HISTORY OF THE PUGET SOUND COUNTRY. 233 The largest lumber manufacturing plant in Tacoma, probably, the larg- est sawmill ih the United States, and perhaps in the world, is the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company's plant located on the flats between the city water- way and the Puyallup river, within ten minutes' walk from the business center ofthe city. This plant was established in 1888. Its original capacity was 3oo, ooo feet of lumber per diem, but that has been largely increased by the erection of a second mill, and during the year I9O2 the company cut IOO,OOO,OOO feet of fir timber and 2I,OOO,OOO feet of spruce, hemlock and ceciar, and in addition sawed,, dried and packed 62,ooo,.ooo shingles and 13,ooo,ooo lath, the value of its output for the year being not less than $1,5oo,ooo. The company operates five logging camps on the lines of the Northern Pacific and Tacoma Eastern railways, and employs 1,5oo men in its operations. It ships thousands of cars of lumber to eastern markets by rail and has an extensive cargo trade in coastwise and foreign ports. The St. Paul and Tacoma Lumber Company is one of the most success- ful of its kind in the world. Its principal stockholders and managers are or have been Colonel Chauncey W. Griggs, Henry Hewitt, Jr., Addison G. Foster, at present one of the United States senators from the state of Wash- mgton, Captain George Brown, md other prominent men of Tacoma and St. Paul, Minnesota. Colonel Griggs is a worthy descendant of the nobility of both England and New England, and has distinguished himself on the Pacific coast as the head of a great Industrial undertaking. In 1888 Colonel Griggs and Mr. Hewtt purchased from the Northern Pacific Railroad Com- pany '8o, ooo acres, near Tacoma, of what was considered the finest timber land in the United States. Many additional purchases of timber land have since been made from time to time. Soon after their first purchase the St. Paul and Tacoma Lumber Company was organized, and has ever since been in successful operation. Colonel Griggs and his associates are entitled to a very high place among the captains of industry who have done so much m recent years to build up large industrial and commercial enterprises. There is hardly a corner of the civilized world that is not reached and bene- fited by their skill, energy and business ability. The Tacoma Mill Company's plant on the water front at "Old Town" is the second .lumber manufacturing plant at Tacoma in capacity, number of men employed and the value of its output. The Tacoma Mill Company was incorporated in 1878, by Hanson and Ackerson. The capacity of the plant has been increased from 4o,ooo feet per diem to 3oo,ooo feet. In 19o2 the mill cut 78,987,557 feet of lumber, 4o,ooo,ooo shingles and 23,ooo, ooo lath, the output being valued at $I,OOO, OOO. A large fleet of lumber carriers always to -be found at its wharf, where from ten to fifteen vessels may obtain thor cargoes simultaneously.