Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1900-02-15
A VAST ARMY.
Men Employed in tNe Minnesota Pin.
cries This Winter.

Men Employed in tNe Minnesota Pin.
cries This Winter.
coutracts Tor the delivery Of about
coo.oo0.OO0 feet Of pine logs to mills in
this section by railroad have recently
Been closed. This Is In addition to the
enormous quantity that will be handled
on logging railroads owned by the CONF
panies that also do the logging. OF
these contracts the Wisconsin divisions
Of the Northern Pacific Road has closed
a total OF about 250.t00.000 feet. part Of
which viii be delivered at this city and
part at Ashland. The Duluth & Iron
Range Road will haul 10000. 900 feet to
this city. and the other iron range
roads about 100000. 900 feet. These con-
tracts are Tor deliveries during the
coming winter. and are an indication
oifthe activity In the pine numbering
section at he head Of the lakes. AS
much more will be handled In the
northeastern part OF Minnesota and the
Ashland Wis. districts this winter On
roads owned by distinctively logging
corporations.
In Northern Minnesota alone anarmy
OF $1,000 men win attack the staining
pine. assisted by thausanls Of horses
end oxen. These men will receive an
aggregate monthly wage Of about $780,
099, and they will be employed TIL the
spring breakup. Iumbermen look for
continuation OF the present era Of ac-
uvity and high prices for a long time.
Indeed they expect never to see the
low prices for pine OF the past few
years. The supply IS becoming more
and more limited year by year. as the
forests are entered by such an army OF
chonpers. and the standing pine yet re-
maining uncut IS rapidly becoming the
property Of manufacturing corpora
lions large enough to hold till they are
ready to cut. while the demand Is in
creasing at a rate faster than the cap
acity Of mills. A very large share Of
lumber cut IN this region. especially in
lower grades. goes into boxes and pack
ing cases, and that the price of these
grades should have advanced so per
cent In the past nine months is an in
cication Of how tremendous the de-
mend for boxes has become
i.umbermen Of this district have new
c. before made sales for the succecd-
Ing year before late In the winter. or
until saving began in the spring. But
last week sales We're made here OF
aa000,0n0 feet Of the lowest grades of
the cut 10 be made after next April
o. top prices. Several mills sold their
entire Sc sons cut of these grades, re-
ceiving Sl050 for what was worth $3.50
last February. s13 for what then
brought $3.50. and $3.50 for a grade
that In pasi years has been considered
worth almost nothing and that has
been fgured as about paving the W
LIN. Every lumberman who viii dis
pose OF his product in adv nee is being
ifapcrtuned To do so. and 400 10000
feet Of Duluth lumber could be sold in
2 week TO buyers from New York New
England. Eastern Michigan and Chica-
20. This would he practically all next
year's cut for the mills on deep water
So this harhor.
Shipments by water to these Eastern
points out Of Lake superior win exceed
000 ono 600 feet. and a single months
f1r'vardings are more than was sent In
g. whole summer so lately as 1887. More
than i25 ships have been engaged ex-
ciusively in the carrying OF lumber
fron this lake TO the East this year,
and at prices that have paid profits
that would buy the shits nt lest
springs values. Many a ship contract
Cd last spring Tor the season with an
agreement that the lessee might buy la
tor in the year at a then agreed figure.
has already been bought under the OPP
ton out Of its own net profits for the
SIMMER. Rates have been more tn n
double the year before, and for most OF
the season there have been half a dozen
car~oes for every available vessel.
For the FIRST time ia lroads have in
4 A.
ried scores Of million Of feet OF tim
her from here to points as far East as
Pit'shurg and Central Pennsylvania,
making rates satisfactory 10 them
selves under those the ship interests
would accept.
timber lands have doubled and ire
bied In price the past season, and are
Ftill advancing. with sales amounting
TO millions Of dollars monthly-Minne-
apolis Times.