The three brothers are listed as “sawmill owners” in the 1900 as sawmill owners and living in precinct 2, residences 9 and 10. In the 1910 Census, Robertson and Sidney are living next to each other in precinct 2, residences 134 and 135, but G. H. Bruce is living at precinct 10, residence 567 in Montgomery; they all are listed as “sawmill owners.” William Ferguson was living at Residence 565, Precinct 10, two doors from G. H. Bruce.
On August 24, 1903, the Houston East & West Texas Railroad contracted with Bruce Bros for the sawmill to lease one mile of rails for a tram road for three years. The rails were to be delivered to the sawmill at Pauli, near New Caney. The rails were worth $1,500. Bruce Bros. would pay a yearly rent of $150. In December 1904, Bruce Bros. sold 248,000 feet of lumber to to Henry House of Houston.
The Bruce Lumber Company had a sawmill at Porters in 1905, about three miles north of Pauli. It was listed in the
Reference Book of the Lumbermen's Credit Association, January 1905 and 1907.