Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1907-02-01
THE coUNrRVs TIMBER KING.
A Little Known Westerner Who Con-
trolls $4,000 Square Miles Of Forest Land,
Worth Untold Millions.

- 1'NeN- ENHSNH NNNoANlNCl WIN SpHN
trolls $4,000 Square Miles Of Forest Land,
Worth Untold Millions.
Frederick Weyerhaeuser! The name
conveys no meaning to the average read
er. Even in his home town few know
him. He never attends public meetings.
He shuns society. His home Is quiet and
not out Of the ordinary Yet Weyerhauser,
timber king and recuse is lord Of mil
lions Of far-hung timber lands, with a
| fortune that overshadows that Of John d.
Rockefeller, popularity believed to be the
richest man I'm the United States IL not
in the whole world As silently and as
patiently as one Of the giant trees on his
| land grew to its majestic maturity Wey-
crhaeuser has grown. He is master of
vast reaches Of wonderful forests ex-
tending from the cluttered drives of Wis
consin lakes and rivers to the Pacific
coast. He has behind him so years Of I'M
RENTING toll along lines Of telling organi-
cation. Patient shrewd and far-seeing,
| he has given his life 10 bringing under
| meath his dominion the great forest
tracts Of the Northwest
There is nothing in this country grow
ing in value by leaps and bounds like
timber properties. The pinch is coming.
| The prodigal waste Of years is creating
a pauper city Of desirable timber tracts.
The famine isn't much yet; but in time,
possibly within the next score Of years.
| according to well informed lumbermen,
the real supply will be greatly diminished
and prices will soar even more than they
| have in the last 10 years Weyerhaeuser
! Is beginning to reap the fruits Of his
! foresight. If he lives 20 years longer and
| retains what he has today he will be
wealthy beyond all computation. 1t is
| hardly necessary to be specific as to the
! increase In the value Of timber lands
| but just couple Of cases may be cited as
! instances, and for these cases John G.
Q
| view, and one Of the best informed lum-
| Der experts in the country, is authority.
| According to Mr.. Stats one piece Of
| yellow pine land. held 10 years ago at a
! price Of S75 900, is today unobtainable at
/ $3.50. 600 Another tract in West Virginia
covered with spruce and hemlock and
| bought five years ago for S12 900, has re-
! Gently been sold for $500, 900 The cases
might be continued indefinitely, but these
two are cited simply to show the way the
timber tracts have increased in value.
| They are In no way remarkable Hun
dreds Of others just as impressive could
be given.
The question naturally arises as to
] how much timber land Weyerhaeuser
owns. He wont tell. and even his closest
| lieutenants admit that they can only
! speculate. There are 50. 900 square miles
of timber land in the state of Washington
alone-32 000. 600 acres. Pretty much
/ everything outside Of the government
forest reserve is tributary to Weyer-
I haeuscr. He may not own it, his name
may not appear as record anywhere but
1 IL Is under his domination. Such Is true
OF Oregon's great forest lands also In
the territory around Wisconsin. Mime
sofa and the Mississippi river district he
has reigned for years undsputed. II is
! estimated by those who have studied
Weyerhaeuser's widespread business in
terests that fully 80. 900 900 acres of tim
I Der land are under his coutrol-5O 600
square miles. an area six times as large
as the state Of New Jersey As to value.
again one must speculate. II may be
! cited that recently the Weyerhaeuser in e
terests sold one square mile In Thurston
county. Washington. for SIC 900. an av-
erage OF nearly 1920 an acre. OF course.
that was cream. 1t would be safe to say.
however, that the land is worth close to
81 900, 600 000-and II is increasing in value
at greater rate than any other public
utility
How did Weyerhaeuser acquire all this
land? The whole life Of the man must
be considered for the answer. a passion
for lumber land has been his all his life
| Perhaps II Is well to take his history steI
by step.
e Weyerhaeuser is of German birth
Born at Neidersaulhim in southern Ger.
/ many in 1924. he titled the vineyard OF
% the farm until IS years of age. In 1856.
Y | he decided to emigrate to America II,
T ! and they went first TO Erie Pa Fou
) years later he left Erie and went to Rocl
n Island. Ill He secured work in a saw
mill. and within six months was manage
Of the plant He became acquainted will
+. g. y. DenCkman, n compatriot. Will
they We're counting sisters. Both wer
thrifty, honest and obliging. When tn
saw mill owners wanted to sell the
- agreed to take the notes Of the younl
Germans, who thus formed partnership
H..HN
r. north 10 investigate the lumber lands o
I Wisconsin. He saw all around him III
lavish waste Of timber. and II struck I
n his saving soul. In 1864 the firm had laf
h aside enough money to make its initia
:, investment Chippewa land was bough
/. for almost a song They acquired NOR
It land and soon additional sawmils wer
j. started and the partners were on tn
Z high road to prosperity. 1t was in 1S7
l. that Weyerhaeuser began to branch OF
lie and started in to increase the indefnit,
,e all-powerful organization which has be
come known as the "Weyerhaeuser syr
"a, dictate" Weyerhaeuser was elected pres
- ident of the Mississippi river boom an
30 logging company This has always re
h manned the central or governing body
re- his known transactions, and its ramifcs
- tons reach every lumber camp in II
~ Northwest. Just about this time he pa
- $4,000, 900 for the great lumber plant
- the c. n. Nelson company at Coldue
IA with COO, 900 600 feet of standing timber
- Step by step the business grew. Weye
haeuser formed new partnerships. +
Is | stretched out further and the annual q,
ne ran over 1000 900. 900 feet. AS his bus
n ness grew his secretiveness grew. +
n had many partners but none TO whom
all told all his business. Today everythil
er in the Mississippi river lumber distric
as is owned by him,-[Charles P. Norcro
ry in the Cosmopolitan.