BATE LUMBER COMPANY
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Josephine County - Merlin
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January 23, 1955: "An unusual method was used recently by the Medford Blow Pipe company to increase by approximately 20 per cent the capacity of a saw mill burner owned by Bate lumber company in Merlin.
The burner, an air-cooled model having a rated capacity of 140,000 board feet for one shift a day, was being taxed severely by the mill's average production of 200,000 board feet on a day shift and 100,000 board feet on a night shift.
It was imperative that a larger burner be installed, if possible, with no lost time to the mill operation.
Knowing that Medford Blow Pipe last summer increased the capacity of a similar burner owned by Olson-Ross Lumber company, White City. C. L. Lindquist, manager of the Bate Lumber company, contacted the local firm.
During a week when the mill was down for annual repairs, Medford Blow Pipe raised the Bate Lumber company's burner approximately 13 feet by means of four lift trucks, and installed a new course of sheets and a base ring on a three-foot high concrete foundation.
The concrete foundation ring was poured prior to raising of the burner. Four openings were left for entrance of the lift trucks.
The burner was increased from 67 feet to 73 feet in diameter, and 13 feet in height. The weight of the burner was about 64,000 pounds. All lifting was done by the four lift trucks, and two cranes were used as safety measures." (Medford Mail Tribune)
The burner, an air-cooled model having a rated capacity of 140,000 board feet for one shift a day, was being taxed severely by the mill's average production of 200,000 board feet on a day shift and 100,000 board feet on a night shift.
It was imperative that a larger burner be installed, if possible, with no lost time to the mill operation.
Knowing that Medford Blow Pipe last summer increased the capacity of a similar burner owned by Olson-Ross Lumber company, White City. C. L. Lindquist, manager of the Bate Lumber company, contacted the local firm.
During a week when the mill was down for annual repairs, Medford Blow Pipe raised the Bate Lumber company's burner approximately 13 feet by means of four lift trucks, and installed a new course of sheets and a base ring on a three-foot high concrete foundation.
The concrete foundation ring was poured prior to raising of the burner. Four openings were left for entrance of the lift trucks.
The burner was increased from 67 feet to 73 feet in diameter, and 13 feet in height. The weight of the burner was about 64,000 pounds. All lifting was done by the four lift trucks, and two cranes were used as safety measures." (Medford Mail Tribune)
August 11, 1955: "Workmen began laying forms for the construction of a fully-equipped plywood plant adjacent to the Bate Lumber Co. sawmill at Merlin, three miles north of here, Wednesday.
J. Herbert Bate, president of the lumber company which also has three sawmills in Wallowa County, said the addition will about double the company's investment in Josephine County.
The new plywood plant is expected to be ready early next year. It will employ about 10 men, Bate said." (The Oregon Statesman)
J. Herbert Bate, president of the lumber company which also has three sawmills in Wallowa County, said the addition will about double the company's investment in Josephine County.
The new plywood plant is expected to be ready early next year. It will employ about 10 men, Bate said." (The Oregon Statesman)
March 18, 1956: "Bate Lumber company of Merlin was high bidder for three of the four tracts of timber offered for sale by the Bureau of Land Management at their Medford office March 15.
The four tracts, containing an estimated 7,672,000 board feet, were sold for $343,730.20, or an average price of $44.80 per thousand board feet.
In the first oral auction sale, Bate topped five other bidders with bids of $50 per thousand board feet for Douglas fir, $29,55 for ponderosa pine, $40.10 for sugar pine, $9.40 for incense cedar, $11.90 for white fir and $10.20 for western hemlock. The sale consisted of an estimated 2,687,000 board feet composed almost entirely of Douglas fir timber located in the Quines Creek area of southern Douglas county.
An estimated 1,296,000 board feet of timber near Azalea, composed almost entirely of Douglas fir, was sold to Bate Lumber company for $47.25 per thousand board feet for the Douglas fir, $8.70 for incense cedar and western hemlock and $11.20 for white for. Four other bidders competed.
Approximately 150,000 board feet of Douglas fir snags and windfalls located on Murphy creek, near Murphy was sold on a scale basis because of the difficulty of determining the sound volume in the snags, which were killed by fire in 1945. Bate Lumber company bid $12 per thousand for this tract. Only one other bid was submitted." (Medford Mail Tribune)
The four tracts, containing an estimated 7,672,000 board feet, were sold for $343,730.20, or an average price of $44.80 per thousand board feet.
In the first oral auction sale, Bate topped five other bidders with bids of $50 per thousand board feet for Douglas fir, $29,55 for ponderosa pine, $40.10 for sugar pine, $9.40 for incense cedar, $11.90 for white fir and $10.20 for western hemlock. The sale consisted of an estimated 2,687,000 board feet composed almost entirely of Douglas fir timber located in the Quines Creek area of southern Douglas county.
An estimated 1,296,000 board feet of timber near Azalea, composed almost entirely of Douglas fir, was sold to Bate Lumber company for $47.25 per thousand board feet for the Douglas fir, $8.70 for incense cedar and western hemlock and $11.20 for white for. Four other bidders competed.
