Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-07-11
The Lumber Industry.

journal, deals with the lumber INDUS
try of the country and from it we glear
| facts and figures of special interest in
Maine where the forests are one of our
| best resources. The bulletin shows
| that the lumber industry of the United
| States, taken as whole, was in 1900
the fourth among the great manufac-
| turing industries of the country, be-
| ing exceeded in value of products only
| by the iron and steel, the textile, and
the slaughtering and meat-packing in
| dustries. There were 3S,035 establish
ments. with total capital of $611, 611,-
| 524. In 1890 the capital was $551, SS1 ,054
| and in 1880 it was S1S1, 1885, 22. They en-
ployed 2S3,260 wage-earners, exclusive
of the administrative and clerical
force, and paid in wages $104,640, 591.
The average wages per wage-earner
was 1870. and per establishment $3171.
The cost of materials used was $751;
932.54s, and the value of products was
$566, 823, 1884. The value of the products
in 1880 was s437 1882, and in 1880 it
produced by the mills was 35,OS4, 166 NJ
feet. board measure. The average
product per mill was thus slightly in
excess of a million feet.
These statistics show a rapid rate
of growth in the industry, rate
which, from one point of view, that of
the destruction of our forests, is too
rapid to be satisfactory, since the cut
of lumber has increased from 27,041. 5.33
VI feet. board measure, to 35,0S4, 166 Nj
feet. in 10 years. The consumption OF
wood material in the industries is in
creasing at a much more rapid rate
than the population, in spite of the
fact that in many articles metals, es-
pecially iron and steel, are being sub
stitute1 for wood. 1t results from this,
that. while the timber is being used
more and more economically and the
waste is being diminished year by
year. SUN lUt Idlt VI vi tIlC
forests is yearly increasing. The
white pine area in the northeast has
passed it's maximum of production,
and the attention of lumbermen is be-
ing diverted from this region to the
southern pile forests, and to the
enormously heavy forests of the north
west coast, which will, in the course
of decade or two become the chief
source of lumber for the country.
The great lumber states are Wis
consin. with 10 per cent. of the
product of the country; Michigan,
with 90 per cent; Minnesota, with ~
per cent. Pennsylvania, with SO per
cent, and Washington, with SO per
cent. These five states collectively cut
nearly two-fifths of all the lumber
product of the country. The three
states on the northern lakes, Michigan,
Wisconsin and Minnesota, the three
leading states in this industry, cut
about q per cent. of all. The three
states on the Pacific coast, Washing
ton. Oregon and California, which con-
tain at least one third of the standing
timber of the country, cut only 9.5 per
cent. of it's total lumber product, less
than Wisconsin and about the same as
Michigan. The states of the southern
pine belt cut 25.2 per cent, less than
those of the northern lakes, although
their area is several times as great. In
1859 the northeastern states con-
tributed considerably more than half
of the total lumberprOduct of the coun-
try. In 1860 and 1870 this section had
dropped to somewhat more than a
third. in 1880 to Il fourth: and in 1900 it
was less than one-sixth of the total
lumber product.
Maine now ranks 18th in the value
of its lumber and timber products, be-
ing surpassed by the following states
in order; Wisconsin. Michigan, Mime
sofa. Pennsylvania, California, Wash
| nlSlOn New 1Ofk, ARKANSAS. 1eXaS-
Louisiana and Mississippi. The value
Of the Maine product in 1900 is given
as SIS, 164,53S After Maine in order
come Florida, Ohio, North Carolina,
Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, New
Hampshire, Missouri, and West Viz
gina, the product in each of these for
1900 being over $1O,OOO.O00.
The bulletin sums up the resources
and production in every state in the
Union and has this to say of Maine.
Maine was originally a forest-clad
State throughout. The timber consist
ed mainly of white pine and spruce
with some admixture of hemlocl,
tamarack. and cedar, and in the
southern part of lard woods of various
species. The southern part of the
State has been largely cleared. and the
forests in the northern part have in
the main been culled of white pine, al
though there still remains in the re
moter parts of the State, especially in
the northwest, and in areas removed
| from the streams. a notable amount OF
| this species. That considerable white
49, -,