The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-17
THE LUMBER INDUSTRY.
Changes That Have Recently Taken
Place

Changes That Have Recently Taken
Place.
Bonner, Dec 16.-The Importance of
| the position of Bonner as the center of
the lumber trade of Montana has be-
come this year even greater than form
erly. The demand for Blackfoot lum-
Der has been this year the greatest in
the history of the mills a Bonner. This
demand this season has been from a
much more extensive territory than
formerly, Lumber has been shipped as
far south as Salt Lake and as far west
as Seattle. From the East there have
been orders received from Minnesota
and large contracts have been filled in
eastern Montana and northern Wyo
ming. One feature OF the Bonner husi-
ness that has contributed largely to
the extension of territory of the mills
has been the increasing demand for
tamarack finishing material. This fin
ish has found high favor with the gov
eminent architects and they have rec
commended it for the work on number
of government buildings, notably the
big army post on Puget sound.
The plant at Bonner is a busy place
at all times and its record this year
has been better than usual The mills
have worked to their full capacity all
season and the planning mill and sash
factory will be kept busy all winter.
So popular has the tamarack finish
| that is made in Montana become that
| the finish for entire large houses
| have been placed al these mills. The
| plant has run all the year on build
| ing stock, but little mining timber hay
ing been cut at this mill.
Extensive improvements have been
made in the offices at Bonner this year.
| the demand for more room having
| brought about their enlargement. The
new offices are finished in tamarack
| and are an excellent advertisement for
| the work of the mills.
| The extent of the lumber business
| of western Montana has increased ma
| terially this year and this branch of
| business has contributed largely to the
prosperity of the counties that it rep
| resents. On the main line of the North
| ern Pacific from Bearmouth west, there
| are now eight mills, aside from the
| Bonner plant, that are regular shippers
| of lumber. On the Bitter Root branch
| there are as many more and on the
| Occur d Alene branch nearly every sta
| ton from DeSmet to the mouth of the
| st. Regis river has its sawmill AT
FrenchtoWn. Huson, Nine Mile, Rivu
| let, Philam0n siding, Quartz, Superior
| st. Regis and smaller stations, there
are mills that have been shipping
heavily this season. The demand for
| mining timbers has not been larger
| shipments of building stock from west
ern Montana mills has exceeded all
| previous records.
When it is considered that each of
| these mills employs at least 40 men and
| that some of them have as many as
200 on their rolls, it will be seen that
| they represent a very important part
| of the industrial resources of this part
| of the state. here has been no i'm
| portant development lately in the lum-
| Der industry. The plan of former years
| has practically governed the opera tions
| this season. H. w. Mclaughlin has
re-entered the list of mill men this
year and a few other mills have been
started since the first OF March, but
the general work of the year has diff
| fered but little from that of last
The only important feature of the
| years operations has been the extern
| sive investment of w. A. Clark of
| Butte in timber lands. Most of his
| purchases have been made in the up
| per Blackfoot country, both in Mis-
soula and Deer Lodge counties and some
| large transactions have been recorded
| in Ravalli county, both in the lower
and upper parts of the Bitter Root val
| ley.
| Logging this winter is in progress in
| the Clearwater country, tributary to
| the BlackfOOt and there is some small
| cutting being done on the lower Black
foot. In the Bitter Root there are
| some camps at work, and on the Occur
d'Alene branch the mill men are busy
| getting out their seasons supply of
| logs. John Purtle has a large force of
men in the timber and Ed Donlan is
| getting out "a large cutting for spring
saving. The present indications are
that next years record will equal that
of the present season.
The forest reserve system, which was
regarded with so much alarm by some
of the mill men. has not apparently in
terfered with the lumber business to
any great extent The sale of state
land timber has been large this year
and has added materially to the re-
ceipts of the land department. Most
of the timber thus purchased has been
cut this year.