Approximately 150,000 board feet of Douglas fir snags and windfalls located on Murphy creek, near Murphy was sold on a scale basis because of the difficulty of determining the sound volume in the snags, which were killed by fire in 1945. Bate Lumber company bid $12 per thousand for this tract. Only one other bid was submitted." (Medford Mail Tribune)
February 21, 1957: "In timber, Josephine County has seen curtailment of the small and medium sized operator's work. Bate Lumber Co., with a sawmill and a plywood plant at Merlin, is the biggest of the operators in the county. A comparative newcomer there, Bate has been a heavy buyer of government timber." (The News-Review)
March 2, 1958: "Effective Monday the night shifts in the Bate Sawmill and Planing Mills at Merlin will be taken off for an indefinite period, C. L. Lindquist, general manager, said today. The curtailment will mean a layoff for about 100 men.
The reduction in plant operations is due to 'market conditions beyond our control,' Lindquist said. There is no present plan to curtail operation in the Bate Plywood plant, also at Merlin, Lindquist said." (The Oregon Statesman)
The reduction in plant operations is due to 'market conditions beyond our control,' Lindquist said. There is no present plan to curtail operation in the Bate Plywood plant, also at Merlin, Lindquist said." (The Oregon Statesman)
August 17, 1958: BLM sale: "The third tract, consisting of 6,095,000 board feet of timber was awarded to Bate Lumber company of Merlin, the only bidder, at the appraised price of $137,653.45." (Medford Mail Tribune)
March 27, 1960: "Three of the six tracts of timber offered for sale by the Medford district of the bureau of land management Thursday were purchased by Bate Lumber company of Merlin.
The three tracts for which Bate Lumber company was high bidder included one containing 3,303,000 board feet located on West Fork Evans creek in Jackson county which they bought for $146,411.70. Their offer for the Douglas fir in this sale was $49 per thousand board feet.
The second purchase was 1,161,000 board feet located in the Galice area of Josephine county, which they purchased with a bid of $44 for the Douglas fir and a total offer of $48,841.65. The one tract in Douglas county, 2,328,000 board feet located on Russell creek was the third purchased by Bate Lumber company. The high offer for this tract included $46 per thousand board feet for the Douglas fir and $99,701.25 for the tract." (Medford Mail Tribune)
The three tracts for which Bate Lumber company was high bidder included one containing 3,303,000 board feet located on West Fork Evans creek in Jackson county which they bought for $146,411.70. Their offer for the Douglas fir in this sale was $49 per thousand board feet.
The second purchase was 1,161,000 board feet located in the Galice area of Josephine county, which they purchased with a bid of $44 for the Douglas fir and a total offer of $48,841.65. The one tract in Douglas county, 2,328,000 board feet located on Russell creek was the third purchased by Bate Lumber company. The high offer for this tract included $46 per thousand board feet for the Douglas fir and $99,701.25 for the tract." (Medford Mail Tribune)
August 14, 1960: "Spalding and Son, Inc., Getson Mill, Inc., and Mountain fir Lumber company did not top the offer of $35 per thousand for Douglas fir made by Bate Lumber company of Merlin for 1,449,000 board feet located on Taylor creek in Josephine county." (Medford Mail Tribune)
September 11, 1960: BLM sale: "Bate Lumber company of Merlin purchased 1,026,000 board feet located near Hobson Horn in Josephine county for $21,049.30 without any competition. The major species for this sale was sugar pine which was priced at $25,40 per thousand." (Medford Mail Tribune)
November 13, 1960: "Bate Lumber company of Merlin was the purchaser of two sales. In the first one, they outbid Superior Logging company for 8,293,000 board feet located along the Mt. Reuben road in Josephine and Douglas counties.
Their high bid included $23 per thousand board feet for the Douglas fir and $188,795.95 for the total tract. There was no competition for the second sale purchased by the Bate Lumber company. This tract is located in the Galice area of Josephine county, and contains 3,143,000 board feet and was sold for $49,929.65. The price for Douglas fir was $15.70 per thousand." (Medford Mail Tribune)
Their high bid included $23 per thousand board feet for the Douglas fir and $188,795.95 for the total tract. There was no competition for the second sale purchased by the Bate Lumber company. This tract is located in the Galice area of Josephine county, and contains 3,143,000 board feet and was sold for $49,929.65. The price for Douglas fir was $15.70 per thousand." (Medford Mail Tribune)
December 9, 1960: BLM sale: "Bate Lumber company of Merlin also had no competition of 2,987,000 board feet located in the Galice area of Josephine county. They bid the appraised price of $49,583.80." (Medford Mail Tribune)
January 16, 1961: BLM sale: "The last tract was purchased by Bate Lumber company, Merlin, in a sale in which six bidders were competing. This tract of 3,177,000 board feet was located on Snow creek in Douglas county. The high bid for the Douglas fir was $40.50 per thousand board feet and for the sale was $119,007." (Medford Mail Tribune)