The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-11-28
WEYERHAUSER MILL
GOES TO LEWISTON
PRICE OF SITE $95,OO0-DEAL
CLOSED AT PORTLAND MON
DAY NIGHT.

Orofino, Idaho, Nov. 27.-Well au-
thenticated reports are circulating here
and at Lewiston tonight that a deal
was closed at Portland, Ore, last
night by which the Weyerhaeuser
Lumber company acquired 202 acres at
Lewiston from A. l.. Porter of that
place for $4,000 for a sawmill site.
1t is said that the Weyerhaeuser COM
pany paid $4,000 of the purchase
price and that citizens of Lewiston
paid $4,000.
Purchase of this land is believed
to mean consummation of plans by
the Weyerhaeuser interests to build
at Lewiston a milling plant of zoe, 900.
900 feet yearly capacity, according
to representatives of the company who
have been working on the deal for
several years.
Handle Idaho White Pine.
According to these men, the mill
will be erected primarily to handle
the timber along the North Fork Of
the Clearwater river, where there is
said to be one of the finest bodies of
white pine in the world. The WeYer-
haeuser company has large holdings in
that region, and it is said that other
extensive timber owners there have
agreed to furnish them with material
also.
In addition a plant at Lewiston
would draw from the forests in the
national reserves of the Clearwater
basin and tributary streams, a source
that would provide logs for an i'm
mense mill for many years.
Study Project Two Years.
Purchase of the Lewiston miIlSite
has followed an uninterrupted inves-
tigation by Weyerhaeuser engineers
and logging experts covering two and
one-ha1f years. Engineer Brigham,
superintendent of logging construc-
ton for the syndicate in all northwest
states, directed the investigation, and
frequent visits were made by members
of the syndicate to investigate pros
pective phases of the project.
1t is interesting to note that the
site now purchased is identical with
the one on which the syndicate Is
years ago acquired an option and dur
organizer of the syn
dicate, was the active head. At that
time the Idaho legislature refused to
enact legislation desired for the i'm
provement of the Clearwater river at
the millsite and the syndicate allowed
the option to lapse.
Following that step the Elk river
mill on the Potlatch was constructed
and the cut inaugurated in the wes-
tern edge of the big belt, with plans
theno cntemplating extension of the
Elk river railroad into the Clearwater
basin. Six years ago surveys were
made for such an extension, but it
was found that the grades encoun-
tered prevented operation on a desired
basis
Investigation Cost $12O,00O.
The investigation just completed
and which cost $120,000, resulting in
the decision of utilizing the Lewiston
site, involved not only numerous sur
veys affecting logging roads, but ex-
animation of numerous prospective
dam sites on the North Fork of the
the stream that penetrates
the heart of the great belt. The prob
lem involved not only river driving
operations, but delivery of logs by
rail, due to the fact that the syndi-
Gates holdings lie on the slopes Of
both the North and South Forks, the
latter stream not being ada~ted to
driving At the outset of the inquiry
John p Weyerhaeuser made the an
that the problem involved
a decision as to whether series OF
small mills should be installed at
favored points in the belt Or whether
)ne large mill would be decided upon,
his to be located at Lewiston