The Minneapolis journal., 1904-12-23
WORK In WOODS
At ITS HEIGHT
MICHIGAN HAS AN
ABUNDANCE OF SNOW.
Homesteaders Have Steady Income
from the Sale Of Ties and Poles
Men for the Camps and Mills Are
Plentiful and Wages Have Dropped
from 81 to So Month.
Special to The Journal.

Special to The Journal.
Calumet, Mich, Dec 23:-Woods operations IN
the northern camps at their height. Ever
siace the first fall of snow the conditions have
been favorable for rapid work. When the sea-
opened there was dearth of labor, but men
have become plentiful and consequently wages
have dropped At the opening Of the season the
pay was from $2e to s35 month, but it now
runs between $z2 and $50.
The Big Bay Lumber company OF Big Bay
has three camps started and is employing 13o
men, The mill is modern and has a capacity OF
40, 900 feet of lumber day. The 1908 cut will
be 1O,Ooo,O0o feet The company owns $4,000
acres and is buying steadily and has sufficient
timber for fifteen twenty years.
Estimates Of lumbermen operating In the
Georgian bay district are that the seasons cut
will not exceed two-thirds of that Of last year,
The season to date has been milder than ever
before known in that region.
The Holt Lumber company of Oconto Wis.
| which is logging near Riddle Junction, Is work
ing about 40 men. This company is loading its
logs on cars at Riddle Junction, and Is logging
everything from fencepost to saWlog. Ad-
Joining its camps. the Worcester Lumber COM
pany Of Chassell has camp and fifty men at
work. Henry Mercer has subcontract to take
out all the cedar for this firm. Down the MIN
eral Range railroad about i've miles, taut fran- an
| els is cutting for the Calumet Hecla Mining
! company of Calumet.
| Fred Talbot is cutting cedar at Rub1con
which will be shipped to the shinglemin at $40.
| nay E. J. Humphrey Of Even has contract
| to get out 5000, 900 feet of pine in Ontonagon
county for the Brewer-Knapp company OF ASH
| land Wis. Lumber operators pred1ct that
lare amount of cedar will be taken out, but that
| the output of spruce will be small
! Much activity is manifested on the north shore
of Lake Superior by homesteaders who are busiAy
| engaged in cutting ties, posts and poles, which
| find q ready market. Many are banking ceoat
ties. posts and poles for shipment early next sea.
son, and hnd it profitable work. The railway
companies in the northern country are paying
q cents for ties, and dealers pay ~ Genus.
Other products resulting from the clearing OF tne
land bring prices good In proportion. AS
rule there is little for the settler to 90 IN
winter except to clear land. With a READY
market for ties, posts and poles. the home.
steaders are making a fair income, Whicn WI
help to carry them thru the winter IN sooo
shape The land must be cleared and the manu-
featuring of salable material keeps the mel
busy. ~,
| The Murphy Lumber company OF Green Bay
Wis. has already opened three logging camps
giving employment to 800 The three
camns will cut a total Of 20, 900 900 feet Tht
Arst logs cut at Armstrong Creek this season have
already arrived at the mill by rail. Eusen'
Houte. the Menominee range logger, will Gu
4. 600 900 feet for the N. Ludington company OF
, the Menomnee river. near the old iandln8 o
: Holmes & Sons He will cut 3,O00O 600 Tee
for the Marinette Lumber company within rev
miles of that point, beside 1,000,OO feet
8 Nathan for various companies.
,, August Lehman, formerly with the francl
Beidler company at Menominee has accepted tn
e supervision Of the logging camp and cedar IN
0 terests of the Wisconsin Land & Lumber com
pany of Northland.