MILL “F,” LILLARD.
A few miles to the east is located the plant at Lillard, a station on the Gulf, Beaumont & Kansas City railway, where it branches from the Santa Fe at Silsbee. The company operates a small mill of the single circular pattern at this point which has an average capacity of about 40,000 feet. This plant was erected in 1898 by Charles Martin and others, who formed the Yellow Pine Tie & Timber Company. The builders continued operations only a short time and then sold the plant to Messrs. Fort, Eastman and Johnson, who are also interested in the United Export Lumber Company.

The plant with timber holdings. passed into the hands of the Kirby interests in January, 1902, and was put under the same management as the Silsbee plant.

Former difficulties under which this mill labored, due to failure of machinery, which at one time gained for it an unenviable reputation, have now been overcome. A new man has recently been placed in charge of the machinery and no trouble has been experienced lately.

J. C. Cowart is superintendent at Lillard. Mr. Cowart was formerly with Mr. Myer at Silsbee, where he imbibed freely of mill operation lore, which he is now putting to excellent usage. The logging end of the operations is looked after by Dock Ward, who was with the company prior to its absorption by the Kirby interests. In connection with the saw mill a small dry kiln and a planer are operated at this point also. The plant when first constructed was laid out with a view of being sufficient unto itself so far as getting out finished products was concerned, and for this reason the dry kiln and planer were installed.

The mill is supplied with logs by a tram road extending to the east a distance of about eight miles. There are two narrow gauge engines operated here, and logging cars and loading stock sufficient to keep the mill supplied with logs constantly.