Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-05-01
THEY ARE BUSY.
The Grand Rapids Lumber Company Operate
Their Plant Day and Eiqht.

inelr FiahI Day and Night.
The Grand Rapids Lumber Company
may truly be considered one of the
cOrnerstUnes OF our citv's industry.
The plant stands as an example of
! what may be accomplished by men of
energy and skill, and an encourage
ment to others who NAV desire to
establish factories here.
The company was Incorporated Nav
%, 1899 with a capital stock of $50. 900.
and began operation in December,
1900. 4 few acres at first were pur-
chased along the track of the G. NJ. &
St. Paul Railway adjacent to Gran
berry street and south of the railroad
cOmpany'S C2pOt, but this tract was
increased to SO acres during the
winter Of 1900. The land has almost
all been cleared and now the visitor.
whether by day or night. may see
immense piles of lumber rising at
regular intervals around the saw mill
and planning mill as center: remind
ing him, while passing through the
we'll laid out streets, of live prosper
Gus city.
The mayor or yard boss is Alex
Mindeck, and he is ably assisted by
lumber graders, Thomas Shelvan. john
DolIka, Nell Palmer and n. J.
Richards.
The main saw mill contains one
band-SaW. band Te-Saw and lath mill,
with capacity of over 100000 feet
per day. The most important saws
are: One fifty-One-fOOt band saw.
nine-fOOt wheel, ten-inCh saws: one
thirty-tWO-fOOt band reSaw, tive-fOOt
wheel, nine-inch saws: double gaud
edger, a large slab SlaSher of five saws,
and a modern automatic stove wood
slasber, The mill is uperintended by
NJ. p. Mclaughlin. The head sawyers
are Elisah Cleveland and Frank
Meunier. Joe Leauseau is millwright.
The carrying devices are ali live
rollers and live chains, working auto
matically, SO that very little heavy
lifting or handling of lumber or timber
is required. The cOntrivanceS called
the ''nigger" and ''kicker," are of
great Interest to those visiting the
mill. These pieces of machinery
handle the largest logs with ease.
The machinery of the mill is driven
by 25O-hOrse power engine, fed by a
battery of five boilers. Ira Bassett
has charge of this department.
In connection with the mill is
large filing room fitted with all
modern machinery, the work here
being under the supervision of
William Falk
The planning mill is situated west
Of the saw mill 1t is two stories
high, with Iean-to on each side.
The foreman Of the planer is Peter
HOstvedt Among the machinery in
THIS department. are reSaw. upSaW,
hatcher, moulder, Servicer and Sizer.
The power house, 20X2S, is separate
from this building and contains a
Buckeye automatic engine of 75-hOISe
power. The running of this engine is
IN the hands o. y'c9n Peterson.
The logs are dumped from the cars
into an artificial pond, which at one
tune formed the bed of a creek, south
OF the mill. The logs are thus easily
f1oated up to the carrier that elevateS
them to the saws in the second story
Of the mill. The lake is kept free
from ice in the winter by the exhaust
from the engine
At present about $50 men are
employed in the saw mill, planning
mill and yard, but as soon as the rain
gets the logs loose in the river the
force Will be increased The plant
is operated night and day; to guard
against any Inconvenience or inter-
ruptiOn on dark nights the mills and
yard are we'll lighted by electricity.
The output Of the plant is about
20, 900 feet of pine and hardwood
lumber per year. The payroll for the
month OF March was about $4,000.
This shows the important part which
this industry plays in the growth and
prosperity Of our city.
The company runs it's own lumber
camps at Eau Plaine and about one
third OF the hardwood and hemlock
logs used are shipped from that point.
The balance of the logs come from
MinOcqua.
Following are the officers of the
company:
President and General Manager
John O'Day.
Vice President-John Parrish.
Secretary and TreaSurer-W. II.
Reeves.