The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-10-20
GREAT TIMBER DEAL.
One Hundred ana Fifty Million Feet Secured
In Somerset County BY Pittsburgers.

In Somerset County BY Pittsburgers.
One of tho largest lumber deals that
has ever been made in this State was con-
summated Thursday when the purchase
was made of Q, 500 acres of timber land in
Paint and Shade townships. While the
exact amount of the purchase price has
not been given officially, yet it is admit
ted that it represents an outlay of almost
quarter of a million dollars.
The purchasers of this big timber tract
are all Pittsburg parties, with T.. V. Bah
cock, of the firm of +. V. Babcock & Co.,
at their head. Although the deal was
Only closed Thursday, arrangements have
already been made for organizing a stock
company, to be known as the Babcock
Lumber Company, which will prepare
the lumber for the market. A charter
will be applied for at once. In the COM
pany, in addition to +. V. Babcock are
his brothers, F. II. and o. ii. Babcock.
Congressman William A. Stone Is the at
torney for the new company and assisted
in closing up the deal.
Within 80 days number of saw mills,
planning mills aud shingle mills will be
put into the forest, and it is estimated
that it will require 200 men working con-
stantly for ten years to prepare all of the
timber for the market. Upon the tract
there are 20,0o1,0 900 feet of hemlock, and
20,0O0,0o0 feet of hard woods. including
beech, birch and cherry. In addition to
this quantity of timber there will also be
over GO,Oo0, 600 cords of bark.
The tract is known as the Ashtola
property and was held by the Proyident
Life and Trust Company, of Philadelphia
in trust for the heirs of John Irwin, de-
ceased, of Curwensville, Cleariield coun
ty. These heirs are James A. Irwin,
John /. Thompson. Mary i. orlady, wife
of Judge orlady, of the Superior Court,
and Mrs. Mertie L. Wilson, wife of At
torney s. V. W ilson. of Clearfield county.
A sub branch from the South Fork
branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad will
be run into the timber land in order to
get the lumber out.
The purchase includes not only the
timber but the surface ground as well,
and il is the intention of the company to
cTccl Il Oh HOUSES III tue lOItSt III
once, to be occupied by the men who will |
get the lumber out. l.. V. Babcock, the |
head of the new company that has made |
the purchase, says:
"We made this purchase entirely as a |
result of the wave of prosperity that |
seems to have struck the country. There |
is a better demand for lumber at the pres
ent time than there has been for num- |
Der of years, and the indications are that |
there will be more building done in the |
next three or four years than the country |
has ever known.
"The large amount of lumber that was |
hustled across the border from Canada |
just prior to the enforcems snt of the new |
Dingley bill is rapidly being consumed, |
and prices are now beginning TO stiffen. |
While there is yet no marked advance in |
hemlock, yet the increase in the price of |
all other lumber is sufficient indication |
that it, too, will advance TO great extent |
within the next two or three months. |
The price of bark has also advanced more |
than dollar a cord in the past few weeks, |
and, altogether, the prospects for the |
lumber business never seemed 50 U.ight |
as they are at the present time"