Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1920-09-03
MUM MBER 20
GOVERNMENT SPRuuG
HOLDINGS SOLD
New Owners Expect to Develop
Property at Once
BIG PAYROLL FOR TOLEDO

Late last Friday afternoon. Lieut
W. X. Patterson, who is in charge of
ahe government holdings in this
county, received phone message
from the headquarters of the Spruce
production Corporation at Portland.
announcing the sale of the big gov.
ernment spruce mill here at Toledo.
the A!sea Southern railroad, and what
is known as the Blodgett tract of
timber, consideration $2,4OO.OOO.
rms is the best news that '.s teen
received here in Toledo since The sign.
Ing OF the armstiCe, and everyone is
wearing one of those smiles that wont
come off. To say that we are all
Tucked TO death, is putting it mild.
I'M d Schrit2mier, Portland timber
dealers, acted for the purchasers who
are said to be eastern CAPITALISTS. and
who's indentity will not be given out
Tor some time. Hill & Schrittzmier
are also heavily interested in the pur.
chase, The sale has been in progress
for several weeks, but deal of this
magnitude cannot be consumated in
an hour, and it was not until last FRI
day that official announcement of the
sale was made.
The tract of timber included in the
purchase IS what is known as the
Blodgett tract and comprises 12,705
acres of land with a total stand. az,
cording to cruise, of 7S6 ,1O2, 900 feet.
II Is located south of Wsldport near
Yachats.
In addition to the land and timber
there Is the mill here built by the gov.
eminent and nearly ready for opera,
ton. This mill. which will have a
capacity for 250,000 feet each eight
hours, was almost completed when
the armistice was signed.
The AlseaSuuthern railroad, also in
cluded in the purchase, connects the
timber tract with Yaquina Bay and
the Southern Pacific railroads. It Is
234 miles in length, with another two
and half miles of spurs and consider.
able grade. The railroad is of stand.
ard construction and thoroughly equip,
ped throughout its length. 1t follows
the coast about half the distance and
passes through Waldport at the mouth
of Alsea bay.
A large body of valuable spruce
timber is included in the tract, as we'll
as other timber, the government cruise
being as follows: spruce, 31S,744,500
feet; fir, 253,765,000 feet; hemlock,
2OO,467, 900 feet; cedar, 15,116,00O feet,
Immediate steps will be taken to-
get the plant here in operation and
begin the development of the property,
said Mr.. Schritzmier, and he placed
January l as the probable date for the
beginning of timber cutting. Mr..
Schritzmier declined to give the names
of eastern capitalists interested with
himself and MIR. Hill in the project,
but said they would be announce6
within short time.
The new mill owners are very much
interested in the jetty work going on
at the mouth Of the. Yaquina, and there
is no doubt but the work now under
way influenced the sale. AS when It
is completed large vessels will be able
to load lumber at this port. A repre-
sentatives of Messrs. Hill & Schritz-
mier came over from Portland Tues,
day evening to attend the joint port
at Newport
The operation of this mill, perhaps,
means more to Toledo, than TO any
other part of the county, though it will
give a new imputus to the develop
ment of the whole county, more es,
pecially the southern portion. Toledo
should double in population within a
wear and a building boom is predicted,
Every house in town is now occupied
and "A hundred new houses will have
to be built to take care of the increas-
ed population that will be needed to
operate the big mill
We understand that the new COM
pany will operate box factory and
pulp plant in connection with the saw
MILL thus utilizing all the product of
the log, and reducing the amount Of
waste to a minimum.