Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-04-25

TRADE JOURNAIS-INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS.
Journalism has well sustained its accorded
power as the pioneer OF progress. AS it has
filed its mission in our country, the develop
ment In special features is as valuable as is its
fullness in general characteristics. Political,
governmental, financial. and commercial in
terests lay heavy demands ON the daily news.
papers, as we'll as do general literature and
science to less extent, but no department
either in the greater or lesser scale of impor-
lance closes its work without requiring the
labor.carrying agency Of weekly and monthly
publications, and these latter have come upon
the arena exhibiting ability, tact. and
thorough completeness In details. Neither
the daily nor the weekly issues occupying the
field for imparting general information care
to tax their columns, as general rule, with
statistics and details, but leave to the trade
and journals of special departments at last,
the medium of communicating knowledge In
dispensable to all the great interests of the
country.
Lumber and coal are two Of the most impor-
tant of our resources. and they are indispensa-
BILE to our progress and as such have created q
literature OF their own. the study Of which
cannot be too strongly impressed upon the
minds of the people. Such Information is to
be gained as no where else in the Northeastern
Latnaberman of Chicago, and the Coal Trade
Journal of New York, in each of which is found
a continuous history in whole and in detail of
| their respective special interests. Here is an
illustration of single feature of the Lumber
mans work,
Commencing fifteen years ago to collect and
compile statistics of white pine lumber and
| shingles produced from the forests of the
| nor. hwestern States and territories, the Iuns-
| herman has annually performed feat no.
| where else attempted. on the scale 1t has there
| executed. The vast extent of country was
first divided into lumber districts, then subdi-
vided into stations, of which there are several
hundred. Detailed information of each is
given and general summaries of the whole
| compiled. The total production of white pine
| lumber in the boundaries named in 1878 was
| 2,277 $50 feet and increasing each year, II
was, for 1887. l6, 1885, $50 feet The compilation
ofthe white-pine shingles in the same districts
show product in 1873 of .433. $50. and, an
uually enarging. it was. in 1887, 4.ll6, 466,75O.
The grand total on hand IN the territory
named in 1884 was .5l6 957. 4l6 feet of lumber
| and l. Jag 932, $50 shingles the same year. Pass
ing over the compilation of intervening years
here as was done above the lumber on hand in
1901 was A,ooD.0i2 icCt dt4u Of1ooo,ooV
The reader can form an idea of the immense
quantity of figures and compilations required
t, be made when each station is brought Out
| with its annual totals and comparisons with
| other years and the same rule continued
| through this mode for arriving ct the q and
tot is of each district and the entire territory
embraced in the tables.
The achievement performed in gathering
and compiling these statistics is unparalleled
an more like the work of great Statistical
department of the government with its hun
dreds OF clerks employed on speciality thar
1.-The enterprise of a single journal, though il