WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 



317 



some years before that time, and who had come into possession 

 of the old mill. Shortly after the partnership was formed the 

 mill burned down but was rebuilt immediately. A circular 

 saw was then substituted for the upright saw, and planing, grist 

 and other machinery added. Several years later the mill was 

 remodeled and improved, a band saw being installed with the 

 circular saw at that time. Fire destroyed the plant again in 

 1907. Again it was rebuilt, and stands today as one of the best 

 hardwood mills in West Virginia. The mill is equipped for 

 handling logs from 50 to 80 feet in length, and orders for oak 

 and other hardwood timbers of practically every dimension are 

 filled. The quantity of timber taken from the waters of the 

 Little Kanawha river by this company during the past 50 

 years is almost beyond computation. A stock of 5 million feet, 

 or over, is kept in storage at the mill and in the company's 

 booms up the river. 



Some of the rafters who have operated extensively in the 

 past, or are still operating, are C. Crane & Company, of Cin- 

 cinnati, McConaughey & Company, D. M. Miller, Withers & 

 Vandevender, and many other local operators. 



The principal lumber industry at the present time is the 

 manufacture of hardwood lumber by the Parkersburg ]\Iill 

 Company, and other smaller mills at Parkersburg, and by the 

 Nicolette Lumber Company at Nicolette, on the B. & 0. railroad. 

 A few small portable mills are still operating irregularly in var- 

 ious parts of the county. 



The cross-tie industry has been large, and even in 1909 

 there were about 20,000 ties cut and sold in the area. This, 

 however, cannot long continue at this rate unless better protec- 

 tion and care be given the woodland which remains. 



The Present Forest Conditions. 



Farmers o^vn all the woodland of the county as woodlots 

 connected with their cleared land. Some have retained a lim- 

 ited amount of good timber, but, for the most part, the cross- 

 tie and pole timber, even, has been taken off. The numerous 

 wood-manufacturing establishments in Parkersburg, such as 

 furniture factories, chair factories, planing mills, etc., are draw- 



