The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1881-08-09
LUMBERIxG INTERESTS.

For many years past numbering has
been one Of the principal industries Of
The Puget Sound basin. but we wish 10
speak particularly of the business in
this vicinity. 1t began about thirty
years ago in the shipment Of piles and
square timber TO San Francisco. Then
commenced and continued more or less
to this time the shipment of spars TO
all parts OF the world. The establish
meut of sawmiIls on the lower Sound in
augurated the logging business. which
has been steadily carried on for q num-
Der Of years. aud which row is only in
its infancy. 1t is true that thousands of
acres have been stripped OF its best
timber along the water edge of our
bays and inlets. but further back are
still millions of acres of the finest tim.
Der that ever grew. But short time
ago it was thought that the logging
business was coming to an end. because
so much of the timber close TO the
water was being cut off. as it would
meyer pay 10 haul any great distance.
But this is found 10 be q mistake.
Having the timber cut off along the
shores stops logging by small camps,
and forces the business into hands hav-
ing capital and experience. Many Of
the small camps. under the pressure of
low prices and heavy expenses, during
the last few years. have failed and
abandoned their business, while larger
camps have withstood the hard times
and are now on the high road to for
tune. More logging has been done at
the head of Puget Sound, comprised of
the bays in Thurston and Mason
counties. than any other portion of the
Sound of equal extent; more is being
done today, and more will be done in
years to come. Nearly q million feet is
cut every week now in this section, and
there is not mill in the whole of it
that cuts lumber for shipping. With
the millions of feet along the Black
Hills, and many more on both the east
and west sides, it would seem that no
better place for q large mill can be
found than near the head of the Sound.
Instead of being sawed here, this tim
Der is all taken to the mills down the
Sound, being towed in the raft from 40
to 100 miles to them. This timber is
unsurpassed for quality and excellence.
Growing on lands between the hills
or back from the shores of the bays, no
heavy winds ever reach them, and con.
sequently are free from cracks and
other damages. Straight as arrows
these huge trees often reach three hum
pred feet in height. Many of them are
worth from one to two hundred dollars
each, and acres of land can be found
having quarter Of q million of feet to
the acre. Such tracts are getting
scarce near the waters edge, but lay
further back. where long roads must
soon be built to reach them. The de-
mand and increasing value of lumber
is making it necessary to reach such
timber. and logging railroads will soon
have to be built all over the Puget
Sound basin to do this. Around the
head of Puget Sound these roads will
find profitable business for long time
to come; and while it may seem that
the timber is being fast taken away,
there are enormous quantities yet to be
cut. The large amount of it, however.
makes our people careless of its value
and Indifferent to its destruction.
Every day our forests are increasing in
value. aud many settler would have
made more to have let his timber stand
than to have cut and burned it. in at.
tempting to make farm. His timber
thus destroyed in few years would be
worth more than his farm without it.
The protection Of timber is necessary,
not only from waste and neglec. but
from fire and other causes, ii we would
realize and enjoy its full value Tran
stript.