"
mot over FIVE years. There are
some tracts Of course which will stand
longer than that, but estimating tho
remaining pines as closely as possible,
and figuring on the basis Of the last
few seasons cut, and Eve years will
sec the forests pretty we'll stripped"
"Will not Muskegon develop into q
hard wood centre as soon as the pine
is ont Of the way 7"
II see nothing at present which
would indicate such thing, Hard
wood You must understand is not an
aquatic piece Of property, il must be
transported by rail, and Muskegon has
to compete with the established rail-
way centers OF the State. OF course
there are certain kinds of maniactur.
ing which can and undoubtedly will
be established and carried on here with
profit, but You must have railroads."
"To what section will the lumber
men turn their attention when the tim
Der belt Of Michigan is denudedG"
"To the South, and Washington
Territory. AS every one knows, there
are vast tracts of pine in the Southern
States and as good quality as can be
obtained anywhere, But II will re-
quire good deal Of Northern capital
and Northern experience and push TO
lumber down there with profit, II is
my impression that excellent tracts Of
pine can be bought in the South at pres
ent cheaper than year or two years
ago, At that time there was rush for
Southern pine, the demand being most
ly for speculative purposes, The boom
has gradually died out, and to my
certain knowledge q number Of pur-
chasers would sell out to-day for less
than they paid two years ago, II will
be five or six years yet before lumber
ing viii commence in earnest there,
and but few persons are able to tie up
their money that length Of time and
pay taxes-which are growing heavier
each year--hopihg for rise in the
market, Such men as Maj. A, b,
Watson, d. A, Rlodgott, as well as
Others which might be named, can't
be very easily frozen ont, and they
win mako money on their invest
ments.n
fHas there been as much money
made in lumber in this State as people
have been led to believer "
aWell, ! will cite You to a single
instance which win compare favorably
with hundred other deals. Several
years ago White, Swan n Smith pur-
chased tract Of pine for Sl55,000,
They cut 100000 feet off the tract
and sold the remaining 80, 1000 600 feet
for 100000. ! made this sale and
know the figures are approximately
correct, While the lumber remains
in Michigan there will be greater ac-
tiyity in all operations than hereto-
fore,n