The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-01-01
CUTTING LOGS.
The Methods Of a Typical
Mil Company,
Owning a Fleet, a Railrad and
Counties Of Tiabsr.
Lie lhauafy D ouS' hPPi"a'HH'6
Full Development.
Shimsuk Direct from the Mill
TO Foreign Lands.
The World Pays Tribute 70
D,val Caund
The World Pays Tribute 70
Puget Sound.

In another column will bic found
statistics OF the years shipments OF
lumber, coastwise and TO foreign ports
the aggregate making up an enormous
exporf, The number Of establish
ments shipping the Manufactured pro
duct is comparatively small, but the
mill bushes. is carried ON upon
scale nowhere else attempted, even IN
the regions OF Michigan and Wiscon-
sin known as 1.-The lumber region.
Anywhere except on Puget Sound the
construction OF a $3.50 90 sawmiil would
be considered extraordinary, but here
the expenditure Is justified By the vast
forests near at hand and the enormous
water front. the logs being easily got
ten into the water. and when RATED,
the danger from loss in towing being
very slight. The method OF one com
many will illustrate the system oil the
whole Sound and OF 0ray's Harbor,
and the Blakslcy Mill Company may
be taken as a typical corporation not
particularly because its headquarters
i in sight Of Seattle and the town
about the mill tributary thereto, but
because il is the oldest, best known
and one Of the largest Of the concerns
Ia 1852, before seattle was visible 20
passing ships, Capt. William Renton
came to Puget Sound as master OF a
sailing vessel. Soon after he became
Impressed with the wealth that was
contained In the thick forests that
covered the lands about Puget Sound,
even TO the waters edge. and In 1854,
with others, he built a sawmili ut Port
Orchard in Kitsap county. II was a
small affair, with capacity OF 1000
feet a day, but this output was alto.
Rether too large, the mill being obliged
10 suspend two or three months at .
time to work of the accumulated
stock. There was no certain market,
money was scarce, the country was
wild ana new, the cost of living was
high, and ofientimes the outlook was
decidedly discouraging. But after
all the business grew, and ia 1893 II
was decided TO move the headquarters
to Port Blakeley, on the southern
shore OF cambridge island. where here
was i deep, sapacious and sheltered
harbor. seoepod cut by nature unas-
sisted by the river and harbor bill, and
requiring no artificial improvements.
All the land fronting the bay was Sc
cured, and in ss5 lumber was toWed
from Port Orchard 10 Port Blakeley
10 build the new mill. La April, isGi,
the lrst lumber was cut at kentOn.
Smith 4 Cos Port Blakeley mill, the
capacity Of the estahlis hment being
about 30 900 feet day. The timber
was obtained, as now, by logging ON
the mainland and towing the raits TO
the booms In the harbor. The market
was San Francisco. but an important
event occurred in 1850, when the hrst
cargo was shipped 10 South America,
In 1878, on the death of Mr.. :. T.
Smith, the frm became Renton,
Holmes & Co, Incorporated under the
laws OF California as the Riakeley Nj
Co. There was an increase ia the
trade, not marked by leaps and bounds,
but by steady progress, until. In ls7g.
the mill had grown to capacity OF
$4,000 feet per day OF II kours
The FIRST shipment Ia & was made
five or six years ago. and the quality
of the flr WAS sach as 10 open mar
ket there, which has increaFed aud
will become very large ON the couple
ton OF competing transcontlnental
lines to the sound. Two years ago
the tirst shipment t. England wa-
made rhe wood sSas It. oNn best re-
communication. and now three vessels
are under charter Co arrive and load
for the United Kingdom The he,t
market is At present and for few
wears has been, Australia, bur the tran
uuil condition of South America has
promoted great prosperity aud much
building, Buenes Ayres and Monte.
video taking many carFeeS 81 late
The Hawaiian Islands draw their lam
Der supply from the Sound. two YES
sells, the Robert Scaries and Amelia.
having sailed from thc mil recently
with | .276.000 feet. China and Japan
use great deal 81 lumber. and the
estahli ,hment OF better relations ~ IN
the former Coautry willesi 60 a much,
larger trade. Puget Sound is the nat
ural port OF entry Ter tea aud yiIh
ships, and the vessels return laden with
the fruit OF cur forests Heavy a.
were the shipments during the wear
Just past, complaint is maje oi uull
ness OF trade, owing g. the larger
number Of milis Compe ing In the Sam,
market, but the whole woiIisA a. p-ac,
now, haiiding haaseS instead OF tear
ing them down, and next summer
demand promises TO keep all the saw
huEnng.
on The Night of the 81 OF las
February, I'm the nAjdst ut pro FER
Gus season, che great ri kgley mul
which had hcca tufuHnE Gus Noea
feet per day, was tot5llv DESTROYED h'
FIRE. The next mornrns the aogk O.
clearing away toe smoking debris MA
begun. and ga The 80 uf lulv. lut
five months alter the o -asteT. thc u
sic 1T the saws rang tar1u- d @ aaa
and iarger mill IHe Hcs -iraata.r /
1877 feet wide hv Az fsct }luc brn
complete au1h'e mill. iaH t1oI s.
round or depot form clat with c.r-a
gated iron No heavy tiHhers vrr
used in the construction, bat ll.tc
plauks, securing tae greatest class.
citv. For protection against U.v
reservoir and s' ten ug PIPE -. ga .u-
lille heads are provided, tnsetarr Nc
an electric alarm apparatus. ioNe
Is furnished hv two engines of ~
horse power e8ch, two % $50 Uofs,
pawer each. $50 Of H1 cash, and
smaller ones use,t Tor steam feed. saw
dust carriers, etc, Making combine,
about 500 horsepower. Steam
generated in serles a. batteries cau
priSing . boilers. SaNdu.t j. use
Tor fuel. The logs are cut and t.ir
med hy two double rotary avs. CIV
7e.Saws Of 90 and 20 inches two csa
SAWS, II trimmer saws twc lath wili
ana i've plaucrs. Tire oG p-t un Fr
dav. December a, was 20 20 Zee,
the day previous. asftsA1 The Gus
gradually workiug Vp o. 2a.HN .ct
per dav % II ha1es lAe mach .ue.
being not oulv new bat a. new pa
tern. with the mos, mo, cgu dcvisA
and the warkmcn ara aot yys tci.is
with their toa's The smooth ra-i
ing Of She mil is comp mau'sry ,
the gncl iU -m~at ul de--r, foh
\. and James Carr 7'lslI The fsrJus
the sus, i'm oudrng e. tAe ccmuaa'
wbo hat chal.e ~ jsie nurrh s>i III
constgaciseu gu 90 s.ea a. she r,
shinery, iavFa.ian as- hsen artiy
IN la 0ftr- piakinr mtfha1S, ana &
dav there is 40 heavy = ar sbaaf
mill that is noe periasmsi ~ ma-ti.
of iron and steSl. With lshor. ssylu