Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1910-07-01
IS THIRD IN PAPER
WISCONSIN RIVER VALLEY IN
DUSTRY HAS SHOWN A RE-
MARkABLE GROWTH.
WATER POWER is UTILIZED.
Pulp Mills Use Nearly Half Million
Cords of Spruce and HemIock
Wood Each Year In the Manufac-
ture of Paper.

Stevens Point.-It may be interest
ing to know that Wisconsin stands
third as to the amount of print paper
manufactured in its mills at the pres
ant time, with New York first and
Pennsylvania a close second.
The paper industry on the Wiscon-
ziD river commenced i'll the early $685.
when few email pulp mills were
built. By the year 1890, Wisconsin saw
tbs wood-pulp process enormously de-
vsgOped. The greatly increased use
created an enormous demand for the
product, which the FOX River mills
could no longer supply. This led to
the growth Of the industry in the up
per Wisconsin valley, where both wood
and water power were accessible.
One of the pioneer paper manufac-
kuHers Of the Wisconsin river valley is
Col. George A. Whiting, who was also
the first to attempt the manufacture
Of book paper in Wisconsin. From 1876
TO 1882 Col. Whiting was In charge Of
Gbs Winnebago mill at Neenah, leaving
It to turn his attention to the Wtscon-
Gin river plants.
The first mill on this river was built
In 1886 below Centralia, by Col.
Whiting and Frank Steele It Is still
In operation. Three years later
Waiting secured rights at Conant's
s8pids below Stevens Point erected
dams and built two great mills. Others
are to be found at Grand Rapids, Ne
kooSa, Port Edwards, Wausau. Rhine
lander, Merrill and Tomahawk. All
are huge producers using either ground
8r sulphite wood pulp. The mill at
Rhinelander Is entirely a Wisconsin
product, the machinery being furnished
By the Beloit Iron works. The mills
Of the Consolidated company at Grand
Rapids are operated entirely by cleo
aPscity.
The use Of the water power on the
Wisconsin before the paper industry
was started, was very limited, princi-
pally for numbering purposes: perhaps
Z per cent of the total power was used
between Rhtnelander and Nekoosa.
The fowage of water In the river is
much more uniform now than 1t was in
1890, because Of the more intelligent
handling Of the source Of supply by the
reservoir system.
The water power owners on the Wis
eonsin found they needed a Steadier
low of water, and purchased the Sher-
~ interests near Eagle river and the
Minocqua dam property, afterward
merging them with the Bradley power
at Tcnahawk into tnS Wisconsin Val
ley Improvement company. The work
this company has done has enhanced
the value Of the shore lands all along
the lakes and river, because 1t has put
a stop to damage formerly done by
spring freshets. They draw the water
from the lakes during the winter
months and store it in the spring,
when the snow melts.
The Wisconsin pulp mills use annu-
ally approximately $4,000 cords Of
wood of which 30 per cent Is hemlock,
and the rest spruce. Of this the for
mer is almost wholly cut within the
state. while the spruce comes from
Minnesota and Canada. The amount
Of hemlock is limited, and within few
years there will be q shortage for the
paper mills. Their best chance is to
develop the use of other species, such
as jack pine, tamarack, balsam and
birch -.-r..'