THE DUBUQUE LUMBER REPORTER

March 17

   The market is active, steady and strong, giving every indication of a favorable and busy season.  The cold weather of last week has helped to round out the winter’s work in pineries, and the Minneapolis Lumberman says the news from the logging districts makes it certain that a full crop of logs has been secured everywhere except in Michigan, which is set down as being 33 per cent short.  The same paper says the swamps are full of water, and prospects for cheap drive are good in all the pine country.  The mills at this point are about ready to commence work, and some of them will start up as soon as the ice melts in the sloughs.
   In order to overcome the discrimination against the river towns made by the Chicago railroads, the lumber manufacturers of davenport, rock Island, Muscatine and Moline have subscribed funds for the building of saw mills on the Chippewa and at Minneapolis, and run the lumber to their western customers by the new and cheap lumberman’s railroad, by which they can land lumber at Atchinson and Kansas City within a dollar of Chicago, and from Minneapolis just as cheap.  Speaking of this new route a correspondent of the Chicago Inter-Ocean estimated that two-thirds of the lumber cut on the Chippewa this year will be sent to market by rail, instead of water as heretofore.

   Shipments last week were 182 cars; receipts, 19 cars; shipments the week previous 154 cars; same week last year 112 cars, and in 1878, 120 cars.

March 24

   The demand for lumber here and at all other points continues active, with a steady and firm feeling in prices.  It is not likely there will be any advance on account of the active competition opening up between Chicago and the river points.  Already the railroads, by reducing rates, are giving Chicago an advantage which will exercise the river dealers to keep up with.  At present the latter are making no effort to sell lumber, on account of low stocks, which in any event will be exhausted before the new crop is ready.
   The rivers are free of ice, and the running season will soon open.  No lumber sales are reported.
   Ingram, Kennedy & Day started up their planing mill today, and will set the saws going by Wednesday.  They have a good stock of logs on hand.
   A party was here last week trying to negotiate for 1,000,000 of dry uppers for a sewing machine manufactory that proposes to use veneers instead of solid hard woods for their frames.
   Shipments last week were 180 cars: receipts, 25 cars; shipments the week previous 182 cars; same week last year 127 cars, and in 1878, 149 cars.

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Explorations in Iowa History Project
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