, 1883-09-27
The Redwood Forests.
:. T. Chr0aIcie-l

y. T. CArOsieie-I
Some time ago the news was
published thata large amount of
English capital had been invested in
California redwood lumber land and
hills, and that an effort was to be
made to control these valuable for
ests for the benefit of a monopoly.
The California Redwood Company
was organized with S10,000,000 Eng
lish capital Joseph Rush, G. I'll.
King, David Evans, James NJ. Suru-
ton and w. S. Wood being the Amer
lean incorporators. The company
purchased the redwood lands of j
Russ & Co, j. Kentfield Il Co, j. z.
Il j. A. Hooper and Dolbur IL Carson,
the purchase including also four saw
mills To effect this consolidation
required several million dollars,
showing that the company is most
powerful financially. Very lite has
SO far been allowed to reach the ear
of the public concerning the inten
ton of this syndicate. 1t controls
about %, ,000, 600 to 30,OO0,000 feet of
lumber of the annual supply of 200
000.000, and can therefore direct
about one sixth of the whole supply.
The importance of California's red
wood forests cannot be over-estimat-
ed, although SO far nothing has ever
been done to preserve some portion
of this beautiful gift of nature to
future generations The redwood
timber belt-and the redwood grows
only in California-extends from
atsonville, IN Monterey county, to
Crescent City, IN Humboldt county.
1t is 400 miles in length by 80 miles
wide, and contains on careful esti-
mates, about 26,000,000,00o feet of
timber. OF this amount 290,000,0O0
feet are cut down each year, among
them trees which have stood for q
600 years. No attempt is made to
cultivate timber on the cleared lands,
although with little effort the young
shoots could be made to grow again,
and produce an unlimited supply for
future ages. At the rate with which
the destruction of the forests are car
ried on the supply cannot last much
longer than few generations, and
building material which is of inesti-
mable value to California will then
become too scarce to be used as it is
now, The virtues of California red
wood lumber are just becoming
known in foreign countries. For the
past 80 years its use has almost Who'll
ly been confined to the Pacific Coast
countries, including South America,
Australia, Honolulu and British Col
umbia Our wheat ships have long
been carrying small quantities to
Europe in the shape of dunnage,
where at first it was thought to be
good for nothing, being not resinouS
enough to make good fuel and too
brittle to be used where strength is
required. But its many advantages
are now becoming to be understood,
and in February last the demand in
England had become great enough
to warrant the shipping of a whole
cargo with satisfactory result. The
South American and Australian trade
has also assumed large proportions,
and now even the Eastern States
have learned to use the material and
send for it How the local redwood
lumber trade has grown may be gath
cred from the following figures rep
resenting the receipts in San
Francisco. In 1863, 46,03S,217 feet;
1870, SO, S70,673 feet; 1876, l16.OlS.-
070 feet; 1880, S0,390, ,297 feet, and
1882, 81, ,265, ,434 feet. The consump-
ton was greatest in 1876, that being
the year in which building operations
We're prosecuted ON an unprecedentFd
scale in all parts of the State. The
lumber which goes to foreign coun-
tries is shipped from the mills direct
and nearly equals the amount receiy-
ed in San francisco. In addition it
is estimated that in 1881 nearly Co.
000,0O feet were used for railroad
ties, the wood being peculiarly adapt
ed for this purpose on account of
its durability under ground. That
redwood takes most beautiful polish
Is a comparatively recent discovery,
which promises to bring it quickly
into fashion. Some of the uses to
to which it Is put may not be gener-
ally known. 1t has been discovered, |
for instance, that certain insect
found in the new juice of the grape
will not bore into it and all wine |
watts are now made of red
wood As the wood also. resists the |
action OF the tanning solution, tan
ners' yats are constructed out of it. |
They last for ever Resembling |
Spanish cedar in color, cigar boxes |
are now being made of redwood, the
East importing increasing quantities
for this purpose. The logging Is
done with the aid of steam at the
more important camps, the trees be-
ing sawed and not chopped. The
mills at which redwood is dressed are
'orty in number of an average capacity
il 400G0a day each. The inf
mployment to aheui