The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-01-25
OUR LUMRER INTERESTS
Statistics as to its Rapid Growth and Pres
ent Volume Taken from the Annual Re
port of the State Labor Commissioner
Correspondence

Especial Correspondence.)
Raleigh, n. c., JAN. "a.
The annual report of the state labor
commissioner viii contain "a very in
teresting chapter on the lumber in
terests of North Carolina. It will say
that in 1880 the products Of the lumber
mills of this state amounted to 241,-
$4,000 feet and the total value Of all
wood products amounted to 81 ,672, 796.
In the eastern counties alone, in 1893,
the lumber business had increased to
such an extent, that there were in
~forty-two counties 323 mills, with an
annual output of 452, $50, 900 feet of 1um-
Der. These mills had 50 ct a ca
pacity that this OUTPUT uld have
been increased 172, 000, coo feet.
These mills sawed 159, $50, 900 shingles.
The entire output of lumber for east
ern North Carolina, the product of
PSI lumber and AZ exclusively sningle
mills, now amounts in value to $4,558,-
$50. The report says:
Our lumber industry has grown
steadily and today ranks as one
of the greatest industries of the
eastern part Of the state. The
great forests of pine, poplar and cy-
press are today being rapidly convert
ed into lumber ready for the market
From carefully complied reports it
appears that the average daily wages
paid in the lumber business in the
eastern section are as follows: for en-
gineer, 1874; firemen, $1.O7; sawyers,
$1.78, and labOrers, so cents. The high
est wages paid engineers are sos and
the lowest IS cents per day; the high
est wages of firemen 81 80, the lowest
So cents; for sawyers the highest 1915
and the lowest 81. 90, and for 1aborers
SLIP the highest, and so cents the low
est, the general average for the classes
mentioned being $1.24A. The average
numbe of days on which the mills
worked was 225.
FOr the purpose Of showing the num-
Der of men employed and the output
of different sized mills. together with
the principal classes of timber sawed
the department has selected twenty
seven mills, located in sixteen cOun-
ties, with capacities, and ranging in
size from 5000 to 200, 900 feet of lumber
per day. The North Carolina forests
have been pretty thoroughly opened
during the past few yea !. Every
Year witnesses an increased demand
for timber. The value of North Caro-
lima timber is becoming more general
ly appreciated, and is commencing it
self more and more to builders and
manufacturers. The North Carolina
pine lumber and timber trade is i'm
mense, and large Shipments are being
sent to Europe. The greater quantity
is sold in Baltimore, New York, Phila-
delphia and Washington. Over 200,
000, 600 fGet are sod in Philadelphia an
nually. Ne~y York alrd Baltimore take
about 400, 500, COS, w England uses
about the same amount and Washing
ton about half as much. In these sec
tiOns North Carolina pine lumber has
become a high class mercantile lum.
Der it is f~ine-grained and very
durable.
There are in tho east about forty
band saw mills, beside the circular
and ga,llg Saws outline, and hundreds
of T'.nI."s and matching mills, pre-
parir" the timber for market. A
present the lumber industry has as.
stunned an Importance which few cal
realize without looking at some fig
ures, when it is stated that 1000, 600, OOt
fee. Of 1T.,"er requires 100, 900 freigh
car 800 vessels to carry it away
SOM tea may be formed of the i'm
mensity of the lumber business. There
are over 1000 persons engaged in thl
business and their payroll is owe
sc, 900, 00O." F. A. OLDS.