The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-02-10
oalisornia's Wealth in Timber.

A Red Bluff, Cal, correspondent Of the
San Francisco Bulletin says An enter
prise has been begun in Northern Califor-
MIA which promises to add immensely to
the wealth Of the State, and at the same
time to afford employment to from FIVE
hundred to one thousand people A brief
allusion was made in my correspondence
from Plumas, Butte and Tehama counties
to the immense resources which California
possesses in the extensive forests of pine,
spruce and fir which belt the slopes Of the
Sierra Nevada. It is 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 lit
tie known, and still less developed. For
near one hundred miles in length, in the
counties of Plumas, Butte, Tehama and
Shasta the slopes of the Sierra are covered
with growth Of timber Of the varieties
before mentioned tall, stately trees, to the
height Of from eighty to one hundred and
twenty-five feet, with a diameter at the
base Of from six to nine and ten feet. If
the pine and fir Of this region do not reach
the majestic proportions of the iSeguoira
gigantea found in Mariposa, Calaveras,
Fresno and more southerly sections Of the
State, they attain an extraordinary size
and are perhaps more valuable as articles
Of commerce and for administering to the
wants of man. This belt Of timber land
before described varies in width from
twenty to forty miles, according to the
spurs Of the mountain chains. OF this
area Of country, considerably more than
one-half is occupied with timber which
can be manufactured into mcrchantable
lumber. The remainder consists of scrub
timber and cord wood, aud at intervals
occur those valleys or basins of tillable
land and meadows met with on the western
slope Of the Sierra. The best timber is
found at an altitude of from three thou
sand FIVE hundred to six thousand feet, up
to the snow line. Until comparatively
recent period nothing but the very fringe
Of this timber country was explored No
use was made Of these magnificent forest
trees which abounded in such quantities,
except where they happened to be located
near mining camp, and then only such
small parts were felled as were necessary
for the purposes of snoring up tunnels or
other mining work or for fuel. This whole
tract of country, with its wonderful sugar
pine, yellow pine, spruce and fur, was re
garded as comparatively worthless. 1t is
only recently that the light began to dawn
upon our lumbermen, that California had
within its own borders, lying neglected,
class of timber equal to any imported from
the East for the manufacture Of flooring,
doors and window sashes. The well known
and useful redwood was supposed to com
prise the valuable lumber resources of the
State. To Register of the Land Office
at Shasta belongs the credit of introducing
sugar pine into the lumber market Of
California. And he came very near los
ing his money and getting laughed at for
his imbecility in believing that the sugar
and yellow pine were useful to the lum-
herman and mechanic. For the first load
of sugar pine he sent to Sacramento he
could find no immediate purchaser, and
had to wait months before he could dis
pose of his goods, but when once tried by
for the inside work of dwelling
housrs, its admirable qualities were appa-
rent, and sugar pine lumber was pro-
nOunced superior for that purpose to any
other kind Of timber.