St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-07-10
THEY TALKED LUMBER
Northwestern Lumbermen
Hold a Convention at the
Hotel Lafayette,
Adopt a Grade Standard and
Agree to Raise Prices on
Certain Kinds.
A Woman Killed on the Mil
Waukee Road in South
Minneapolis.
Another Man With Debts Dis
appeaps--The State Dent
list Convention.

The lumber manufacturers of the
Northwest held their convention at the
Hotel Lafayette, Lake Minnetonka,
yesterday. Itwas perhaps one of the
largest as we'll as the most representa-
tive gatherings of the trade ever held in
the Western country. The visitors
were royalty entertained by the lum-
bermen of Minneapolis. and after trip
over the lakes OH the steamer The City
of st. Louis, there was banquet in the
evening, and special train carried the
party back to Minneapolis shortly after
midnight.
The large ball room in the hotel was
given up to the use of the convention,
which was called to order by j. F. Mel
son, of Minneapolis, who welcomed the
lumber manufacturers in the name of
the lumbermen of Minneapolis. E. w.
Durant was chosen chairman, aud j.
Newton Mind officiated as secretary.
Almost all the proceedings were of
purely technical character, which,
while interesting to those engaged in
the business, was like so much
Greek to the outsider. Inspectors mad
been sent to fifty-fve of the large lum
Der yards in the Northwest and their
reports occupied considerable of the
time of the convention. The inspectors
had found that there was a wide dis
crepancy in grading lumber i'll the
different yards, according to the. Meginn
rules, the grades running all
100 as the standard. After con-
ciCnrahln fticnncSInn tho MQDlnn
standard was adopted and a universal
form of price list. but no prices were
agreed upon. The question of restrict
ing the output was discussed, but it
was evident from the tone of the con-
vention that such plan was not in
keeping with the ideas of the majority,
and when a resolution to cut down
the output one-third of what it
now is was presented the res
olution was promptly voted down.
Everybody, however, was in favor OF
an advance in prices, and when a mo-
ton was made to Increase the price OF
all lumber above the grade of first
fencing 81 per 1000 feet, it was carried
unanimously. AS the convention rep
resented almost every manufacturer in
the Northwest, its action will have a
marked effect upon the price of that
class of lumber. An assessment
to defray expenses was LEVIED,
amounting to SIS per mill, AMI
the convention adjourned to meet
in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Aug. 49,
At present the lumberman have prac-
tically no organization, and the grades
and prices have been varied. The con-
vention is the first step towards form
ing an organization to govern these, and
of fha OIL UnStnrd1U fhn
opinion was freely expressed that at
the next meeting a permanent organiza-
ton would be formed, the reports of the
inspectors showing that something OF
this kind was absolutely necessary to
establish standard grades.
After the business of the convention
had been disposed of the lumbermen
and their ladies boarded the navigation
company's steamer City of st. Louis
and steamed around the lakes. The
different points of interest along the
shores were pointed out, and the party
returned to the Lafayette, where the
banquet had been prepared. 1t was
gotten up in Manager Miller's best
style, and there was nothing left I'M
done to make the affair thoroughly en-
Joyable. Nearly two hundred guests
sat down to the tables and did full JUS
ticto he following elaborate menu:
Little Neck CLANS.
Consomme. Printaniere.
Broiled Blue Fish la Madre d'Hotel.
Cucumbers. Pommes Duchesse.
Filllets of Beef, larded and braized with
Mushrooms
New Corn. Sliced Tomatoes
Roman Punch.
Roast Spring Chicken Stuffed.
Pine Apple Salad,
Diplomatic Pudding.
Brandy Jelly.
Assorted Cakes
Neapolitan Ice Cream.
Nuts and Raisins. Bents' Water Crackers
Fruits.
Roquefort Cheese.
Coffee.
AS E. W. Durant occupied the head
of the table and acted as POSTMASTER, it
goes without saying that there was
jolly time. The first toast, "Our
Guests" was responded to by Capt. o.
c. Merriman, of Minneapolis. Our
Hosts" was admirably handled by Gen.
W. H. Early. of Chippewa Falls. "High
Grades and Low Prices'' was we'll taken
ward. Wis. "Low Grades and High
Prices" was the theme of hui
morous speech by G. r. Simpson
of Minneapolis. Capt. William Nc
Carson, of Eau Claire, was selected to
respond to the toast, "The Lumberman
in Politics." "The Retired Lumberman
Encamped in Roses" was assigned to
Maj George A. Camp, In whose i'm
mense garden the ladies of the party
had gathered large bouquets of the ma
jor's favorite flower. George A. Shaw,
of Cloquet, was called upon to describe
1.-THE Lumber Business-From the
Stump to the MILL" and William
Laird, of Winona, took care of
the toast, 1.-THE Lumber Business
From the Mill to the Market
The last toast of the evening was re-
sponded to by Capt. Mcdonald, of La
Crosse, "The Mississippi-The Great
Highway of the Lumber Trade" 1t
was we'll Oh towards midnight when
the party broke up and boarded their
train for Minneapolis. Many of the
guests, however, choosing to remain at
the hotel until to-day. Everybody
voted the entire affair a success. and
credit is due to j. Newton Mind, E. w.
Durant, B. F. Nelson and others for the
perfect arrangements and the good time
generally enjoyed at the most success
full gathering of lumbermen ever held
in the Northwest.