Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-06-16

1000 600. 600 feet annually. The mill al
Bcdega was erected by some Russians, but
was purchased in lS4S by a Connecticut
man. Harry Meiggs was among the first
to engage extensively in the manufacture
of lumber on the coast, and had sawmills
| in the redwooods Of Sonoma and Mendo.
| cino counties as early as the year 1850.
During the next year the frat sawmill on
Puget Sound was built. Among the first,
if not the first mill erected in the Sierras,
was that belonging to
GENERAL SUFFER-,
Built on the American river in lS4S, and
which will be remembered in California
history as being connected with the discov-
cry of gold. Soon after this discovery the
mountains were teeming with myriads of
gold-seekers, towns literally sprung up in
day, and the demand for lumber increased
rapidly. But very short time suficed to
remove all the timber from the foothills
and less elevated regions, and the sawmills
were driven to the higher parts of the
mountains. As far back as 1868, G. ii.
Reed, President of the State Board of Agri-
culture, in his report to that body, esti-
mated that at least one. third of the acces-
sible timber on the coast had been cut off
or destroyed, and it would require but
forty years more at that rate of consump.
ton to exhaust the supply. The timber Of
California consists principally of pine of
various species, the most valuable being
sugar pine (Pinus L6n,bertiana). This tree
is remarkable for the size Of its cones, which
hang in clusters of three or four from the
ends of the large branches, resembling or.
namental tassels. The size of the tree is
gigantic, frequently reaching 300 feet in
hight, and twelve to fifteen feet in diam.
eter. Instances are reported where sin.
gle tree has been cut up into 65, 900 feet of
lumber.
THE EXPORT OF LUMBER
By sea has been enormous, the Pacific
coast OF South America being almost
wholly dependent on our supplies, while
large quantities are yearly shipped to Aus
tralia, China, India and the islands of the
Pacific ocean, even some being shipped to
New York City. The Washoe excitement
of 1861, and the consequent demand for
lumber, caused the attention of lumber.
men TO be directed toward the region sur.
rounding Lake Tahoe. A great deal OF
this timber was probably considered by
Mr.. Reed in 1865 as inaccessible, but
mans ingenuity has constructed shutes,
fumes, railroads and other appliances, un-
til it can now all be reached. Placer
county, as shown by statistics, contains
the largest numbero of sawmills, and with the
\ -, - oh bfofr inf
as to the modus operandi of reaching this
apparently inaccessible timber, and other
information of interest to the public, a
RECORD. UNION reporter called on Allen
Towle, of Dutch Flat. Mr.. Towle is the
senior member of the firm of Towle Bros,
who have been engaged in the lumber
business for nearly quarter of century.
He was found at the Office of the finn at
the above-named town, and the following
information, relative to their operations,
was soon obtained About the year 1854 a
small water power mill, with daily ca
pacity OF less than 5000 feet, was erected
a short distance above the present town of
Dutch Flat, by Hamlet Davis, now resi-.
dent of Truckee. In the year 1859
TowLE BROS.
Purchased this mill. Greater activity in
the mines, and the energy and business
ability of the frm, soon increased their
trade, and more mills were erected, the
first being at Lost Camp. The construc.
tion Of the Central Pacific Railroad, with
its immense consumption Of lumber, and
the additional facilities for transportation
which it afforded, called for much greater
facilities for manufacturing lumber. Sew.
eral mills were built at various points ad.
jacent to the line of the railroad and as far
east as Donner lake, at which place mill
was constructed having daily capacity Of
100, 900 feet. Up to the present time
this firm have built and bought thirteen
mills, only four, three steam and one water.
power, being now in operation. These
four have daily capacity of over
10000 feet. In very short period
of time the timber easily accessible
from the railroad was exhausted and it be.
came necessary to devise some means Of
bringing the more distant lumber to some
shipping point. A tramway eleven miles
in length was constructed. 1t extended
from depot on the Central Pacific Rail-
road, known as Alta woodshed," toward
Bear river, the motive power being horses.
This mode of transportation was soon found
inadequate to supply the increasing de.
mands for lumber, and in 1876 q railroad
Of the narrow. gauge standard was built.
This road has been extended from time to
time until il is now over fifteen miles in
length. It is equipped with three engines
and sixtycars; has all the modern improve.
ment. including snow. .plows. There are
now about one hundred men engaged in
extending the road over Lowell hill divide
into Steep-bollow basin, where new mill
will be erected. In their various depart
ments, including the factory at the "wood-
shed, p there are over three hundred men
employed. Last year over
70 ELEVEN MILLION FEET