Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1903-03-04
in THE LUMBER CAMPS
LIFE IN NORTHERN MINNESOTA
Description of the Country, Customs and
Habits of Northern Minnesota by
DR.. s. s. Whitbeck.

interested in the country of lumber
camps induces me to write somewhat
of my observations there during the
last few months The first thought
was of lumber famine in the near
future. Many camps are Seach taking
out thousands of feet daily within 60
to so miles of the Canadian line and
some much closer. The Great North
ern runs direct from Duluth to Crook
ston and from this many spurs are run
out both north and south. The North
ern Pacific isSbuilding from Brainard
north to Koochiching on Rainy Lake,
having completed the road to Bull
head Junction, 30 miles north of
Bemidji, where it crosses the Great
Northern. Several other roads are
also building farther Fnorth from the
Great Northern, .'and Fall of them are
now very busy taking out logs to the
headquarters of the various lumber
companies. Their passenger service
is also taxed to its limit, taking in
and out the wande ing lumber jacks,
wandering perhaps because of flies.
Most of the lumber is bought on the
stump by the large lumber companies,
the logging being let out to the low
est bidder who in many instances
bids too low and when he ceases to
pay expenses, all of which is paid by
the company each week, he is closed
out, and the contract taken up and
finishedfbysthe7 company Itself. There
is very little logging done in small
way, but where it is done the logs are
picked up by some of the large lum-
Der companies working in the vicin-
ity. They having the first right to
all the empty cars that can be gotten
in and even then there is constant
demand for more. A friend recently
tried to engage car to ship out some
lumber he. had gotten out from local
mill and was informed that he could
not be accommodated until very late
IN the spring. The lumber industry
is practically in the hands of men of
wealth and necessarily so. For
example, note the expense of carrying
on one; the White camp, spur %
N. p, employs 200 men, average
wages 1872 per month and board so
teams mostly belonging to Dakota
farmers, $28 per month and feed, oats
60 cents per bushel, hay $12 per ton.
The total monthly expense of the
camp is over $4,000 paid out as
needed by the Crookston Lumber Com
pany at its branch Office at Bemidji,
or at the bank of BLACK Duck. This
is one of several camps logging for
the Orookston Lumber Company. Thus
you will see that considerable sum
of money must be advanced for several
months before any return can be
looked for. The above figures don't
include shipping of logs and getting
same into saleable lumber either. OF
course these large firms have many ad-
vantagos over the few small ones, be-
sides the preference in shipping and
better rates. The railroads of North
ern Minnesota are VIGOROUSLY partial
in rates, owing, | presume, to the
fact that the same capitalists are in
terested together in the roads and
lumber business.
A few weeks ago neighbor of mine
hired car for shipping a saw mill
20 ~
a distance of about 300 miles or less,
and had to pay 1927 and is now unable
to get car to ship lumber out. 1t is
certainly safe to say that no lumber
company pays such rate by half.
The freight traffic is excellent, yet
rates are exorbitantly high and so are
passenger rates wherever they can put
it on. For instance, the N. p
charges four cents a mile from Brain
ard north although the commerce
commission has ordered them to
charge but three cents. Those who
live up in the woods are perfectly
astonished when they hear the price
lumber sells for down here. They
say that the companies pay but little
if any more for the stumps than they
used to when lumber was a half
cheaper and the loggers are getting if
anything smaller profits than before.
The fact is the lumber industry like
many others is rapidly getting into
the hands of men who count their
money by the millions, and their
profit most certainly is exorbitant.
The loggers with few exceptions
share but very little in the immense
profits. They not only have much
trouble in getting skilled workmen
but more trouble in keeping them.
Most CT the lumber jacks even down
TO the special workmen and cooks are
wanderers and stay just long enough |
in one place to get little money for |
the next spice or to keep them a |
couple of weeks without work Thus
the demand for houses of i'll fame and |