Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1898-11-04
LOGS AND LUMBER.
MinneapollssLumberman Rep
resentative Interviews f.
- $ - Weyerhaeuser.

LumhermAn: with all his gred
interests to Look after, Mr.. Frederick
Weyerhaeuser always has a few
moments to devote to entertaining
visitors at bis spacious Office In St.
Paul. dropped in there the other
day to inquire Of Mr.. Weyerhaeuse r
concerning some Of his operations
and to ask his views on the general
condition OF the lumber business.
Just now he seems much interested
In his new mill under construction
ut Lake Nebsgamon. This mill is to
be Il most substantial affair. and Mr..
John Weyerhaeuaer will probably
be offered the position OF manager of
the new plant. Mir. Weyerhaeuser
says It is the Intention of the new
company to dispose Of the lumber
man,,fac tured at this mill to the
car trade, but should that branch
of the industry become demOralized,
the company will he in a most ex-
cellent position to go into the lake
cargo business. When their own
road ia completed they will have
five lines to ship over. Mr.. Weyer-
haeuser in speaking of possibility
Of the removal of the 81 duty on
Canadian lumber, thought that the
subject WAS of serious concern
to every lumberman OF the north
west. II by any chance lumber was
put on the free list, or the duty ma.
terially reduced Ivy the joint reci-
procity commission, which ia now In
session. Mr.. Weyerhaeuspr believes
the only thing he and other lumber
men can 20 will he to cut of the best
Of their timber and dispose OF 1t as
quickly "a possible. Much Of the
poorer stock will have to he left
standing as food for forest fires, be
cause much of it cannot be manu-
featured in successful competition
with Canadian lumber. The laoOr-
ing CLASSES OF this country, under
such a condition, will suffer most
severely.
Iasked Mr.. Weyerhaeuser what his
views were as to the log output for
the coming winter. He had not
given the subject sufficient cOnsidera-
tiOn to warrant a definite answer.
He thought, however, that !! any
surplus logs were banked it would
be on the upper Mississippi; and he
said he was not sufficiently familiar
with the preparations or intentions
OF the different individuals to enable
him to give All estimate. None Ut
Mr.. Weyerhaeuser's companies con-
template putting III more than an
average stock of logs this winter.
The recent forest fires, Mr.. Werer-
haeuser aaid. have done compara-
lively little damage. Az far as he
has been able to discover not to ex-
coed five million feet OF their standing
timber has been injured, and fifteen
million feet will fully cover the all
pine timber seriously effected by the
recent forest fires. Early reports es-
innate that IA high AZ two hundred
and fifty million feet were injured.
The timber which will have to be
logged the coming winter In order to
save it on this account will therefore
cut comparatively little figure. Mr..
Weyerhaeuser said that his down
river mills will continue to manufac.
tnre lumber for some years yet. The
three mills at Rock Island and Dav-
export will probably cut about nine
ty million feet next season. This ia
their normal capacity running only
day times. The condition Of the
lumber market Mr.. Weyerhaeuser
considers very satisfactory and
prospects encouraging.
In speaking OF the troublesome
dead and down timber on Indian
reservations, Mr.. Weyerhaeuser en-
phasized the fact that it is impossible
to cut and bank such logs AMI make
any money out OF the transaction
even II he timber is given free.
Where one dead or down tree is
saved by being cut. nearer ten than
two live trees, as The I.umberman
had previously stated, will be de-
stroyed. 1t is only where large
tracts have been leveled by wind
that 1t is desirable to log dead and
down timber. Under the conditions
as imposed by law for cutting dead
and down timber on the tons
it will be only possible to carry on
such operations ut a profit without
wronging or defrauding some one.
He would not under any circum-
stances consent to have anyone Gull
ing out dead and down timber from
any tracts that he owns or controls,
as he knows that by 50 doing they
will very seriously injure or destroy
the value of the trees left standing.