Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1882-04-09
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rm ueDsFERRANEAy 81 fDE
WeyT. ASD M lCND99 TRADG.
Under the above caption the New
York Scientific .ame'-icaa Of the date OF
February nth speaks editorfsily OK this
section Of country. In many PARTICULARS
The article il correct. although thsre are
some inaccuraciss that will be readily
detected. On the whole, the article II q
GOOD one, and Ne reprodocs Il verbatim"
"Poeet sound. washinatoa Territory.
uerhaps the least known in the Esss OF
all our large water surfaces. Is the one
for which it, scqnsintances claim the
largest future fame. II covers an area
Of ZOO square miles. with breadth
rxrelv exceeding ten miles, and hss .
coast line Of LOO miles. Its shores are
bold and its waters deep. and it il quite
free from shoals and reefs. The large
lumber vessels which frequent the
sound are bothered to find good an-
choraQe, scarcely less than hundred
fAthoms Of water Appearing anywhere.
10 deep are the clear waters OF this
Mediterranean Of the West, says n re-
sent visitor, that great Commodore d
tho United States Nsvy ONES innoosntly
almost ruined the chances Of one OF the
Puget Sound towns for being the final
terminus of the Northern Pacific Rail-
road by taking his ship up to the town.
On sounding the water for anchorage
ground, he failed to find ~ little -
thirty fathoms Of water anywhere, ex-
ceptine one place. and that 10 near the
bank that there was danger Of the ship
going ashore when swinging with the
tide. He had 70 depart and anchor at
the one other place. whore there Is
large natural bay. a6ording excellent
advantages Of the kind he WAS seeking.
Ths pare waters Of this great Sound
swarm with fish. There are eighty-fve
varieties, it IL said. The selmon il cali
al the prince Of fish here. The catch
Of salmon sometimes amounts To 10000
pounds a year. A species Of cod is also
very abundant. II Is dried and sailed
in large quantities.
The principal industry Of the Sound Is
numbering. Tho timber comprises ash,
dogwood, alder, white oak, maple. cot
touwood, spruce, hsmlock and laurel
among other varieties; but these are in
limited quantities. The greater part Of
the timber il yellow tir and cedar. This
vast 6r forest il thought to b. the finest
trset Of timber land on the face Of the
earth. Il covers an area Of about g.
90 square milsA sccording to the rough
~ Inmates which are current in the Ter
ritory. II IL accessible from every point
ON the Sound, and from the ocsen eoast
for vast distance southwark. The
propristors Of the logging camps fell
their first trees w close to the shore
that they could be made ~ fall directly
into the water II desired. The yellow
fir y from In 70 40 feet high. the
trunks being from ~ ~ feet in diain.
ster ut mans hight from the ground.
The first lumbermsn cut only ) aud q
loot trees. The siwmills could not
handle logs which wei- larger than that
Even yet there il no stw,nill 0n puga,
Sound which can SAW log that is ,uon
tlisn eight fs1. in diamster. The con
sequence has been that, At first. fo,
many years the axmeli left tbs snal,
trees and tho very large ones, and a
piece Of Timber land which has been cut
over once presents tho singular phenom-
sn0n Of collection Ut small and gigan-
tic trees, with none Of medium size
among them. Since the enlargement Of
the mills, somo camps are sending their
men over the ground a second time 10
fell tho big timber. The frs are ont
ID about five or six feet above the
ground. The butts are generally un-
sound.
Il requires from half an hour u al,
hour TO fell a good-sized tree. A large
number of the ar trunks are unsound.
The principal defect il what h called
ssshaks." II isa small crack inside the
res, formed by the swaying Of the tall
tree 10 the wind. when such crack
forms Il soon bsc0tnss filed with the
tupsntine- like balsam which II charac-
tsristio Of the Ar. The woodchopper at
work on large tree n frequently as-
tonished BY driving his AZ through one
Ut theHs nasurss and seeing several gal
Ions Of turpsutins suddsuly run out. II
the tree. when felletl, il found TO te de-
fectivs. u Is left whsse Il lies. II sound
L n cut mp into logs from % 70 TO feet
in length, and hauled out Of the wools.
Stieka 1HO fest long ara ssut out.
The United Htates h cxceedingly jsal-
Jus Of this vast tEAcs Of valuable timber
land. II permits the timber 70 fall only
into The hands Ut those who wish ~ do
= legitimate business In logging. Tho
rsgulations are quite strict both ~ TO
keeping The land out Of tho hands Of
spsculAtorn, aud - ~ the wssts Of tim
her. To buy square section o. timber
land cua1a 4l0M The logger employs
about six wsn aud team of eight or.
en-. He builds a rough camp and boards
~ man. Hi sunnina sxpsnses arr
ab0ut - per day. and be IL able to get
.,ut of Tbs wools about 5000 feet a
day. The rxfts Of logs Ars towsd Oh H.
~ nsixhborinG sawmills a cost Of
SIN Pr theosand fsst. and he sslls
them there al The rate Of &c per thou
sand foet.
IL yellow fr b known h III East
~ Oregon pine o. Paast Goand pine.
II = Z Wood % great value. ouina 70 its