The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1871-03-17
NEW NORTH WEST.
DEER LODGE CITY, FRIDAY, MARCH II
DC,csfcr,l WOOIlNnIs.
From the Overland Monthly. ]

DVcstcrm Woodlands.
from the Overland Mouthly.l
The most valuable article in the number
Is that entitled Western Woodlands" in
which tho subject of the forests of the Pa.
ciGc coast is cxhaustivcly considered. The
philosophy of facts. The following state.
,nent of the timbcred area of the Pacific
Slope will be read with general interest:
The forests of the State of California arc
estimated as covering an area of about
10000 square miles. The famous Douglas
FIR forest of Oregon and Washington Ter.
,itory, cover m estimated area of about
5000 square miles. Idaho Territory is
supposed TO contain about 10000 square
miles of timber land, and Montana Territory
about 81, 900 square miles British Column
lila and Alaska Territory are, however, the
possessors of the greatest area of forest land
upon the Pacific Coast, the former contain.
ing about 100000 square miles, and the
latter about 150, 900 square miles. Alaska is
prc.cmincnt as lumber country, and what
ever may he the real value of its mineral
and other resources. its forests alone offered
sufficient inducements for the acquisition of
il by the United States. The trees forming
the forests of the State of Nevada, whic h
nrc nj best limited in extent, arc too scrubby
to lie mcrclantablc. II would thus appear
that 100000 square miles of the territory
lying west of the Rocky Mountains is COW
cred with timber TO presume that the Who'll
of this is valuable. or that all Of that which
is convertible into lumber or other markcta.
hlc material is accessible, is erroneous.
Thousands of square miles of these forests
nrs composed of trees small in size and of
inferior quality. and consequently of no
commercial value Much Of 1t Is also stu.
ntcd in localities distant from the sea board.
This will continue to remain untouched.
unless o.her sources Of wealth, Offering
greater inducements for the construction of
artificial means of transit, arc developed.
Accepting, however, the hypothesis that an
equal quantity of manufactured lumber can
be obtained from every square mile Of our
woodlands rs is obtained on the other side
of the Rocky range, the total quantity of
timber at present standing on our shores,
may be estimated as not exceeding 800. 792,.
642 500 square feet. To obtain this result,
VIC must, Of course. assume that all the
timber growing OF the coast can be con-
vcrtcd into lumber We are next led to in
quirc, how long will these forests last at
the present rate Of consumption? The pre-
scnt number of saw.mills on the coast are
estimated ut about 500. These mills possess
the capacity to produce about 1000, 900 feet
1T lumber per day of ten working hours.
Allowing, however, that the actual guam
iity manu- featured does not exceed 2,O00, 900
Of feet per da;: by this means Of consump.
ton alone our cntirc forests will have dis
appeared, unless rene wed, within the short
period Of sixty.fivc years.
Six hundred million feet per annum seems
TO be most fabulous estimate; but care.
full examination of facts will at once con
vince US that it is not an excessive one.
According to the annual statements of re-
ccipts of lumber at San Francisco, during
last year, Puget Sound, Washington Terri
tory. alone contributed 10l ,332 ,s72 square
feet of rough and dressed material to this
market, and other logging camps on the
coast contributed m aggregate of 1902.
02s square feet. In addition 10 the above,
IN immense quantity Of piles. shingles,
fence rails, railroad ties, telegraph poles,
etc, was also received, for which no definite
measurement can possibly be given. The
lumber frcights to foreign markets aggre
gated A. 4S0 registered tons, the same being
2.0iS tons in excess of tho shipments of
1900, and 1900 tons more than tho exports
Of 1868. OF this, 1905 tons were shipped
at Puget Sound, II, 7G7 tons at Burrard H.
let, British Columbia, and the balance At
the various lumber ports Of Oregon and this
State. More than onc>half Of tho preceding
estimate Of our annual consumption Is thus
accounted for in shipments from our lunl-
boring camps on this coast. And the wood
mans axe is equally as actively engaged in
supplying tho domestic demands. Immense
quantities are lcvcled to the ground, and
consumed rs fuel. The cxactions made
on our interior woods for material to
carry on our mining operations, are almost
as great, and an increased supply is required
each successive year by our railroads.
Every year the railroad system on the Pa
ciic Coast becomes more and more complete,
and many Of those wooded localities, which
are now inaccessible, will soon bc pcnc>
tratcd. and the war of extermi n Alton aOainst
them carried on with renewed vigor- An
idea of the great qusntity which our rail-
roads consume may be formed from the
statement, made by good authority, that the
lines ut present existing in the United States
require 2ls, 10000 feet per aunum OF the
very best timber for slccpcrs, requiring tho
dcnudation of $50, 600 acres of land to OBJ
tain the same. A further quantity Of t.
02J. coz, 600 feet, valued 1T t3S. SOC. 600. IL