Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 June 1891 — THE PINE IS GOING FAST [ARTICLE]

THE PINE IS GOING FAST

PRIVATE HOLDINGS GOOD FOR ONLY FIVE YEARS. The Enormous Wealth of Product— The Capital and Men Employed—Michigan Leads the Procession—The Change in the Centers Of Production. The Census Office has prepared for disbution an interesting bulletin on lumber production and allied industries of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan, which comprise what is known as the “white pine group.” The aggregate increase of mill products as compai ed with the census reports of 1880 is 29.66 per cent, in quantity and 75.92 per cent in value: the increase in the number of hands employed is 138.49 per cent, and the increase in the total amount of wages paid is 141.26 percent. According to the tenth census (1880) the amount of capital invested in the milling industry in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota was $65,855,632. The capital shown to have been invested at the eleventh census (1890) Is $223,388,607, an Increase of $157,530,975. According to the census of 1880 the proportion of capital employed to the value of manufactured products was reported to be $3.8468 to sl. In 1890 the proportion Is stated to be $1.52 to sl. The latter proportion if applied to the amount of products reported at the tenth census would produce the sum of $118,207,836 as the actual capital employed at that period, and the increase computed on this basis is found to be 88.98 per cent. The results obtained respecting the principal subjects are summarized in th.e following exhibit f r the group of States: Value of forest products not manufactured at mill $30,426,184 Value of mill products 115,6-9.004 Value of manufactures 21,112,618 Aggregate value of pr0duct55167,237,816 The production of this value required tlie employment of $270,152,012 Invested cap-, ital; the employment in the forest of 76,652 men, 99 women, and 10 children, and also the labor of 32,491 animals; the labor in the mills of 87,939 men, 646 women, and 653 children; the operation of machinery and mechanical appliances valued at $23,559,334; the removal <f 1,262.151.1 >0 cubic feet of merchantable timber from natural growth; the investment of 87,890.254 in vessels, railways, and waterways, specially used and owned bz ths industry for the transportation of its material and product, and the expenditure of 899.688,256 for wages, subsistence, supplies, and miscellaneous expenses. The value of forest products not manufactured at mill, by States, is as follows: Michigansl4,ll 964 Wisconsin 10,9:8 601 Minnesota- 5,321,629 Tota -l 833,426,194 The value of the mill products by States is as follows; Michigans63,7B2,9B3 Wisconsin 38.109,671 Minnesota 13,806.350 T0ta1 8115,699,104 The value of manufactures by States is as follows: Michigan Wisconsin 11,437,739 Minnesota. 5,315,673 T0ta1521,112,618 The percentage of increase in the value of mill production and manufactures from the .value reported in 1880 Isas follows: Michigan, 29.92 per cent.: Wisconsin, 175.99 percent.; Minnesota, 159.61 percent. According to the census of 1880, the six principal lumber producing cities in this gtoup were, in order, as follows:

1. Bay City, Mich., 0utput53,607,293 2. Muskegon, Mich., output 3,199.251 3. Minneapolis. Minn., output 2,740.848 4. output 2,0856 6 5. Manistee, Mich., output 1,(67,509 6. Menominee, Mien., output 1,2 4,8.4 At the present census this order of relative rank ha; materially changed, Saginaw, and Manistee. Mich., having been outclassed from the six principal cities, the order of which is now as follows: 1. Minneapolis, Minn., 0utput56,584,456 2. Menominee, Mich., output 4.20V83 3. Muskegon, Mich..output. 4. 4. Bay City, Mich., output 4-006,214 5. Oskosh, Wis., output n,819 15J 6. LaCrosse, Wis., output 3,202 636 The aggregate value of production reported for Bav City, West Bay City, Saginaw, Essexville and Zilwaukee, constituting the principal productive points on the Saginaw River, was $8,520,943 in 1880 and $9,927,405 inlß9o. The aggregate quantity of material consumed during the census year 1890 Was about 650,000.000 feet board measure. and the quantity ofs tandlng timber now owned by establishments 4n the places named is reported to be about 2,500,090,000 feet. The city of Menominee, at the mouth of the Menominee River, in Michigan, shows the greatest increase of production during the decade. In 1880 it ranked sixth in the nirffe principal lumber-producing points in the United States, and is now found to be second. The aggregate quantity of material consumed at those points during the census year 1890 was about 450,000,000 feet, board measure, and the quantity of standing timber now owned by establishments in the places named is reported to be more than 4.000,000.000, indicating a sufficient supply at the pi esent rate of consumption for another decade. The principal material used by this industry consists of standing timler, and but for the fact of the inability of the officials of the Federal Government to furnish data or approximate estimate showing the area of timbered lands in Michigan, Wisconsin, aud Minnesota owned by the Government It would be possible to approximate the gross average of timbered lands owned by both the Government and private parties. It is shown from returns of Individual manufacturers that their present holdings of standing timber in this group of States are only sufficient to supply them for about five years at the present rate of consumption. The quantity in reserve Is believed to be principally comprehended by what is standing on lands owned by Feleral and State Governments. This quantity, however, is unknown. The total area of land held by the State of Wisconsin Sept. 30, 1890. is teported at 671,633 acres. Most of this land is located in the northern counties and about onehalf is said to be timbered. The State of Minnesota reports ownership of 13.000.000 acres of tinile el land, containing 20.000, 000.000 feet of standing timber, mostly pine, valued at $60,000,000. The total capital invested in timbered lands and standing timber bv the establishments reporting in the i elective Statesis as follows: Michigan 815,586,478 Wisconsin 34,(03,044 Minnesota 5,791,924 Total s 3 ,381,446 Of the foregoing, the amounts invested In lands located outside the group of State? ore follows: v Miol ijap 84 967,155 WlKxmsfp 2,633434 Minnesota 509,480 Total $8 116.C69

“Musical tones may be produced from sand,” concludes Mr C. Carus-Wil-son, F. G S . if the grains are rounded, polished, and free from fine fragments; if they have sufficient play to enable them to slide one against the other: if ihey are perfectly clean; if they pos-ess a certain uniformity and range of size. If every desire of our hearts was granted, we would be worse off than if not one of them was given us. The trouble of it is that the man who cannot do a thing as wtd as you can cat lauyh twice as loud.