The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-12-14
PUGET SOUND LUMBER.
Letter in New York Post. |

The distribution of lumber from Pu-
get Sound is as wide as its manufac-
ture is active. In one days cruise
l found vessels loading for Boston, San
Francisco, Valparaiso, the Sandwich
Islands, Vallejo, Mexico, Japan, China,
England, Australia and South Amer
iea. The export reported in 1881 was
about It's, 900, 900 feet, valued at about
$1,72O,OOO. OF this about 4O,SOO, 900
was shipped to foreign ports. The
value of the foreign cargoes was about
$500 1t is sight to see some of
the big logs in the booms. spent a
couple of hours among them one night.
The electric light, with which almost
all these mills are equipped, illumin-
ated the water far and wide, making
it look like silver in quartz, or the
spangles on ballet girls dress. The
logs were like slumbering giants in
the gloom, and refused to move as
Captain Loggie and stepped from
one to another. Many of them meas
ured five feet in diameter, and all were
barkless. George Brann, the foreman
Of Jackson's logging camp on the Ska
git river, lately cut one tree from
which were sawn two logs of 80 and
26, and two of 30 feet, in all us feet in
length. The top of the tree measured
81 inches across. The entire log scaled
about 1000 feet. AS Mr.. Brann said,
"That is like raising 100 bushels of
wheat to the acre." which they do on
the tide-flats just below his camp.
But all trees here are exceptional in
size, height and symmetry. They
make the finest possible spars and
masts. Firs $50 feet high, pines $50
feet and cedars 100 feet are met with in
any woodland walk along a logging
trail. Shipbuilding as n natural re-
suit, Is a great industry. The ship-car-
penter at Blakeley told me as he left
that he was just completing his 40th
vessel. He informed me also that the
| first saw-mill in this vicinity was
erected at Seattle in 1858. 1t would
cut 5000 feet per day. Now there are
eighteen mills, in any one of which
| the pioneer would be lost. Think of
| the thick forests--trees crowded to-
gether as close as they can gTow-and
| right on the shores of the sound, or its
tributary waters, these shores gener-
ally sloping so as to make the most
| facile of logways, countless roadsteds
and sheltered harbors; q climate never
too cold to work, although sometimes
too wet, then the waters of the sound
form long roads themselves, when a
steam launch can pull raft anywhere,
and one can see why this industry
grows so. Where else do conditions as
favorable to it exist?
The lumber business Is not carried
on here as it is i'm the interior or the
east. There are no lumber yards sup
piled from the mills. The mills them
selves distribute the lumber. Many
of them have planning machines and
elaborate machinery on the ground
| floor beneath the saws, where they
| manufacture dressed lumber, flooring,
ceiling, etc. Factories of barrels, pals,
etc, group around them, subsisting on
| what would be refuse. A unique es-
tablishment is that of Stetson X Post,
| in Seattle, where house trimmings,
doors, sashes, blinds and mouldings
are manufactured la connection with
a saw-mill. There Is great profit in
this business. These gentlemen have
made $1,000 starting with $500 five
years ago; but they are hard working
men, practical mechanics and under
staEd their business thoroughly. The
profit In exporting Is not less, but OF
course requires greater capital. The
ships carry an average Of 10000 feet
every five to eight weeks at profit,
as near as can average 1t, of S267a
per trip. All Of the saw-mill propri-
etors are wealthy. They are, for the
most part, attracted to the scenes
where their wealth has been made,
and spend their time and money at
| home rather than abroad. Such men
as Cyrus and William Walker, Capt.
Renton, Geerge Il. Atkinson and
Richard Holyoke make money bless
ing to others.