The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1900-11-09
numbering Outlook Flattering.

The lumber situation in the state o
Washington, while apparently dull a
the present timey is considered by
Eastern timbermen as one of the bes
in any part of the country. Many
reasons are given for this opinion
chief among which is the fact thai
there is a constau thy increasing foreign
market, while the territory at home
will expand for many years to come
Among the large lumber manufac.
turers OF the East is William Shur-
mann, of Lacrosse, Wis, who is now
| In the city on matters in connection
with his holdings in this state. A
year ago Mr. Shurmann came to
Washington looking for location for
a mill, and after going over q large
portion of the coast timber finally
made purchases in Whatcom county,
where he now owns several hundred
acres of the most valuable timber in
that section.
"There is no reason why Washing
ton :umbermen should feel blue" he
said yesterday. "The timber situation
in this state is much better than in
any state I know Of. The whole
trouble here is that you have been
travelling too fast. By that 7 mean
that there arc too many mills here for
the present markets. For several years
past lumbermen in the Eastern states
have realized that the time was near
at hand when they must find new To-
cations. This has been a true con-
ditions. But too many have come to
the coast with their mills. 1t was all
right for them to come here and buy
timber land, but they have been erect
ing mills In such numbers that the
markets for the product Of this section
have not expanded fast enough
From now on there will not be such a
number OF mills erected in this state
as there has been in the past few years
Eastern lumbermen realize the sit
uation here, and while there will be
just as g eat q disposition 20 get tim
Der land as there ever was, there will
| not he the same number of new mills
go up
"This will be for the benefit of the
| industry of the state, and as there is
no danger OF the timber of Washing
ton being exhausted for hundred
years to come at the present rate OF
cutting, there will be time enough to
begin. building new mills when the
markets of this section, the foreign
and the Eastern markets have expand
ed so as 70 demand greater product
"While the lumbermen OF this state
are trying TO extend their market to
the Mississippi river, and it is 20 be
hoped they will be successful, it must
not be forgotten that just as soon as
the yellow pine mills find that the fiji
of this state is cutting into their tradt.
there will be trouble, and it is not a.
ali improbable that there will be re
ductlon in the Southern rates, and thu
| only way to meet that will be to fol
low up the market no matter where /,
will lead.
"The rate that has already beer
granted the Washington lumbermel
to Western Nebraska and Colorad,
points is big concession and will d,
much to increase the orders at th
mills here, but it must be remembers,
that as yet the Washington mills ar
not In direct competition with the vel
low pine manufacturers.
"The coming season it is the eener
, al belief will be much better than tn
one that IS now. drawing to a close
The conditions in all parts of tn
country are ripe for a large amount G
/ building, and even providing the lum
bermen of this state are not successfr
) in their effort to secure the Nilsson,
, river rate, they will find an increase
number of orders from that sectio
throughout all the year.
There is also very bright outloo
for large Oriental trade during tn
coming year, and the time has passe
when the Eastern mills think of Sc
curing part of that trade. Tha
market, from this time on, will belon
to the coast nils.
while it has been generally unde,
stood that the timber ia the Middl
western states is exhausted, and it
true that it is getting very short. pa,
tlcularly in some localities there
enough left to keep the mills runnin
Tor long time TO come. In Mime
sofa there is, should say, at leas
! SoVOO.OUG feet, and in WISCONSIN a
least half as much more. So that "
can still do business for a while mt;
the Pacific coast will support NOR
mills.-Ledgor.