The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-03

BIG DEALS BREWING.
Northern Country Pine Transactions
Bid Fair to Be Very Heavy
Shortly.
Cut Will Be Greater Than Usual and
Mills Will Break Their
Records.
Special to The Journal.

Duluth, Mimi, Feb. S.-Negotiations for
the sale OF lumber to be cut the coming
season are on in force. and large sales
are likely to be closed. The Soper Luln-
Der company is figuring for 40.000,000 to
100000 feet of north shore stock and
this may be settled UP any day. Another
block Of a number Of million feet is under
negotiation. The Leisure Lumber COM
pany has sold 100000 feet Of 1 and 3
common and No. boards, stock on dock.
and Peyton, KimbalI & Barber have sold
100000 feet of dry stock. w. H. Gilbert
is selling all his north shore stock, $780,
600 feet, to be cut the coming season.
Half the capacity Of the Nesbitt- Gilbert
mill. formerly the Murray Jones, has been
taken by the John OBrien Lumber COM
pany, which will have 20,000,00O feet sawn
there the coming season. This firm has
been saving heavily at Ashland. but Is
moving the chief scene OF operations to
this city. Its logs come from the north
shore and are about as readily taken to
Duluth as to Ashland. It is probable that
it's operations here the coming season will
be much more than the present contract
indicates.
Another Lumber Company.
The John McAlpine Lumber company,
capital 100000, has been formed by Mr.
McAlpine, John Mtllen and J. w. Bailey,
to operate the McAlpine timber bought re-
Gently by the Millen interests It is be-
,
in operation. The company's office is adj
joining that of Alger, Smith & Co., where
Mr.. Millen is in supreme charge. This
McAlpine timber is to be sawn at the ST.
Louis mill in this city, and contracts have
been let for the work
Logs are coming to winter mills less
rapidly than is comfortable and some Of
the mills have been compelled to shut
down for brief periods. f
There is some smallpox In the woods
west Of Duluth, several cases being re-
ported from camps Of the upper MISSISSIPPI
pl country, and one or two from camps
down the north shore. But there is far
less Of the disease than last year, and
still less than two Years ago, and little
or no apprehension felt by any. Loggers
are taking all necessary precautions, how
ever, and it is due to these perhaps that
the disease is not more noticeable than it
is.
The Duluth, Virginia & Rainy Lake road
has received sixty new logging cars from
; the shops and is pushing it's delivery Of
logs for mills at Virginia and in iowa
Steel is being laid ON the main line and 400
men are employed.
Banner Winter.
1t has been reported that logging was
behind, but it is hard to find any specific
instances. Hauling commenced earlier
than usual and has progressed very fast,
fast in fact that combined with the
hard skidding the hauling teams are close
to the sllidders all over the district. The
deep snow has made costs of skidding
heavy and has. possibly, delayed it some,
but logs are going in very fast and the
aggregate Of the crop is probably pretty
we'll up to the average.
1t looks as though the present was to
be the banner winter for this district in
the amount Of timber to be cut and that
head-of -the-lake mills the coming year
would break their record.
Furnace Company Enarging.
The Zenith Furnace company Of this
city will increase it's capital stock from
100000 to S750,000 and will erect capacity
for 500 tons of pig iron daily, as well as
for making all the coke necessary to sup
ply present and future furnaces. 1t has a
single stack making 225 tons Of Bessemel
pig daily and will enlarge this and build
another. It's coke ovens will probably
number twenty and will make 700 tons
of coke each day. To do this ESQ, 900 tons
of coal will be consumed.
The company is the beginning Of g
big thing in iron and steel. Its STOCKHOLM
crs are largely men connected with the
United Safes Steel corporation in influen.
tial positions, and the general public sup.
position is that the steel corporation look:
on its work with full knowledge and with
favor.