The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1900-02-23
Beginning of a New Era.

VIC hCdNlCSt opefdtuTS III the ml0QIt
west, to locate saw mill plants on In,
Pacific coast, is of more than ordinar,
significance. The Journal recentl,
mentioned the fact that this syndicate
purchased timber lands in this state
from the Northern Pacific to the value
of something over $6,000,00O. It was
thought at first that the purchase was
made for speculative purposes, but Mr.
| Weyerhauser in q recent interview
states that the timber will be manu-.
factured into lumber; that several oil
the syndicate's mills in Wisconsin
4 and Minnesota are TO be moved to
this state the coming simmer, and
that the operations on the coast will
be In the hands of the sons of mem
GERS of the syndicate. 1t is also un-
derstood that four mills are to be
erected this year-two on Puget Sound
and one each on Grays Harbor and
Willapa Harbor. In regard to the
Grays Harbor mill it is not improb-
able that one of the largest plants now
IN operation will be bought outright,
and one mill at South Bend, now idle,
may also be purchased 1t is also
probable that the two mills to be erect
ed on the Sound will be at Everett and
Falrhaven, with chances favorable to
the first and not at all certain as to
the latter. In the event of another
choice, Seattle, Tacoma, Anacortes
and Olympia, will be considered. The
company already owns considerable
timber tributary to Everett, which
presents a favorable proposition for
the location of mill at that point.
Cruisers, however, have been at work
IN Whatcom and Skagit counties tor
over year, and upon their report may
hinge the placing. of the other mill at
either Fairhaven or Anacortes. Olym-
pla and Tacoma are tributary to the
syndlcate's timber, and the claim Sc
attic has is central location and the
best railroad outlet in the state. The
Grays Harbor and South Bend mills
will, OF course, make a specially of
spruce. So, there you are, and it is
given for what it is worth.
But the advent of this syndicate
means much to the lumner trade that
is not on the surface. 1t means, in
the first place, aggressive, yet conserv-
atlve methods, the building up still
further OF an eastern trade, economy
In manufacture and stability of prices.
1t also means that the possibility of
securing lower rate on common lum-
Der, originated and advocated persist
entity by the Journal for five years,
may become a fact. With the re-
sources at the command of Mr.. Weyer-
hauser and his associates, it ought not
to be a difficult task to convince the
railroad companies the strength of the
following points: That there is more
| profit in hauling large car of lumber
at reduced rate than a small Car of
lumber at the maximum rate-$1S0
for 10000 pounds of lumber at 80
cents. as against $120 for 10000
| pounds of lumber at 40 cents per 100
pounds; that Is per cent of the tree
is common lumber, and that the re-
naming 25 per cent will hardly pay
the loss on the Is per cent unmarked
able lumber; that the reduction of
only 10 cents will increase the demand
400 per cent and increase the earning
capacity of the roads, and at the same
time J ield profit to the timber own
er, logger and mill man alike; that 1t
will result in an immense expansion
of trade, the building of innumerable
saw mills, and create steady and in
creasing westward haul in almost
every commodity-from machinery
and supplies to the necessities of life
to the laborers in the mills. If this
rate would go into effect the popula-
ton of the state would be doubled
within five years, because the pay roll
in the western portion of the state
would consume the products of the
farmers and stock raisers in Eastern
Washington.
There are however, other things be-
sides the Weyerhauser investment that
will affect the coast. There is, for in.
stance, the opening OF an Oriental
market and the Nicaragua canal. The
former will come when China is grid
ironed with railroads. At present
there is no demand to speak of in
j China OF, Japan, but the railroad will
introduce lumber in localities where
the white ant is not in evidence. Con-
sular reports from Manchuria state
that as soon as the Russian railroad
entered several of the Chinese cities,
the Celestials at once began the erec-
tion of houses patterned after the Rus
slams. The Nicaragua canal will open
a great market in Europe, Eastern
South America and the Atlantic coast
states-markets now almost prohibit
tive on account of distance. We do
not share the fear of some of the coast
lumbermen that yellow pine will de-
stroy our markets in the Orient and
in South and Central America. Far
from it! Fir has met yellow pine on
] equal footing before and vanquished it
easily, and besides the southern manu-
facturers will have all they can do to
supply the growing deficiency of white
pine in the east, without seeking new
markets. and they will, too, have to
watch their own trade in Europe,
South America and the Atlantic coast
against the incursion of Pacific coast
woods. Tne canal will populate the
Pacific coast, open up Oriental trade
and will make this section as rich and
as populous as the Atlantic coast.
Indeed, with all these things il
view, with productive soil, temper
ate, healthy climate, mines rich be.