“Wood-pulp can be made from many kinds of wood heretofore unused for this purpose. Samples of more than seventy kinds of paper made from wood-pulp have proven to be satisfactory. The cost of spruce-wood-pulp has increased in recent years with the scarcity of spruce, but now news-paper stock can be kept at the same price as in former years if the paper made from other woods proves to be acceptable to the printer. The tests showed that eleven new woods could be used for manufacturing manila paper and cardboards. But these woods are mostly grown in the West while the large plants for manufacturing products from wood-pulp are in the East. Some change of location must take place to deduct the cost of transportation of the raw wood to the mills, as this will prove to be a most important item in the cost to the consumer.
“There are over 30,000 sawmills in this country and the Forest Service is compiling a report as to the manufactures of each mill: the wood mostly used, the number of laths and shingles made, and the quantity of lumber turned out annually.
“That’s all I could collect in the short time allotted,” said Anne, sitting down.
“It is more than I dreamed anyone could find to prove so interesting. I like this stunt—don’t you girls?” commented Zan.
“How! How!” came the answer.
“Now May, what did you find for us?” said the Chief.
“I sought for items of interest about our waterways. I found that one of the greatest reservoirs and water regulating projects in New York State is the construction of two dams, one at Conklingville on the Sacandaga River, and the other at Tumblehead Falls on the Schroon River in the Adirondacks. The plan is to control the flow of the upper Hudson River so that the plants using water power shall have a steadier flow all Summer. The reservoir at Conklingville will be about 30 miles long and 5 miles wide. In the Schroon River it will be about 15 miles long and about 2 miles wide.
“In the Pend Oreille River, about 25 miles north of Spokane, Washington, a dam 375 feet higher than the bed of the river is constructed. It has an extreme length of 250 feet at the crest and will be 25 feet higher than the Arrow Rock Dam which was the highest in the world. The only site where this dam could be built was in a cañon where the river runs 100 feet deep at low water and over 150 feet deep in flood-times.”
May sat down and Mildred was called upon to read.
“I wasn’t quite sure of what I was supposed to do, so I collected a few short notes—but I can do better next time, Miss—O Chief!” explained Mildred.