The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-12-04
MILLS IRE CLOSED
Because a Long Tract OF
Timber Gave Out
OVER Fifty YEARS AGO
The Plant Was Established
by SpauIding.

!
last log to be handled by that company
and closed after half a century of con-
slant service. The mill was largely the
| property Of Jesse Spaulding of Chicago,
and was his first mill and the one in
which he laid the foundation for his
present large fortune. It's close indicates
the exhaustion of a tract of 10000 acres
in Northern Michigan, and the fact that
no more such timber is to be found there.
Half a century ago the pine forests of
Wisconsin and Michigan were practically
unbroken. When Mr.. Spaulding and
others began to locate on the Menominee
River they had their choice of the finest
pine woods on the continent Mill fol-
lowed mill on that river and others were
| built at Sturgeon Bay, at Cedar River. at
Ford River and at scores of other points.
To these were sent down stream annually
millions of logs, and mile after mile
/ OF the timber was exhausted. Fire thin
ned out great deal, and now the great
tract which Mr.. Spaulding CONTROLS is
1 barren of pine. One hundred and forty
/ thousand acres of hardwood remain. but
this will be sold standing.
In the half century of it's existence,
the company has cut over billion feet
! Among the employeswho were thrown
out of work this week We're some who
had been with the company for more than
! forty years-one of them, Michael Cory,
a veteran of forty-fve years experience,
who has patented more improvements on
/ sawmill machinery than any other man
on the Menominee River. The closing of
! the mill was marked by the firing of
! or
| flags. The site of the mill will be used
for a manufacturing plant if arrange
ments can be made, and in this way it
is hoped to prevent Marinette from feel
| ing the loss of the lumber trade as it
! otherwise must.
The passing of the lumber interests
| from northern Michigan and Wisconsin is
accompanied by an equal increase of such
establishments in the great hardwood
forests of the Mississippi Valley Along
the big river, and especially in the low
lands of Arkansas, are hundreds of miles
of fine Undertook of twenty-one vari-
cites. red gum, cottonwood. hickory, and
many other woods.
Red gum was for years despised and
neglected, until now it has been found
TO be a valuable wood that takes as fine
a polish as mahogany. and it is, there
fore being used extensively for the manu-
facture OF the venecrs of mahog-
any and cherry. Cottonwood was con-
sidered entirely worthless and was neg
leeted because it will invariably warp
when wet and submitted to the suns
rays 1t is an excellent lockwood. how
ever, and useful for ell places where in
side and sheltered. Consequently it is
used for the sheathing of houses, inner
floors, and similar situations
As result of these discoveries the
cutting out of the Arkansas forests has
begun to take enormous proportions.
Southwest of Cairo one finds Chicago
men and Chicago enterprise wherever he
goes in the big woods. Herman Paepcke
of this city and the Chicago Mill and
Lumber company, of which he is presi-
dent. have established several large Ium-
Der camps and mills built logging rail-
ways, and are cutting millions of feet
of timber every year.
At Luxora. Ark, not far from one
plant of the Chicago Mil and Lumber
company. A. S. Wolverton of Chicago has
camp mill. and railway. and is loading
his product on barges for shipment to
Cairo and Chicago-and even to Pittsburg
at the rate of 5000 feet day He has
$4,000 acres of hardwood to clear in this
way
At Paragould. about thirty-five miles
from Luxura, in the St. FRAMES Valley.
the Armour company has established a
mill and box factory and are making all
the boxes for their provisions. Within
five miles of the Wolverton plant there
are thirteen large mills, many of them
run by Chicago capital. Besides the logs
cut here millions of feet are RATED an
nually to Wolf River, Memphis, which
IS now the largest producing hardwood
lumber market in the world and which
sawed so much lumber last year that
5000 freight cars were needed to carry
it away
This is the coming lumber region Of
the country said Mr. r l. Wolverton
one day last week. standing on the lavee
near the terminus of his logging rail-
road and watching the operation Of
boat-loading machine. The standard
gauge railroad terminated on the brink
Of the river bank. forty feet above the
water. which was then low. At high
water the river rises to the end of the
ties or even overfows the extreme mile
or 50 of the railway. car loaded with
boards stood on the track where the tiny
locomotive had left it. and two men were
lifting boards one at a time. on TO pair
Of endless chains which run over wheels (
some higher distance mp. As the boards
were discharged from the chains al the
summit they were turned bv q trigger
alternating into two chutes. which led
To the opposite ends of the barge on the
river below. The men caught them and
ing pile on deck A team Of mules driven /
round i'm q circle by an old plantation
darby completed The OUTFIT and furnished
the motive power The work done could
not have been accomplished by less than T.
a score Of men
The development Of this field has +.
been marvellous and viii even Re more
So" continued M WoIverton. .swith 4
the clearing or IF the pine forests the
Chicago men who have been interested +
In the great lumber mills up there are
turning 10 the Mississippi Valley The 4
lumber must be had and the capital kept I
employed.
They ma here a great forest which 4
extends Tor hundreds a miles It Is
on level ground. accessible 20 severed +
rivers and hayous. easily cur and easily 4
50 wed % is oa the Mississippi ana has 4
acccss hy water 10 the whaie heart ~ .
the continent We can reach from here .
Memphis. New Orleans Cairo - Losis .
81 Paul. Pittshurg Cincinnati. and when
the new canal IS finished Chica eo-whiCh +
we row ship Je by ran
Instead Of pine ao,-ss. which are Ha-
Bile 20 be entirely destroyed hy hrs. ~
have non-resinotis wood. whica- 4 the Ore
runs through Il. s benefited. since s.ofh-