The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-05-11
Oregon and Washington Timber.

The following excellent article is
from the Mississippi Valley Lumber
man, published at Minneapolis, and
bears good testimony to the value of
our forest resources:
1t would scarcely be possible to ex-
aggerate the extent and value of the
forests of this region. East and west
of the Cascade mountains there are
large tracts of timber lands which the
lumbermen have not yet invaded.
Many such tracts will be brought
within the reach of markets on the
completion of the transportation lines
now in course of construction. In the
Blue mountains and on the eastern
slope of the Cascades the supply of
timber is more than sufficient to cover
the local demand. 1t will yield
large surplus for shipment to the level
timberless territories lying eastward.
But west of the Cascade mountains,
and especially in Washington Terri
tory, the lumberman must look for
the material which will keep his mills
at work without fear of exhausting
the supply. The finest body of timber
in the world is embraced between the
Columbia river and British Columbia
and the Pacific ocean and the Cascades.
At low estimate, one-half the growth
of this Puget Sound district consists
of trees which will yield 10000 feet of
lumber to the acre. The approximate
quantity therefore, in this tract alone,
the area of which is nearly as large as
the state of Iowa, is not less than l60,-
000 000,0 feet. During the last 35
years the aggregate cut has been per-
haps not more than $500, 100000 feet,
leaving a surplus of 157 10000 900 feet
from which to draw. The principal
growths are fir, pine, spruce, cedar,
larch and hemlOck, although white
oak, maple, cottonwood, ASH alder and
other varieties are found in consider
able quantities. Three kinds of cedar,
two of fir, and three of pine are in
digenoIs to the country. The fir,
however, exceeds in quantity and
value all the other species combined,
and the cedar ranks second in this re-
spect. Trees attain an unusual devel-
opment, both with regard to height
and symmetry of form. Perhaps no.
where else are they found so tall,
straight and gently tapering as to fit
them peculiarly for ships spars and
masts. The yellow fir is not infre-
quently $50 feet in height; the pine
100 to 160 feet; the silver fir $50 feet;
white cedar, 100 feet; white oak, 20
feet, and black spruce l50feet. Cedars
have been found of 63 feet girth and
100 feet in height. The sugar pine of
Oregon is equal to the best cedar. Or
dinary sized trees yield 5000 to 5000
feet of lumber each, and many as
much as 1900. OF this are made rail-
road ties, boards, deals, fencing, laths,
paling, pickets, barrel slaves and
heads, household furniture and ship
timber. The product of the saw-mills
Is shipped to San Francisco, the Sand
wich Islands, the Pacific Coast of
South America, Australia, and even
England and France, China and Ja-
pan. The first saw-mill was built on
Puget Sound in 1851, with q capacity
of 1000 feet daily. In 1858 steam
saw-nill was erected at Seattle which
cut 5000 to 10000 feet per day. The
business has since greatly increased.
The largest saw-mill of the fifteen in
operation on Puget Sound is that at
Port Ludlow, with capacity of 2O0,-
600 feet per day. The other mills are
situated at Port Gamble, Port Madi-
son, Port Blakely, Port Discovery,
Seabeck, Utsalady, Tacoma and New
Tacoma, and the remainder at Seattle.
The aggregate daily cutting of these
mills Is over 1000, ,0O0,0 900 feet. Some
of the logs sawed are enormous in
girth and sometimes lis feet in length.
Planning mills are attached to most of
these large saw mills, and dressed
building lumber is obtained as re-
quired. Each mill Is admirably situ-
ated, with view to economical pro-
duction, and nearly every one Of them
comprises q town Of itself, with stores,
shops, steam tugs, lumber vessels and
dwellings owned by the companies.
1t Is the custom at these mills to wait
for an order and then to saw the luni-
Der to fill 1t. Sometimes fleet of half
dozen large vessels may be seen at
the same time loading lumber just cut
by the saws Of these great mills. Ship
building in connection with this busi-
ness, is also an important feature.
The export of lumber from Puget
Sound during 1881 amounted to l74,-
liza, 100 feet, valued at $1,71S, 226. OF
this, 4l,76O, 700 feet, valued at $395, 1886,
wese shipped to foreign ports and the
remainder cOastwise. Owing to COM
petition and to great facilities Of pro-
ductiou, the price Of lumber has stead
lily fallen In recent years In epite Of
the fact that the demand has cou-
stantly increased. The average price
In 1881 ives $3.50 per thousand feet.
The existing conditions OF lumber
Ing on Puget Sound could not be more
favorable. The forests remain for the
monk naPt In vIrRfn condition. 0xCoDt