The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1876-12-14
CalifOrnia's Wealth in Timber,


TO concert measures for relief.
CalifOrnia's Wealth in Timber.
An enterprise has been begun in CAL
ifornia which promises to add immense
ly to the wealth of the State, and at the
same time to afford employment to
from 500 to 1000 people. A brief al
fusion was made in my correspondence
from plumas, Butte and Tehama Coun-
ties to the immense which
California possesses in the extensive
forests Of pine, spruce and fir which
belt the slopes of the Sierra Nevada.
1t Is a question, which after years will
only demonstrate, whether this vast
tract of timber country or the precious
metals stored away in the bowels of the
earth on the sides of the mountains, will
produce more material wealth to the
State. Both are enormous, both but
little known, and still less developed.
For nearly 100 miles in length, in the
counties of Plumas, Butte, Tehama and
Shasta the slopes of the Sierra are COW
cred with a growth Of timber of the va
rietics before mentioned; tall, stately
trees, to the height of from 80 to 1875
feet, with a diameter at the base of
from six to nine and ten feet. II the
pine and fir of this region do not reach
the majestic proportions OF the SeQuo-
ira gtgantea found in Mariposa, Gala
veras, Fresno and more southerly
sections of the State, they attain an ex-
traordinary sine and are perhaps more
valuable as articles of NJ and
for administering to the wants of man.
This belt of timber land before describ.
ed varies in width from twenty to forty
miles, according to the spurs of the
mountain chains. OF this area of coun'
Try, considerably nor than one-half is
occupied with timber which ear be
manufacturedj into m~erchantable lum
Der. The remainder consists Of scrul
timber and cord wood, and at interval
occur those valleys or basins of tillablt
land and meadows met with on tht
western slope of the Sierra. The bes
timber is found at an altitude of from
three thousand five hundred to six thou
sand feet, up TO the snow line. Unit
Il comparatively recent period nothing
but the very fringe of this timber conn
try was explored. No use was made o
these magnificent forest trees whicl
abounded in such quantities, excep
where they happened to be located nea
a mining camp; and then only sue
small parts were felled as were neces
sary for the purposes of snoring u
tunnels or other mining work, or TO
} fuel. This whole tract of coun
| try, with its wonderful sugar pine
yellow pine, spruce and fir, was Il
gardcd as comparatively worthless. 1t
only recently that the light began
dawn upon our lumbermen, that Cal
fornia had within its W borders, lJ
ing neglected, a class OF timbe
equal to any imported from the Eas
: for the manufacture of flooring, dool
and window sashes. The well know
= and useful redwood was supposed
comprise the valuable lumber resourct
=, of the State. To Il Register of tt
z Land Office at Shasta belongs the cree
Q it of introducing sugar pine into I'll
s lumber market of California. And /
came very near losing money by Il
venture and getting laughed at for h
a imbecility in believing that the sug'
e and yellow pine were useful to the lur
= herman and mechanic. For the fir
l, load of sugar pine he sent to Sacr
rs mento he could find no immediate pu
chaser, and had to wait months befo
le he could dispose of his goods. b
IS when once tired by carpenters for Z
70 inside work Of dwelling houses, its a
i. mirable qualities were apparent, a
I'd sugar pine lumber was pronounc
IL superior for that purpose to any 9th
is kind of timber.-Red Bluff (Cal) q
San Francisco Bulletin.