The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-06-14
A BIG POLK
County INDUSTRY
PLANT OF EvERGLADE CYPRESS
LUMBER CO., ONE OF THE
MOST IMPORTANT IN STATE.
Highlands Hummer

LOughman that everyone is proud of
the greatest pride is taken in the
mammoth plant of the Everglade
Cypress Lumber Co., a portion Of
which can be seen in the view OF
Heart lake herewith given. As il
would be almost impossible for us to
give complete views Of the various
buildings, with description of the
work done therein, in one issue OF
this paper, We will confine our write
up to a general description. and fol-
low later on with more views and
more detailed account.
Though We have been resident
OF the town and country for more
than year We have been too busy
70 pay the mill visit as a sight
seer, and since deciding 10 become
a newspaper man here, We have been
pretty busy and could not make the
visit, but through the kindness OF j.
Wade Tucker, the genial gentleman
who is the general manager of the
plant, who furnished us with the
available data Obtainable on short
notice, we are enabled to give the
following:
The plant was installed in the
spring of 1906, by Capt David
Burns, who planned the various con-
ycniences, and introduced several in
Cvations in the construction and az
rangemcntS of the various depart
ments of the mill, as well as in han
ding the logs before they were fin
ally landed in the mill ready FOR
cutting into lumber. His arrange
rlt MT for carrying the lumber from
the mill to that particular part OF
the yards in which each different
kind is to be stored, is IA model of
l@pidi,y and convenience.
The company was organized with
the following officers. j. Mason
Jackson, president and manager; T..
J. COPY, vice president; W. VrOO-
man vice president; Samuel y. Stiles,
secretary; W. T.. Davis, treasurer,
and David Burns, superintendent OF
Mills.
The mills started out with a ca
pGcity of 100 900 feet of lumber per
day in the saw mills. In the shin
gle mill 100000 shingles and 4O.-
600 Hath per day, and in the six
years the mills have been in opera
ion It has not been found necessary
to increase this capacity.
We would state also that this i
the second largest cypress lumber
plant in the state, and has the rec
ord of running stcadicr than ans
other mill i'm the state. though a
great portion of the time it has been
necessary to run twelve hours per
day. Their regular working day be-
ing of ten hours. with good wage
paid the employees. The lowest wage
paid being $3.50 per day.
When the plant was first put IN
cpcration the average number of en-
ployes was about 80. while at tn,
| present the average is about 500
| This would make the number of PEG
pie depending upon the mills for !;
| Livelihood. at least coo. though IN,
number would no doubt be Il great
many more than this.
The company has 10000 acres o'
Z, press land. and estimate tn,
amount oi timber available Tor us,
at al least $4,000 900 feet. SO Their,
il no Immediate danger of the mill.
/ leaving TINS place.
At the time of beginning opera
, tions the company had two locomo
tivcs with the necessary ears. an,
fifteen miles of railroad, which ha
been increased to three locomotive
and more ears. and thirty-two mile
Of railroad. which owing to the fac
that very heavy loads are hauled
makes II necessary to keep in a
good a condition as any Of the rail
ways used for freight and passen
ger traffic. In fact. in order TO max
il possible for all the men who wor
in the swamps to spend their night
in town. a passenger train is run b
the company to take them TO an
from their work
} For use in the yards they hav
about ten miles of switches now i
. usc. and any of the freight cars I
he loaded for transportation of thei
products can h. run to any part 4
the yards
The mills and yards cover a spat
al ahout - acres. and at the pre-:
cnt time there is about l1.op0. 90
feet ef finished and rough lumber i
stock.