The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1902-11-07
MERGER IN COURT.
Lumber and Coal Men Testify as to
the Practical Workings.

Kun 49, #EE'l
In the suit OF the United States against
the Northern Securities company, Mr..
Frederick Weyerhauser was the 1lrst wit
n fassn to Il follow 10 P Mri Hill IN the testimony
Nj: Weyerhauser is the largest manu-
lecturer el lumber In the United States.
Der, This passage in his testimony is In
g. Are you aeanainted with the lumber
supply N the Mississippi valley?
op@sratalns for forty years:
for making lumber, compared with Ii a
In former years?.
A.. # is getting very short; the supply
g.. About how long do you think that
~ can continue numbering at a profit in
this valley?
most Of our mills. though the last tree
will not be cut for some time to come in
tneSe states. ! am speaking now mainly
Of Wisconsin and Minnesota and Michi-
so. How is It with your own mills in
this valley? Are they increasing or d.
ing at Shell Lake this year and We are
geating through at Hayward. SO there are
g. And taking down those mills?
q. I'VE used to operate four in Daven-
port, Ia; we have only got two left now.
s.. 20 what part Of III country are you
FAILURE Of this Mississippi valley timber?
A. We have been buying In Idaho.
W 8 Wbaf h and here 9eeg9 3hs e.+an+ :, =.
purchases in Washington? /?
neigl,berlhood@odfaroma that up to 100000
haps about the same in Idaho.
Have you begun manufacturing
lumber from any Of that timber?
ington and. manufacture in Idaho.
He thought the largest market was in
Iowa.. eastern Kansas and Nebraska,
though Illinois was considerable Of a mar
The facilities now offered whereby he
gould ship; BY the Great Northern and
Northern Pacifc and the Burlington, were
ton was practically vital to his doing
business at all. 4
W.. p. cloush.
w. p. Clough, fourth yice-president OF
the Northern Securities company was the
next witness. Every purchase OF stock
made by the Northern Securities company
has been a direct Individual transaction.
The stock purchased was transferred alb
solutely Internationally in every case and
without solicitation on the part Of the
He had been practically present at the
New York office every business day since
the company was organized. There was
nothing unusual in the transfers. Holders
OF Great Northern and Northern Pacific
stock would come in and ask to sell it
to the company n would receive in pay
therefor the stock Of the Northern se-
He.was next asked the amount Of hold
n in the Northern Securities company
o. = The eight or ten ten gentlemen especially
sociates, to which he replied that he
thought that 1t was less than one-third OF
the stock Of the Northern Securities COM
pany.
g. 3. Harris.
Geo. B. Harris, president of the Bur-
lington system, testified that he had been
with that System in some form for thirty
of track, and TO the question whether the
acquisition of the Burlington by the Great
Northern and Northern Pacific would re-
and foreign countries, he replied:
On the contrary, ! think 1t will pro-
mote business very, greatly and develop
which are nowstdle. The practical exten.
sion,of the Burlington road to the Pacific
opportunity to merchants and manufac-
turers to extend their markets. He cited
the fact4that he had 2.400 miles of track
except those which nave been planted BY
the settlers. No lumber Is cut In Nebras-
ka and sold on the market. Lumber is
country. Il people could not obtain lums
Der at a reasonable rate they could not
live there. and 1t is distinctly an advan-
manufacturers on the:Pacidc coast and to
the transportation lines that distribute 1t.
The lumber has got to come directly
enormous san quaint aess Of iSnIeriy fr enaS c SG.
szhs;usted. and Il 1.-THE they e could nq not 's gef L
The cattle industry. he said. was anoth-
er great business that was being devel-
soped by this management. The cattle are
loaded on the ranges on the lines OF the
Great Northern n Northern Pacific n
sent down on the Burlington to feed and
fit for the market.
He thought the Burlington rails reached
every large packing point that he could
hnk Of, except Sioux City.
End the territory tributary to it, as at
fording return traffic over the Great
Northern and Northern Pacific, increas-
l 1af The volume and the reduction e
a. Well. it is obvious that a wagon
which can go loaded both ways can af-
one which has to be hauled one way emp
ty, and the lumber business affording a
constant supply4of tonnage eastbound en-
tonnage at the lowest price We can AFFORD
to in order to promote that business. We
accomplish various things BY doing that;
Iowa, where We have g great many lines
we give them cheap lumber. which pros
notes trade there, promotes settlement.
They build houses, make improvements,
and 1t is an added fnducement to people
to settle there where we need settlement.
and, indirectly, 1t helps us In other ways.
Those people have got to wear shoes and
clothing n have tea and Gomez.
The next matter taken up. was the
transportation. OF coal and iron ores.
Speaking OF this Mr.. Harris said: We
reach g great many mines from the
lStreator district on the north to the dis
trtct Of which Centralia Is the southern
most point in the south, but q great many
and some very large zones. and a few years
ago-a very short time g in fact-the
ccai supply on the Burlington lines in II
en- extent that the coal operators were
beginning to be a little FESTIVE about it.
They thought We. ought to be able to
hustle aroun and provide a market in
II was something dificuits to do that in
dependently. The soft coal does not
stand q great many transfers; 1t Is friable,
deteriorates rapidly n must be taken
from the mines to as near the point of