LUMBER INTERESTS IN CALCASIEU PARISH - 1890'S Submitted by Margaret Rentrop Moore Source: Southwest Louisiana Biographical & Historical by William Henry Perrin; published 1891 page 140 - 144. ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ Lumber Interests.-Upon the lumber interests of the South, and which seem to center in Calcasieu parish, The American has this to say: Lumber is now one of the South's greatest resources, and stands very prominent in Southwest Louisiana. We have time and again treated on this subject, but an industry of such vast possibilities, making such a rapid progress, can not be laid before the people too often. We have in the South a greater variety of timbers than the North, and the advantages of manufacturing are far superior to those of the North. These facts have been recognized long ago, and the timber lands have largely increased in value in the last few years. The timber here is adapted to almost every branch of manufacture into which wood enters. For building material our Southern timber stands par excellent. Car building, furniture, ship building, railroad ties and bridge timbers, and lastly for paving. It is claimed that there are more than two hundred varieties possessing valuable qualities. Among the many varieties stands the famous yellow pine, the cheapest, the most abundant and best known of all the woods. The Calcasieu yellow pine has found its way to the Northwest, South America, Europe, and large quantities are shipped to Mexico, and its superiority is admitted by all. Next to the yellow pine is our cypress, which is used now principally for shin- gles and cistern building. The curly pine of this section, with one variety of cypress, makes the finest finishing material for inside work. When we come to consider the number of valuable timbers which can be handled so cheaply in the South, it is not to be wondered at, the extent to which the industry has been developed within the past -few years. The wonder is that it did not come sooner. The first shipment of yellow pine to the Chicago market was considered coarse and was not desirable. The Northern lumbermen, however, recognizing its value, began about ten years ago to invest in yellow pine lands, since which time they have obtained about ten million acres from the government and perhaps as much more from private parties. In some in- 7 stances the investments have been made for speculative purposes; in others it has been developed and has added largely to the wealth of the South. Here in Calcasieu the industry has so developed that we now produce more lumber than the entire State did about ten years ago, and we are sadly in need of the opening of Calcasieu Pass, that our mills may be enabled to fill the orders for millions of feet that are wanted annually in South America. Mr. A. G. Van Shack, editor of the Mississippi Valley Lumberman , published at Minneapolis, Minn., after a three weeks' tour through the lumber regions Of tile South, went home and wrote as follows of what he had seen: The South presents better opportunities for making money in the lumber lines than any other section. I have just returned from a three weeks' trip through the principal lumber regions and am greatly surprised at the rapid im- provements that have taken place the last three years. The cotton crop brings the Southerners in a large amount of money. as the bulk is exported. The money is being spent on improvements and new buildings are to be seen in process of erection on every hand. The consumption of lumber there is very large, but the export trade is greater than few have any idea of. We made a thorough examina- tion of the timber lands and the management and workings of the saw mills at all the leading points. The Southern mill men have a better market for their common lumber than the Northern mills and make a larger profit on it. At the same time, however the Southerners do not get as high a figure for their good lumber as we do. After we get out of good lumber the situation will change, and the Southern mills will have a chance to sell their good lumber to better advantage. The common lumber will not bring as much profit as now. Northern logs that cost four dollars in the tree do not produce as much as Southern logs that cost fifty cents per one thousand feet more at the mill than it does in the North. Northern lumbermen would be fools to invest in pine lands in the North at four dollars an acre when they can buy land that is as good in the South for one-tenth the price. Southern lumber cuts out two and one-half per cent. below merchantable, while Northern logs cut seven to ten per cent. "Let me show you the difference between the Southern and the Northern prices at mill. Three inch joist, sixteen feet in length, are sold in lots Of 500,000 to 1,000,000 feet for export to load in vessels at $10 at the mill. The same retails here at $ 12 - 50, or at $9 net at the mills in Michigan. Common inch sells at $8 to $10, while the same only brings $7.50 at Manistee. "The Southern lumbermen have all the advantages of the Northern lumbermen. They can profit by the rapid development of the country by railroads, which enable them to market their product very rapidly. They have a demand for it which the Michigan men did not have in the early days. In the way of machinery, they have the advantage of the great improvements made during the past fifty years. More money will be made in lumber in the South than there ever was in the North, there being about double the amount of timber that there was in the States of Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota fifty years ago. It does not cost more to handle logs in the South. White men and negroes work side by side. A strong point in favor of the Southern mills is that they can cut more lumber in the same space of time with their circular-saws, and cut it as good as any mill in the North. For instance, they will cut 60,000 feet a day of eleven hours with a single circular, while we can not cut 45,000 to 50,000 in ten hours. The South is the coming lumber country." With all these advantages of climate, resources of so many kinds, from a toothsome fig and a luscious orange to a pine log and the Chinaman's favorite dish (rice), it would seem that Calcasieu parish is the land of the blest. So enraptured became the editor of the Lake Charles Echo that he tuned his harp one beautiful September day, in the year of grace 183,9, and throwing himself back on an inverted nail keg, which he dubbed his editorial chair, he sung as follows to an EVENING ON THE CALCASIEU. The day is done; The setting sun, Growing red, sinks out of view; The lowing herds And twitt'ring birds- I hear them on the Calcasieu. The old saw mill As death is still, Save sundry hissings now and then; 'Neath the sky blue Gathers the dew, Glittering in the sunlight sheen. The Calcasieu Reflects the blue And beauteous sky that bows above, And from afar A little star, Reflected, seems to speak of love. What Is that? Hush ! I hear a slush I look; I see a little boat; A maiden fair, With golden hair, Sweetly, softly sings afloat! She glides along; I hear her song, It dies away upon the river; Soft, rippling waves Behind she leaves, That make the shadows dance and quiver! Neath starry beam, On down the stream, The lovely maiden fades away; The zephyrs sigh For her gone by; I bid farewell her gentle lay. 'Tis calm once more; The days of yore -Crowd past me with their wondrous store: And, ere we knew, I wonder who Dwelt on this beauteous Calcasieu? Perhaps this mound Upon the ground Was built by some old chieftain who, With his Red Men Made his bed then Upon the banks of Calcasieu! Those Indian men No doubt have been Often on our river's sheen The rough canoe And arrow true Borne on our lovely Calcasieu. But what, unseen, The mirrored sheen, Breaks into myriad ripples, bright? The zephyrs stir, I think of her, Who passed away into the night ! The pine's weird voice, I That low, sweet noise, It makes me sad, yet I rejoice! The wild winds swell And break the spell- I rise to go; sweet scene, farewell!