The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-02-14
Minnesota Begins to Realize
Her Loss in Allowing Spoil
alton of Timber Lands in
Past Years.
INTEREST BEING SHOWN
TOWARD LUMBER TARIFF
Mills Now Are Idle and Towns
Without Enterprises As Re-
suit of the Ruthless DeVas-
tation.

Minneapolis. Feb. IA keen In
4erest, is taken by Minnesota people
in the discussion of the lumber tariff
which is now attracting SO much at
tention throughout the country. Not
long ago Minnesota was one or the
leading lumber producing states o.
the country, but it has now fallen &c
the 9th place on the list, though 1t Is
still first in the production OF white
pine. Only nine years ago Minnea
polis, was the greatest lumber manu-
featuring city in the world, but today
there are a dozen places that surpass
it in that respect. and its total annua
cut has fallen from 600, 100000 feet tc
less than 100000 600. There are many
smaller cities in Minnesota which
we're once fragrant of pine and vi
brant with the roar of saws that &c
not now turn a wheel to make board
Minnesota is merely repeating the his
tory of Michigan and Wisconsin, IN
each of which, with the passing OF the
white pine forests, the glory OF lum
Der manufacturing has departed, even
though hundreds Of mills continue tc
nibble away at remnants, second
growth and species of timber not com
monty used ten or fifteen years ago
A Dying Industry.
In his annual report for 1907 J. E
Rhodes, secretary of the Northern
Pine Manufacturers Association, made
this striking statement:
"Since 1895, 24S firms, representing
an aggregate annual output OF pine
lumber of four and one half billion
feet have retired from business, due
to exhaustion Of their timber sup
ply. Plants representing approx
mately 5OO,000.o00 feet capacity
which sawed in 1906, will not be
operated In 1907"
The whole great business of turn
ing white pine trees into lumber
reached it's climax in 1890 and has
ever since been dwindling, until to
day the output Of white pine for the
entire country is not half what Il
once was. At one time there were
hundred saw mills on the Mississ
ippi river between Minneapolis ant
st. Louis, and the great river wa:
alive with the RATS of logs that float
ed down in perpetual procession tt
feed the humming saws that neve
stopped Today there are not more
than two or three mills in that whole
distance, and they will soon close for
ever. Once there were 100 steam
boats employed in towing logs; toda.
there are only five or six.
A large part of the region in which
the great white pine forests stoo'
was adapted to agricultureA and henc
the destruction of the majestic fol-
ests that occupied them since tim
1mmemorial was invitablo and prac
tically praiseworthy. But much of thu
land has been denuded Of its forest
in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesot
Is better adapted to raising trees thai
any other crop. The consequence !
that today there are vast tracts il
these states of .'cutover., and burned
over lands that are veritabl
abomination of desolation.
High Price Of Lumber and the Tariff
The destruction of the forests an
the ruin that has followed togethe
with the high price of lumber tina
has naturally resulted has awakene
intense interest in these states in fol
est conservation and in the repeal Q