Lumber Industry at Tacoma.
Tacoma is the largest lumber manufacturing point on the Pacific Coast. The manufacture of lumber is the most important industry in the Pacific Northwest. In 1900 there were twelve lumber and shingle mills in operation in Tacoma. In 1903 there were twenty-two in operation, employing an average of 2,682 wage-earners. The increase in the lumber and shingle output since 1900 may be shown by the following figures, based upon reports from the local mills.
Cut of Tacoma Lumber Mills.
| Year. | Lumber, feet. | Shingles. | Total value. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 185,414,130 | 178,386,000 | $2,517,967 |
| 1901 | 219,150,000 | 251,000,000 | 2,695,700 |
| 1902 | 303,654,557 | 347,565,000 | 4,069,000 |
| 1903 | 361,522,766 | 376,935,500 | 5,110,398 |
St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company’s Mill and Wheeler-Osgood Company’s New Sash and Door Factory.
The increase in three years in the number of mills engaged in the lumber and shingle industry at Tacoma is at the rate of 83.3 per cent.; in the lumber cut at the rate of 96.6 per cent.; in the output of shingles at the rate of 94.0 per cent.; and in the value of the product at the rate of 103.0 per cent.