Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-08-15
GREAT Is FREDERICK.
The Influence OF Mr.. Weyerhauser
Upon the Lumber Business of the
Northwest and the Importance of

The Influence OF Mr.. Weyerhauser
Upon the Lumber Business of the
Northwest and the Importance of
His Every Move.
The recent extensive pine land pur-
chases and the rumored formation of a
great lumber trust in which Frederick
Weyerhauser is supposed to be the cen
trial figure, is causing considerable excite
ment and no little uneasiness on the part
of many lumber dealers in the north as
in the east. This rumored formation of
lumber trust has caused the Minneapo>
lis Tribune to remark that 1.-THE fact is
that the bare possibility of the formation
of such trust is not pleasant subject
for the Minneapolis lumbermen to medi-
tate upon, and when this possibility is
backed up by reports identifying Freder-
lex Wcyerhauser as the leading spirit in
the movement, they are forced to admit
that 1t IS a matter which cannot be re-
garded in trivial or light manner, and
most seriously concerns the welfare and
business interests of Minneapolis"
MIR. Weyerhauser record in the lum,
Der business for carrying out every plan
which he has once conceived, are too
well known to need comment. The vast
capital which he controls directly and IN
directly MAKE almost any enterprise posN
sible with him and this is the very reason
for uneasiness and alarm among the
local lumber dealers Nearly every one
of the lumbermen laughs at the report as
the sheerest nonsense, and DENY that it
has any truth whatever. Each, however,
acts on the assumption that he knows
everything that Is gong on in lumber cir
cles and that Mr.. Weyerhauser would
be sure to consult him on his plans be
lore thinkir g of opening negotiations
with any of the pine land owners, and,
because they haven't been so consulted,
they conclude at once that the report
must be false and without foundation.
iheT seemed to forget that any man with
the business sagacity of MIR. Weyerhauser.
and contemplating rs gigantic An enter
prise AS he would have in view, if the re-
ports are true. moves slowly and
cautiously, taking the greatest care that
his plans shall not be discovered and that
his own interest in the business should be |
concealed until the deal was closed
In regard to the trust, R. Knox, prom |
nent Chicago lumberman, says that 1.-THE |
trust does not directly concern the Chi
'ago lumber district, but as that district |
up there completes with Chicago the for
nation Of trust would probably result |
adVantageously to us. The object of the
would be to advance prices
II course, and that would stiffen IN the |
Jhlcago lumber market, something to
which the dealers here would not object |
Inc trust would keep the people on the
Mississippi from underseling US. By the
way | knew this man Fred Weyerhauser
years ago. l was born and raised at
fock Island and remember him there as
he proprietor Of little saw mill on the
Mississippi, buying raft occasionally
md working 1t into lumber. After being
way from Rock Island for fifteen wears
returned to find Weyerhanser worth
Millions, and now the head of a 500
100000 lumber trust"
Geo B. Shaw, of Eau Claire, Wis
tates that ''it requires q great deal at
tanding timber to supply all the mills
'hlch Neyerhauser and his associates
ontr7l. He is constantly buying pine
ands. His purchases are relatively
anger and attract more attention there,
ore than the purchases of the smaller
amber companies, and Weyerhauser,
elleVe. IS buying for the future, but so
Ar as know, there is not the remotest
lea of trust in his operations"
The total amount of lumber tributary
0 the Mississippi river is less than S.
90, 0O0, 600 feet. and should what is
nown as the Mississippi Logging Com
any secure control of as much timber
n the Upper Mississippi as they own in
Wisconsin there would not be pine tree
1T. A large proportion of the timber is
n the Indian reservations. and conse
urntly out of the market. OF the
mount Of available timber on the Mis-
ssippi, Minneapolis men control at least
Ho-tbirls