150 Jobs Waiting at the River: Fidelity Mill Set to Open Across from Newport

On July 10 the big mill of the Fidelity Lumber Co., across the river from Newport, will be in operation unless some unforeseen obstacle prevents. The work of getting it ready is being rushed as rapidly as possible, as the company is anxious to get to work at the logs in the big boom. About fifteen million feet of logs are now in the big boom, and another drive later in the season will bring down four million more. A large part of the logs are white pine, for which there is always an active demand, even when demand for other kinds of lumber slack.

Two shifts will be worked as soon as the mill can be gotten in operation and employment will be furnished for about 150 men. A number of the higher priced employees are already lined up and awaiting the completion of the mill, and there are many applications on hand for places in the new plant.

The big stack, 147 feet high and 92 inches in diameter, is in place towering above the plant. The battery of five boilers, 78 inches by 18 feet, which will develop in the neighborhood of 1000 horsepower, are also in place. They will be enclosed in a brick building 46 feet, with an engine room adjoining 10x40 feet, also to be of brick. The boiler plant is said to be the first of its kind in the northwest, and like everything else about the plant is of the very latest and best design. One big engine with a 12-foot flywheel is already in place. Another big Corliss engine with a 10-foot flywheel will soon arrive, which will drive a kilowatt generator, which will furnish the power for the planing mill. Work on the building of the planer will soon be started. All the machinery of the planer will be driven by direct connected motors.

For fire protection a fire house has been built out into the river. There is a 12-inch intake pipe and the pump and engine will have a capacity of discharging 1000 gallons per minute through an 8-inch pipe.

The main building is 42x86 feet, the sorting shed is 200 feet long and the rubbish conveyor is 400 feet long. The capacity of the plant will be 150,000 feet in two ten-hour shifts.

Additional railway tracks are being laid to the pole hoist and to the site of the shingle mill, work on the latter to be started soon. About three miles of railway track are now laid on the main spur from Albeni Falls and spurs in the yards.

The towers for the ferry cable across the river will be erected just as soon as men can be secured to do the work. Mr. Langille, who is to have charge of the job, has been working at Priest Lake on a new steamboat and has been delayed there longer than expected.

This fall the Fidelity will build a steamer for bringing up their down river timber. It will be of the twin screw type, something different from anything else on the river and designed especially for towing and bringing barges up river.