, 1882-07-14

carried by the ships of England,
France, Germany, China, South Amer
lea, and other foreign countries, come
out of these forests. They are as yet
comparatively untouched. Most Of
the timber now cut, after supplying
the enormous demand of the past
twenty years, now amounting to
100000, 600 feet annually, is obtained
from two to five miles from the shores
of the Sound and the banks of its
tributaries. Some of the choicest
bodies of available fir grow, along the
Skagit river in Whatcom county,upon
WILDLY, Vashon and Bainbridge
Stands, on the shore of Hoods Canal
and near the mouth of Pysht river.
The great numbering companies
especially the Puget, owning the Port
Ludlow, Port Gamble and Utsalady
mills-have in various ways obtained
possession of immense tracts estima-
ted at millions OF acres.
The mills are supplied with logs by
contractors, who receive from S5 to
$3.50 per thousand feet, when deliv-
cred in navigable waters. They estab-
lish temporary camps, fell the choicest
trees, haul them with powerful twelve
OK teams, sometimes by windlass, and
more recently by steam power, fire.
quently chuteing them down steep
mountain slopes, shores, Sound and
river banks, for nearly half a mile.
Two or three lines of narrow gauge
railroads are utilized, and others are
now building for the purpose of reach
ing the more remote timber. The
delivery at the mills is completed by
powerful steam tugs, which tow the
great RATS into the booms. Here
they are seized by the sharp iron
grappling-dogs of an endless chain,
drawn up an incline into the mill,
where cross-cut, rotaries, circulars,
and gang saws, planning and lath ma
chimes, of the largest and most i'm
proved manufacture, convert it into
lumber at the rate of from fifty to
two hundred thousand feet day.
The refuse lumber and the saw-drlst,
which the engines do not consume, is
dumped by means of endless bucket
and graphing irons, over perpetual
fires. The finished lumber is slid di-
rectly from the mills into their ships,
which, expressly built for the trade,
receive it through large openings at
the PROV, and transport it to San
Francisco, South America, Australia,
and other foreign markets, at the rate
of 175,000,000 feet annually. The
price of common lumber at the mills
is from SO to S12 per 1000, dressed
bringing from Sl4 to S22 per 1000.
The demand is great and constantly
increasing, the foreign and home re-
QUESTIONS of the present season ex-
ceeding the capacity of all the mills
now operated to promptly fill. Since
the great depression in the lumber
business, few years ago, which
proved so disastrous to many COM
panies on the Sound, q powerful
combination has been formed among
the heaviest owners and dealers in
San Francisco, which has closed many
mills by subsidies. OF the largest,
however, is Port Ludlow, Port Gam.
bic, Port Blakely, Port Madison, Port
Discovery, Utsalady, Seabeck and
Tacoma. All are in operation except
the first mentioned A new mill, of
immense proportions, is nowin course
of erection at this port which, when
finished, will be the largest and most
complete on the Pacific coast.
The Port Discovery mills were built
in 1856 by S. L. and l.. B. Mastic, the
present owners 1t has capacity
for cutting 100000 feet every twelve
hours, employs eighty men, produc-
ing about 24,000,0OO feet annually, of
building, bridge and ship lumber and
timbers, shipping i'll its own vessels,
principally to San Francisco, South
America and Australia The steam
tug Mastic, the ships War Hawk and
Mary Glover and brig Deacon, be
long to the company, having an ag-
gregate tonnage of 2OG0 tons. They
own about 10000 acres of timber
lands, some 1900 acres of which re
main untouched. The average log
cuts about 800 feet, the largest over
1000. They are at present hauling
from two to three miles, by railroads
and oxen The town comprises some
sixty buildings, including, besides
the mill, machine shops, boarding
houses, Il store, school-house, Pughs
hotel and several good residences.
-------. s-------
THE business failures of the past six
months numbered in Washington Ter
ritory, the liabilities being Si5,7jl, and
the nssuts SlG.0l2. The fniInres Oi Ore.