The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-05-12
TOO MAN LOGGING CAMPS.
An OvEnFRODUCTIOS THREATExs
ON GRAYs nAnDoR.


special Dispatch to the Pnst-InteIligeneer
SooAOPOLIS. May u.-One year or
more ago there was an apparent shortage
ia camp capacity Of as much az d. 90 Gao
Feet OF saw logs Today there Is an appar-
ens oxerproductson. in camp capacity Of
mens u made upon facts obtained by the
writer in November one year ago last.
AZ that time the estimated output Of the
mills was 10. 90 90. today 1t Is 40 $50 900.
While the mills have advanced their
cuts total OF 10000 the Campo have
aasaneed lD.oee 90. or from 80 TO 40. This
Illustrates the immense resources Of Chez
nails county and the wonderful elasticity
OF io9eing operations. AZ many a. sixty
monster donkeys have been put to work
during this time. and the end il not yet in
nsht. These donkeys are many Of them.
simply monsters They have immense
boilers and double engines They use
seven esghths and one-inch cables OF best
material. and one OF the latest broke An
tncn cable recently on a straight pull with
1900 feet Of logs which accidentally
caught on something on the main road. It
further stated that the drum was al
most fun.
Camps which were operated with ten to
Twelve men today must have twenty-five
70 thirty In order to operate probably and
although the distances are greater and
greater. yet the vastly increased capacity
OF the machinery has prevented the neces-
sary or natural increase OF cost. More
umoeF IL on the market today than ever
before. Logging shows are found every
"nere. and many loggers find mill men
wiling and anxious to buy them timber
and then buy their logs Should the pres
ent glutted condition OF the market CON
uhus this new class Of loggers will make
nard Tor those who operate independ-
emily. Already there In hustling apparent
oy some TO clear up mortgages and strip
Tor battle with impending closeness OF
scale and weak and feverish market. for
both diseases. 30 fatal 10 ioggers, are
appearing.
And why not? Who. who has taken a
look al oooms running over and RATS
swinging from strings covering every
available space abodt the congcsted hooms.
cannot easily make a correct diagnosis
OF the case? No one knows what will
be the condition next year-no one knows
what viii be the condition next Septem.
Der. Loggers prefer to have the mills
well supplied-it prevents spasmodic ef-
lori ana consequent congestion. VIII the
mill owners become greedy and exact the
pound OF flesh? They did ii three wears
ago. They brought about last years short
age. Ten million feet Of fir for which
there was no demand and for which there
was no room caused logs to fan from 81
to $2.50. with a general price OF $3.50 To-
day they are worth IS. at which price tfer.
Is a reasonable profft provided II would
continue long enough. Many men say the
loggers are getting rich. That Is always
the case with a few in any legitimate
business. but a logger is no, rich who has
his profits In his plant. unless favorable
opportunity continues fer It's operation
Thus a slump In prices means actual loss.
for tools rapidly depreciate and the per-
sonal expenses Of the logger continue as
we'll as those OF any other man
Pa
mills. Certainly there never was a more
favorable opportunity. from a log stand
point. save as 10 cedar. II Is more than
probable that now a good mill man could
get substantial gift from business men
and the ioggers II no more mills are
built. II In probable that the trite saving,
'the devil get the hindmost." will be ap
plicable