The Brookhaven leader., 1889-08-15
THE KEYSTONE.
A HUGE LUMBER MANU-
FEATURING ENTER
PRISE.
Its Railroad, Saw Mills and 9th
or Interesting Features.

/
provement Company, at Bogue
! Chitto. Something over Is months
ago this company, composed principal
| " of Northern capitalists, purchased
the land and saw mill plant of WessOn
& Money which had been swamped
by debt and fallen into disuse, and
began the work of rehabilitation and
improvement. The two saw mills
formerly owned by Messrs. Wesson &
Money were unit for operation at the
time, some six miles of narrow guage
railroad that penetrated the pine
forest and small amount of rolling
stock had gone to ruin, and the pros
pect was altogether such that nothing
less than Yankee energy and Yankee
capital would have tackled it.
Now the prospect and situation are
completely changed. A representa-
tive of the LEADER. who had heard
much of what the new company was
doing, spent last Friday on an in
specting tour of their mills and road,
and, like the Queen of Sheba, found
that the half had not been told.
The old railroad has been rebuilt,
with new cross-ties and trestles and
most of it with new and heavier rails,
and about five miles of entirely new
road added, making the entire length
IL miles. The rolling stock consists
of three strong, well-built locOmo-
tives and about 80 flat cars, most of
which have been built in the COM
pany's own car-works at the mills.
The mill plant proper is situated on
the Company's road about six miles
east of BOguc Chitto Station, and
consists of two large new steam saw
mills and an immense planning mill,
the three being situated conveniently
near together and yet far enough
apart to Obviate all danger of fire
spreading from one to another. Each
is supplied with good fire protection
by means of water tanks, pipes, ny
drants and hose. These mills are all
/ equipped with the finest and most I'M
proved machinery, and the two saw
mills turn out from eighty to ninety
thousand feet of lumber daily. TO
one of these is attached huge dry
ing house from which the lumber is
carried to the planning mill. This
has been entirely rebuilt within the
last few months, being not yet quite
complete, and is magnificently equip
ped with new machinery, which is
turning out daily a large quantity of
the finest quality of dressed and
beaded lumber. The daily shipments
from the planer and lumber in the
rough from the two saw mills reaches
from Is to 20 car. loads daily. The
Company is constantly purchasing
and adding to its thousands of
acres of yellow pine timber and an
other extension of their railrod is be-
ing planned, though 1t is calculated
that the timber already accessible
will supply the mills for years.
One of the most important and
pleasing incidents to this extensive |
development of our vigin pine forests
by this enterprising Company is yet
to be mentioned. Including regular
hands and the '1oggers" and their
employees who cut and haul logs I'M
der contract, the Company gives en-
ployment to fully three hundred per-
sons, and their monthly pay roll
amounts to $4,000 in cash. Out ut the !
mills regular village has sprung up.
Over 100 neat and comfortable frame
cottages have been built, streets laid
off, gardens and fruit trees are being
planted, and every thing looks COM
Portable and hOme-like. Two or three
boarding houses kept by employees
accommodate SUCH HdHuS Hs dIO
without families. One of the neatest
and most comfortable school and
church houses in the county
will soon be ready for occu-
pancy, and a Sabbath School has
already been organized. Many of the
Company's employees are from the
North and West, but the major pOr-
ton of them are native whites and
negroes, and all are earning remuner-
atiye wages and seem cOntented and
happy. Mr.. Woodbury., the purchas-
ing agent of the Company, has
handsome residence out at the mills,
where he resides. The Company las
a store on the ground where it sells
supplies at slight advance on cost,
to such of its employees as choose to
purchase there, and pOstOffice will
be established at an early day.
These, in brief, are some of the
most salient points that attrack ones
attention on visiting the mills.
The Company's business Office is at
Bogue Chitto, and is connected with
the mills Office by telephone line.
Here the orders are received for
million feet at once. BY the prompt