Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-01-08
Names Rank in Lumber.

| gather detailed statistics of the lum-
Der cut in this country, and the results
| OF its investigation are published in a
little pamphlet of "a pages of which the
| Journal has just received a copy from
| Washington. The official tabulation
| shows that II, 666 establishments cut
| 80. J02, 96l 900 feet of lumber in 1905 and
of this 74J. 7o5 900. or rs per cent, was
cut here in the State of Maine. While
therA is doubtless more lumber being
cut in Maine now than ever before, the
relative position of the State in the
lumber industry has travelled rapidly
| down the scale in the last half century.
In 1850 Maine ranked third among the
| states with only New York and Penn
| sylvania ahead of it; in 1860 it was
| fourth; in 1870 it was sixth; in 1880 it
was seventh, and now, according to
these latest figures it's rank is IL. The
states ahead of it rank in the following
| order: Washington, Wisconsin, Louisi-
ana, Minnesota, Michigan, Arkansas.
| Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Oregon.
| North Carolina California, Texas,
Alabama, and New York. The dis
lance which separates Maine from the
state now at the head of the list in the
lumber business is indicated by the
| fact that in 1905 Washington cut 3.917,-
| 166,O0G feet to Names 745, 705, 600.
Washington cut nearly 10 per cent. of
| all the lumber cut in the country dur
irg the year and was nearly IL billion
| feet ahead of its closest competitors,
| Wisconsin and Louisiana.
| Ranking in order below Maine
though very close to it, are Virginia,
Georgia, West Virginia and Florida.
OF course the smallest of the states
which are now cutting more lumber
than Maine is much larger in area
| than our own State and most of them
have suffered the inroads of the ium-
bermen for a far shorter time than
Maine; and SO, considering these facts,
| it is to be wondered at that Maine
ranks as high in the numbering indus
try as it does now. Twenty years ago
there was practically no numbering in
Washington which now heads the list.
For the generation following the Civil
war, Michigan was the leading lumber
state in the country. but it has now
dropped to fifth place.
In one branch of numbering, accord
ing to the government figures, Maine
leads all states. This is in the cutting
of spruce. In 1905 Maine produced
3.,3, is, 900 feet Of spruce, or S0.7 per
cent. of all that was cut in the country
New York, which ranks second in
spruce, was far behind with 211,07sOOo
and Washington, which ranks first ir
its general cut of lumber, was third
IN spruce with cut Of 179,S64,O0O feet
For many years Maine has led in its
cutting 81 ,267 900 feet. or S.6 per cent
of the total production. 1t is long
distance, however, behind Washington
which ranks first. That state cut M
less than 252.174OOO feet in 1905, or g.:
per cont. of the total cut.
In white pine Mainc's rank is fifth
among the states, with a cut of 2o1.
SIT, 900 feet, or Al per cent. Of the tota
cut. Minnesota with 1.Si7,072 feet ant
Wisconsin with 1.467,O7s feet were fan
ahead Of the other states in white pine
together cutting 6S per cent. Of Tho
total. New Hampshire cut a few thou
sand feet more than Maine. In hem
lock Maine ranked sixth among Tho
states. cutting &c. TO- 900 feet, or 81 per
cent. of the whole. Pennsylvania, WIS
consin. and Michigan in the orde1
named were far ahead of all othc
states in hcmlock, cutting together q
Der cent Of the total cut. In birci
Maine ranked fifth among the states
vita a cut of 20. $4,000 feet, or 81 pc
cent. of the whole cut. In this woot
Wisconsin lead the list by d long mar
gin, cutting 95.191 900 feet, or about a
pcr cent of the whole.
Maine ranked sixth in the production
OF shingles, its o1i mills manufacturing
31o497 thousands during the year. or
per cent. of the total production. IL
this branch of the numbering industr!
Washington has almost a monopoly. a
, its production was 1O509,914 thousands
, or 6S.6 per cent Of the years cut. II
lath production Names rank was ffti
, for the year with production OF 215,
49, thousands. or So per cent, OF tn
whole. Washington. Minnesota. Wis
, consin, and Louisiana. which exceeded
5 Maine in the single business. als'
ranked ahead of it in lath.
Thus, we find that Names rank il
the lumber industry is one to be prou'
l of. Although it's forests were invade
r by the lumbermcn generations am