Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1882-06-15

ties are found IN considerable quartz
ties. Three kinds Of cedar, two OF FIR,
and three Of pine are indigenous TO the
country. The fir, however, exceeds IN
uuantity and value al the other species
combined, and the cedar ranks second
in this respect. Trees attain an unusual
development, both with regard to hight
and symmetry OF form. Perhaps no.
whore else can they be found SO tall,
straight and gently tapsrlng as to nj
them peculiarly for ships spars and
mssts. The yellow fir 10 not infrequent-
" $50 feet in hRht; the pine 10 70 l6o
feet: the silver DR. l5V feet: white cedar,
100 test: white oak, 20 feet, and black
spruce LEO fset. Cedars have been found
of 81 feet girth and l2U feet in height.
The sdRar pins Of OreRonis equal 70 the
best cedar. Ordinary sized trees yield
GOO to 5000 feet Of lumber each, and
many ~ much as 1900. OF this are
made railroad ties, boards, deals, fenc-
ing, laths, palin2, picksts, barrel slaves
and hsads. household furniture and
ship timber. The product OF She Saw
mills Is shipped to San Francisco, stis
Sandwich Islands. the Pacific Coast OF
South AmsrIcz, Australia, and even
England and France, China and Japan.
The first sawmill was built On fugs:
Sound in 1851, with capacity OF LOO
fest daily. In 1868 steam sswMi.l WIZ
erected at Seattle which cut 900 TO To-
fest Der day. The business has since
bssh greatiy increased. Ihe largest
sawmiI of the fifteen III operation on
Puget Sound IL at Port Ludlow, with
capacity OF 10000 feet Per day. The
other mills arc situated at Port Gamble.
Port Madison, Port Blakeiy. Port Dis
coyery, Ssabeck, Utsaiady, Tacoma and
New Tacoma, and the remainder at 30
attic. Tbs aggregate daily cutting OF
these mills " over l,UHDUUv feet.
5ume of the logs sawed are enOrnous IN
xirth and somssinloS ll5 feet in leugtn.
Planning mills are attached 70 most OF
these large sawmills, and dressed build
Jug lumber is obtained az required.
Each mill il admirably situated, with
view to economical production. and
nearly every ons of them comprises =
town of itself, with stores, steam tugs,
lumber vessels and dwellings, owned by
the companies. IL is the custom az
these mills to wal: for an order and then
saw the lumber 10 fill it. Sometimes a
heet 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, III c0nnectiOn with this
business, is also an important feature.
The export of lumber from Puget
Sound during 1881 amounted to ia 49,
~ feet, valued at 81, 7lo,26. vi this,
Il, 80, 40 feet, valued at T393,9b, We're
shipped TO foreign ports, and the re-
unainder coastwise. Owing 10 eoinpetl-
ton and 70 great facilities Of production
the price Of lumber has steadily fallen
in recent years, In spite OF the fact that
the demand has constantly Increased.
fhe average price III 1881 WAS 50 20 per
thousand feet.
The existing conditions of numbering
on Puget Sound could not to more IL
vorabie. The forests remain FOR the
most part in virgin condition. except
for q distance from the banks Ut the
\ streams and estuariss; the shores are
not 30 abrupt ~ to prevent easy hand
Ing of the timber; the harborS are nu-
merOus, deep and we'll sheltered; the
uardships, losses and dsisys Inciden: to
sewers winters are unknown; logs may
De fiOated down the river without dan
ger Of the sudden rise and the breaking
Of "bO0ms.' by clearing the river chan
nels Of drift, logs may be run out for
iunx distances, and RATS may be towed
With ease on the waters OF she Sound
with only tue sbb and flow of the tide
to consider in moving them to points OF
shipment. In this way ioggers bring
logs from all the bodies OF timber along
tho shore lines to the mills, and dispose
Of them at fair rates to the owners. This
gives employment 70 hundreds of work
ingmen. There are still many desirable
places for establishing not only saw
mills, but factories for the manufacture
Of barrels, pals, house trimmings, doors,
sashos, blinds. mOuldings, and every
other article made Of wood. These op-
portunIties are not confined to Puget
Sound. They exist along the harbors
and bays OF the cntire coast OF Wash
ington Territory and Oregon. and are
'niy used AZ yet to comparatively
small extent. For some purposes, and
particularly in tho manufacture of beau
tiiul household furniture, the ornament
al woods of Oregon are unsurpassed.