The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1909-01-30
GLORY Of
LUMBER
INTERESTS
WANING


NpVVlll Correspondence
Minneapolis, JAN S0.--A Keen IN.
tefest i taken by Minnesota people
inshe discussion Of the lumber tarir
which Ii now attracting so much at
tentlon throughout iae country Not
long ago Minnesota was one OF the
leading lumber producing states OF
the country, but Il has now fallen 70
the Hth place on the list. though Il Is
still iirst IN the production oi white
pine Only alne years ago Mlnneap-
oils was the greatest lumber manu-
featuring city IN the world bur To-Day
there IRE a dozen places laal surpass
L imthat reapoei, ana It's total annual
cut has fallen from 100000 feet to
less ilan 100000 There are many
mailer cities 10 Minnesota which
were once fragrant OF pine aud vi.
tfanl With lhe roar ~ SAWS that DO
not now turn q wheel l0 make q
board Minnesota Is me-ely repeat
Ing the history Of Michigan and Wis
cousin ID each or waleh. with the
passing OF the white pine forests. tle
{lory OF lumber manufacturing has
iepartei. even though hundreds oi
mills continue 10 nihhla away Gt REM.
nants. second.growth ANA species OF
timber not COMMONLY used ten Of hi,
ieen years ago
A Dying lnduasry
IN his annual report To- 1907 J n
Rhodes, secretary OF The Northern
Pine Manufacturers Association. made
ihis striking statement
since 1895, 24s Arms. representing
ln aggregate annual output OF pine
lumber of four and one.haN billion
'eet aaye retleed from business. due
q exhaustion Of their timber supply
Giants representing approximately
'O00OO.0e0 feet capacity, watch sawed
l9uG, VIII not be operated ia 1907 ="
The whole great business Il turr-
ng white pine trees into lumber
reached rs climax IN 1880 und has
.ver since been giwlndllnR, until today
he output OF white pine for the en-.
tire country Is not half what It once
vas. Al one time ihe.e ware a nun
lred saw mills on the Mississippi rlv.
ar between Minneapolis and ST. Louis,
and the great river was alive with the
RATS Of legs that iioated down In a
perpetual procession TO feed the hum.
ming SAWS that never stopped To-
lay there are not more than two or
three mills IN that whole distance
lpl they viii soon close forever. Once
aere were 1870 steam boats Employed
IN tcalna logs today there are only
I've or SIX.
a J. RE part Of the region IN Ralch
be great white pine forests stool
vas weIi ae'rle1 TO agriculture, and
hence the destruction Of the majestic
oreets that occupied them since time
mmemoFlal was inevitable aNd pTac
tlcally pralaeworlhg But much Of the
land That mas been denuaed 0f IT'S
oresls IN Michigan, Wisconsin and
Minnesota Is better adapted 20 raising
trees than any ataer crop The con.
sequence s that today there are vast
racts Ia those states Of "cutoYer
md hufnedover lands that are @ ye-
table ah0mlnaiian 0l leaoatlon
lioh Price ~ Lumber and the Tnflh,
Thp obstruction of the forests and
be- taH HAT mas followed, together
giih the aleh price cf lumber that
aas naturally resulted has awakened
ntenhe interest IN these states IN for
n conservation and In The repeal of
he humber tAriG which is generally
egarded as intimately associated
/ with conservation in fact, many of
Aose deeply Interested In forest con.
lervatluu regard the tariff o. 81 20
S.50 per Thousand as q virtual re-.
vsri To- the more rapat destruction
i lhe remaining forests Tie better
graias of finished lumber are entirely
ept cut o. the import trade hY the
arlf, ord th9 v0luniesOf l1fer grades
imported q greatly resleieied hy the
~ tariff SO with the demand FOR
lumber growing 10 per cent per an.
| nm netwiihstandlng the Introduction
y cement aud other substitutes, the
endeuey Is 10 apply the axe nj saw
without meru 10 the timber that stlll
stands.
Few persons. even regular buyers
II lumber. fully realize how greatly
lumber has Increased In price IN re.