The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-05-11
laundering on Puget Sound.
From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

FROM tne Seattle fost-lntelllSencer.
The great timber region of the Ter
ritory lies west of the Cascade mount
aims, and takes in substantially all
the country to the Pacific ocean to the
Columbia river on the south to British
Columbia on the north-irom 40 to
220 miles long and from ITO to $50
miles wide. There can be found fir,
pine, spruce, hemlock, oak, ash, alder,
maple, cedar, cottonwood and num-
berless other varieties; these named,
though being more than nine-tenths
the whole. They cover perhaps two
thirds the whole country, about 15,-
900 square miles or 10,00O,000 acres.
The yield per acre varies immensely,
ranging from 5000 and 10000 feet per
acre to 80 600 and $4,000. Where the
iir timber is particularly heavy and
fine, the quantity per acre runs to lOO,-
900, to 10000 and even 100000. Whole
quarter sections caneasily be obtained
that will average $4,000 feet per acre,
or 100000 feet to the 160 acres. We
think it safe enough to average the
timber product of the 10,000,000, acres
at 10000 feet per acre, and aggregate
it 300, ,000, ,000,0 900 feet. In addition to
this, the country east of the Cascades,
which comprises two-thirds the whole
Territory, has standing upon ii at least
100, O,O0O,0 900, 900 feet. Adding the two
parts, We may safely assume the stand
ing timber of the Territory to be equal
in quantity to 40O, 900, ,0O0, 900 feet. The
annual cut does not at present exceed
$50, 900, 900 feet, at which rate we have
supply good for 1000 years. Thecut,
however, will from this on increase
rapidly, until in 1887 probably 5OO,-
900, 600 feet will be cut, and in 1892
perhaps l,000,000,000. In Wisconsin
and Michigan the annual cut is now
1000, 100000 feet, at which rate our
timber supply would last only 100
years. But other things are to be ta-
ken into account in considering the
timber supply, its duration, &c. The
people are more wasteful of timber
than anything else. There can be no
doubt that more is ruthlessly destroyed
every year than is cut for saving and
sale. Between the clearings OF the
farmer and the fires of the forest this
is accomplished, the one effort of too
many otherwise sensible men on this
subject being to rid the country of its
timber-its greatest wealth-in the
shortest possible time. One more re-
mark on this point and we are done.
The standing timber in the Territory
of Washington, as above calculated,
is fully equal to the consumption OF
the whole United States during the
past hundred years, and its value at
$40 per thousand feet IL 4,0OO, ,0OO, 600,
or more than all the taxable property
In the combined states Of New York
and Pennsylvania in 1882. Is not this
a property worthy the utmost possible
consideration?
Along the Columbia river are .
number of saw-mills, as also in the
Cowlitx and Chehalis country, be-
tween the sound and the river. With
q single exception these are small At
fairs. At Gray's Harbor, on the ocean
coast, large mill IL In course Of con-
struction, and that others will speed
lily follow there and elsewhere In the
wooded regions is certain The chief
and heavy numbering on the Pacific
slope is done right here, within m
dius Of sixty milcs Of Seattle, and the
principal part within thirty. The
leading mills OF the sound. when all
worked, have . cutting capacity cas-
lily enough, Of 1,O0O, go fest per diem,
or so, 900, 900 per Annufn. Three of
them cut each over lo4O00 loet per
day, and fourth is being put in con-