26 THE FORESTS OF TENNESSEE. 



average 2,910 persons, paying in wages for the year 

 $573,364, and turning out products to the value of $3,390,- 

 687. In 1880 the number of mills was 755, with an in- 

 vested capital of $2,004,503; average number of employees, 

 3,718, who received in wages $549,222, turning out prod- 

 ucts valued at $3,744,905. In 1890 the number of mills 

 was 789, with an invested capital of $7,186,127; number 

 of employees, 8,004; wages paid, $2,194,615; value of prod- 

 ucts, $8,941,965. It will be seen that there was very lit- 

 tle increase in the business between 1870 and 1880, but 

 between 1880 and 1890, while the number of establish- 

 ments increased but a little over four per cent, the cap- 

 ital invested increased over two hundred and fifty-eight 

 per cent; the number of employees, one hundred and 

 twenty per cent; and the amount of wages paid, three 

 hundred per cent., while the value of the products in- 

 creased one hundred and thirty-nine per cent. From 

 these comparisons two facts are deducible: 1. That the 

 capacity of the mills has increased during the past dec- 

 ade more than one hundred per cent. 2. That the wages 

 of the employees have been increased eighty per cent, 

 while the value of products, per capita, has been in- 

 creased a little less than ten per cent. 



The number of feet of logs purchased by mills for the 

 census year in Tennessee was 2,854, 67 4,000, and the 

 amount obtained by the mill-men in the woods was 141,- 

 206,000, at a total cost of $4,615,269. 



The amount of furniture stock obtained in the state 

 for the census year was 6,644,000 feet, at cost of a little 

 over $16.32 per thousand feet, amounting to $108,418. The 

 sawed lumber amounted to 450,097,000 feet, at an average 

 value of $12.50 per thousand feet, making a gross valua- 

 tion of $5,678,762. The number of shingles made in the 

 state was 19,537,000, valued at $41,017; staves, 60,490,000, 

 valued at $589,200; headings, 8,675,783 sets, valued at 

 $157,507. Besides these items, there was a vast number 

 of handles, spokes, hubs, bent work, etc. 



Since 1890 the lumbering business of the state has in- 

 creased with great and, I may say, with alarming 

 rapidity. Estimates made from careful inquiry lead me 



