T.D. Stimson is the owner of a fine circular mill at the enterprising embryo city of Big Rapids, the site of which is 34X130 feet. It was erected in 1871 and contains two circulars, five and five and one-half feet in size, respectively; two lath mills and edgers. The machinery is driven by one engine 20X24, steam being furnished by three boilers 48 inches by 20 feet. Fourty five men are employed at the average wages of $2.15 per day, the highest paid being $4.50 and the lowest $1.25, working eleven hours. The capacity of the mill is 65,000 per day or 10,000,000 per year, with about 3,500,000 lath. Mr. Stimson controls about 150,000,000 feet of standing pine on the Muskegon River and its tributaries, having invested a capital of $275,000. He owns both the Pacific and American Hotels at Big Rapids with a large amount of other property.
The Tioga Manufacturing Company owns two large saw mills, one propelled by water power, the other by steam. They are both circular mills and are 40X125 and 50X105 feet in size respectively. Aside from these, the company owns a grist mill, shingle mill and store. Their shipping facilities of course are entirely by rail, their markets beng general. Emplpyees number one hundred, and receive $2.25 per day as wages. The capital stock of the company amounts to $500.000. and 30.000 acres of pine lands are owned by them, situated on the Muskegon and Manistee waters.
L.H. & G.W. Green have a mill which was erected in 1868, 30X80 feet in size, having a yearly capacity of two millions of feet. It contains one circular and one edger. Employs ten men at average wages of $2 per day. They ship by rail to Ohio markets.
H.B. Wood is proprietor of a planing mill on the banks of the Muskegon river at Big Rapids. It is 40X50 feet in size and contains the usual complement of planers, matchers, resaws, etc., and has a capacity of 10,000 feet per day. It is used mostly to supply the home demand.
