Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-08-31
SAW MILLS COIN c
GREAT INDUSTRY SOON WILL BE
THING OF THE PAST IN STATE
OF IOWA.
Formerly Four Mills At Muscatine
Gave Employment to 1000 Men All
Summer = Southern yellow Pine
Takes Place of Northern White.

Five more years will see the last
Of the saLwmills in Iowa" in the opin
ion of A. F. Lawrence of Muscatine
who for many years has been con.
nected with the old Hershey Lumber
company at that place. In recent
interview ne said:
Five more years will see the last
of the sawmills in Iowa, AS each sue
ceeding fall comes around several
more of the mills along the Mississippi
which have been cutting for the past
twenty-five years permanently lay off
their forces, the mills are dismantled
and when the lumber in the yards is
sold out the old mill sites and yards
are occupied with residences. When
the season opens in the spring it is
rare sight now to- see the big RATS
of logs go down the river, while ten
or fifteen years ago people would not
walk block to see the floating for
est pass.
"a few years ago four large mills
were operating in Muscatine, but at
present only one is running, with a
small force. Even this one is expected
to shut down after the present sea
son and the buzz of the saws and the
high lumber piles will be a thing OF
the past Most of the mills along the
river are waiting till their present sup
ply of logs is cut up and then they too
will close their gates.
Forests Are Exhausted.
"The big forests of white pine VI
north which fed the mills along the
river ylyifh ,to *
and until the new growth is ready tc
use there will be nothing doing fol
the mills. Besides, white pine has
become so expensive with its search
ty during the past few years thai
there is no longer the demand for IL
there was some time ago. The vel
low pine forests down south are now
supplying the lumber and on account
of the difference in price there is nc
use trying to compete with it. Yellow
pine answers most of the purposes
of the velvety white pine, although il
Is by no means as durable.
cat Muscatine the four mills EN-
ployed 1000 laborers each season. The
season opened the first of April and
lasted until the middle of October
During the winter months the men
would find jobs and report for their
places again in the spring. Now most
of the men are employed in the but
ton factories which abound in Musca
tine and work there the year through
don't know what will become of the
old lumbermen in the other river
towns, as for the most part they have
been in the mills or the yards ever
since they were boys and know no
other trade. Fortunately for us, the
button industry sprung up with the
decline of the lumber business and
thus we are able to take care of our
men.
Thrifty Germans Out of Work.
with the dying out of the lum be1
business in Iowa one of the most in
teresting types of laborers is being
lost. The lumber and sawmill mer
were for the most part low Germans
Industrious and ambitious. They lived
together in sort of colony and OBJ
served the traditions of their ole
country. Most of them had large fam
lilies, and as the maximum of wages
was SO week their sons were put
in the yard as soon as they were able
to work. l have known men who
worked for one company for twenty
years, in the same part of the yard
doing the same work and receiving the
same pay all of the time. 1t has fre
quently occurred that man who was
offered promotion refused just be
cause he was satisfied where he was
They worked from 6 o'clock in the
morning until o'clock in the even
ing, year in and year out. Their life
was simple and the majority laid aside
:. enough money during the summer t.
keep them in the winter.
at is true that few companies are
buying their lumber up north alread!