West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1899-06-15


lath mill is considered the slabs and
other refuse that il not worth looking
AZ for anything must pass the iuSpcc
ton of two men who take out every
stick that can be sent up TO the pulp
mill close by and made into paper
pulp.
In spite of the orslaughts on the
Forests lumber sells now as low as ever
but the price is kept in bounds by tho
Increased product ~ the log \ mill
man expressed IL when he said: we
cut out tho merchantable lumber to
PA tho expense Of manufacture, and
make profit, If Nc make any at all
lay working the waste into somathins
We can SELL The lumber that this
vast output represents can hardly bc
conceived ia figures. But IL may ha
more tangible when IL is put in tho
shape that = railroad mau estimated
H. lii> guc,s was so car)ond, a dpV.
Call it that aud imagine two fair train
loads OF lumber every day staaminp
down the mountains from this one
section OF the state, and an idea OF tho
blossomng lumber business Of West
Virginia may be imagined
But lumber is not the only freight
that originates for the road ms IA result
OF the lum mberman's work Tho great
proportion of tho luir Der cut bv tho
big mills is spruce and hemlock The
hemlock yields bark, which is the
principal source of tanning FOR .hc
leather maker, and four large tanner
les have located up i'm this lum Der belt.
Ono is at Davis, one at Gorman, one az
Bayard, and one at Parsons But the
tannsries cannot use all the bark that
is peeled. and enormous quantities
are simply taken from the log and left
TO rot on the ground for want OF
market Well-postcd lum mbcrmen tell
me that $4,000 cords of excellent hem
lock were neglected in that manner
iast year in this section, and that the
prospects are no better for this season.
Such quantity OF bark nt Ppnnsvl-
Yhnia tannerios would be worth Si25..
600 There is fortune in itself and is
thrown away yearly because bark i,
too bulky TO ship such distances AS
would be necessary TO ret il ont To
market, and because there are not
tanneries enough ia the vicinity to use
IT. some day the tanner Will lament
the destruction OF such valuable ma-
terial when he has reached the limit
OF hls hemlock, for hcmlock is not
abundant in any section OF the Union
outside OF Pennsylvania, New York
and West Virginia, and in tho two
Northern States the supply is eI.
haustsd in most ], caljtios
1he timber acreage in West Virginia
- enormous Tho holdings of some OF
the lumber companies sound like the
story Of Aladdin. The figures that
we're given by " hat is accepte as com.
pctent authority are stngPerlng IT. is
said there are .. OO, coo acres OF uncut
timber in West Virginia. Nearly nll
the spruce in the United States in i'm
this state, and II is ono Of the finest
tim Der trees that grow. The Piedmont
Pulp and Paper company is credited
with 100000 acres OF spruce lands on
the Cheat and Groenbrior riycrs, and
the company is now cyphering on "A
gigantic pulp and paper mill at CovinR-
ton, on the Chesapeake and Ohio rail
road. Just over the line in Vir-
Rinia TO which they will haul
their pulp wood in train loads.
To the Dry Fork lumber inter.
ssts are credited lGO, 600 acres OF timber.
IN and adjacent TO the Dry Fork valley.
The sBlaclswater company is said to
have about 10000 acres, the Dobbin
mills nearly as much, the Otter Creek
company, ia otter Creek WILEY. 40. 600
acres, and other large computes tracts
not far behind. The Davis and Elkins
interests arc said 20 represent more
than 500, 600 acres here and there Of
coal and timber lands, these people
owning practically all the coal terri.
tory along tho line OF the West Vir-
ginia Central read.
These estimates are not from actual
figures, but from men who are familiar
with the timber business, aud who
give them as approximate They are
sufficient, however 20 show the magni-
tude Of the timber industries Of the
state, and the enormous future that is
ahead. In answer 90 the question il
tine immense operations would not
soon exhaust the resources. attention
was called 90 one tract which. cutting
at the rate OF 100. 600 feet Of Iumtcr
daily is good for 30 years. 1.e prrn.
cipal lumber Of West Virginia 10 spruce.
hcmiock anI ths bard woJir Ofaru.
.Dca there is enough toruu the mI.s
for many years. and, w,ro tuucrIes
convenient. Co AFFORD supply OF bark
The tauncries that are now in tbi-
vicinity u-c about bali the bark that. is.
pcelrL The alauce is luroan away
But tanncries To- secure the bari, must
come pretty soon. The lumUormlu
viii not keep bIs timber standing. Tor
he must cut The timber 90 get IBIS
money cut ~ 10. Spruce is toe maIu
stay of the mills. Iti, stranger 90
tbe Penusv vUuia iunb .ruan bciug
relation of the hem oct and t.c white
pine trees softer ,nan tho uomIoc.. and
harder thau thp ufrp "a I,rrf f,.....I