Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-06-04
Large Payr0fls Are Result Of
Increased Activity In
Lumbering
dallas observer)

Falls City is enjoying an unusual de-
gree of prosperity, due largely to the
lumber industry eentered there, given a
new impetus through the increased de-
mand for materials of this character by
the government in its ship building OPP
erations on the coast. A number of new
saw mills have sprung up in this terri
tory within the past few months until
today there are eleven mills in and with.
in few miles of Falls City, employing
approximately 265 workmen, while an
additional number of about $50 are EN-.
ployed in logging operations to supply
the saws. The combined payroll of these
several industrial concerns is in the
close neighborhood of $4,000 per
month, and this considerable sum finds
its way into the various channels OF
commerce in that community, bringing
with it a prosperity that is enjoyed by
comparatively few rural towns under
existing conditions.
/ Falls City, third in point of population
among the municipalities Of Polk coun.
ty, claims the largest single industrial
enterprise within this bailiwick, and il
is with pride that its citizens direct the
attention of the visitor to the exten-
sive plant of the Falls City Lumber
and Logging company, whose operations
date back to January of last year, when
the reorganization of the former com
pany took place. Several months were
spent in rebuilding and adding equip
ment to the old saw MILL extending and
improving yards, storage and transpor-
tation facilities before q wheel was
turned toward the manufacture of lum.
Der, the purpose being to completely
modernize everything pertaining to the
plant and thus give increased produc-
tion at minimum cost. Since operations
began the saw mill has been running
full capacity.
Comparatively few people outside OF
Falls City are informed regarding the
wide scope of business carried ON by
this mill company, nor do they realize
how great an amount of lumber for gov
ernment ship-building, aircraft and
other government use is being manu-
factured here, car after ear going for.
ward to destination daily. And, it may
be said incidentally, that the materials
from this mill are among the best OBJ
tainable on the coast, and hence the
increasing demand for its stock, l00,-
900 feet of which is the daily output
with an eight-hour shift of 100 men,
In addition to this payroll, the Falls
City Lumber & Logging company has
about 100 men engaged in logging eight
miles southwest from its plant.
The company owns and operates the
railroad and the logging trains used in
hauling the logs to the mill. At this
| time this department is active in deck
ing logs for use during the winter
months, when logging operations will be
blocked by snow. Of the three piles con
templated, one is now 375 feet in length
and rs feet high, and scales nearly 81,
000,00 feet. The Siletz Lumber & Log
ging company, an allied enterprise, il
now delivering logs to the Falls City
mill from its timber in the Siletz basin
where it owns one Of the largest and
finest timber tracts in the state. The
monthly payroll reaches close to 25,O0C
the wage scale averaging higher than
that of any similar enterprise in this
| locality.
j. Wesley Smith, formerly superin
tendent of the Lebam Mill & Timber
company's plant at Lebam, Washing