Export Lumber Prices in the "Horse and Buggy" Days

Bv Frank \7. Trower Trower Lumber Company, San Francisco

We recently acquired a copy of Export Price List dated January 9, 1893 issued by Pacific Pine Lumber Co., principal office No. 121 Market Street, San Francisco, showing f.a.s. mill prices of Pine (Fir) and other Coast species. It affords irrteresting comparisons with present day prices and practices. Those were the days before the term "Douglas Fir" came into commercial use. Pine meant Oregon Pine, or O. P.'as some old-timers still call it. Today "Pine" on the Pacific Coast refers only to Ponderosa and Sugar Pine and similar u'oods produced by mills in the Western Pine Association.

For many years before and after 1893, San Francisco, by reason of mill ownership was headquarters for nearly all of the export and domestic fir business of the Pacific Coast. That city controlled lumber sales, ship chartering, financing, etc. In 1916 the Douglas Fir Exploitation & Export Co. was organized with headquarters there, and sold all export lumber for about 100 sawmills. In recent years the head office of the company was moved to Seattle.

Pacific Pine Lumber Co. was probably the earliest known co-operative selling organization among Coast lumber producers. Its officers were E. M. Herrick, president; W. J. Adams, vice-president; W. H. Talbot, treasurer; Wm. C. Kirketerp, secretary. It was selling agent for Puget Mill Co. of Port Gamble, Port Ludlow and Utsalady I Port Blakely Mill Co.; Tacoma Mill Co.; Washington Mill Co. of Port Hadlock; Port Discovery Mill Co.; Port Madison Mills; all located on Puget Sound, and Grays Harbor Mill Co. of Cosmopolis, Wash. Some of these mills and ports are but memories today.

The company maintained two yards at San Francisco; Division A at Third & Berry Streets, and Division B occupied the block bounded by Steuart, Spear, Folsom and Harrison Streets. G. W. Stewart was yards manager at the head office.

Under the heading "Rough Commons" (Merchantable) about equal grade to Select Common of today, ordinary sizes up to 4O ft. inclusive are priced at $8.50 per M ft. September 1937 price on sanle stock is about $18.00. But we must remember the higher stumpage value, the carrying charges, increased labor cost, equipment, overhead, etc. of today. It is safe to say that sawmills earned a greater percentage of profit 44 years ago than they do today.

In that 1893 price list all export lumber was sold green. This included all uppers, rough or dressed, such as flooring, rustic, etc. Rough merchantable timbers 61 to 70 ft. lengths brought $12.50 per M.; rough clears $14.00, com'pared with today's $32 to $50 for similar items; 1x4 dressed flooring (only one grade) $17.0O; dressed stepping $21.50. The highest priced item on the list was edge grain decking at $26.00.

It cost $2.00 per nf for surfacing of timbers up to 40 ft. length, and $4.75 for S4S. Boards and 2 in. dimension and joists were dressed to uniform widths for $1.25. The same "sizing" o1 2t/2-inch and thicker, up to 4O ft. length cost but $1.35. Evidently a thin dime was not despised in those days of the "gay nineties."

Rough merchantable spruce brought $10.00 and clears $19.00. Rough merchantable Red Cedar $9.OO. llx4 ft. "Pine or Fir" laths were listed at $1.75 per M pcs. Red Cedar shingles cost $2.00 per M for sawn and $2.25 for "shaven." In pricing spars the diameter at the middle of the stick was used. 12 to 14 inch diameter and 41 to 50 ft. length brought 10c per linear ft.; 19 inch 91 to 100 ft. cost 42c and.26 inch 111 to lfr ft. brought $1.12 per linear ft. "Hewing,87o to 15% extra."

Thus, even a dry and dusty price list, if old enough, can tell its story of interest to both older and younger generations of lumbermen.

Good :rslxtrfirent of stock at San Pedro available fot immediate delivery.