Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-09-20

rs +. Chrouic,e.i

raE REDweoO ~ cAIrioRyiA.
rs. F. Chronicle
some time ago the news vas nab
hshed that large amount of EnRlisl
capital had been invested IN California
redwood lumber land and hills, ana
that an effort was to be made 70 con
troll these valuable forests for the ben
eff OF q monopoly. The Csliforuiz
ksdwood Company vas organized, viii
xlO.WoW0 English capital. JOSEPH
Kuss, G. II. King. David Evans, james
NJ Struton and w. 3. Wood being thu
American incorporators. The company
purchased the redwood lands of ]. Russ
i Co, j. Kentfield 4 Co., ]. P. 4 ]. A
Hooper and Doibur 4 Carson, the pur-
chase including also four saw-mills
To effect this consolidation required
several millions of dollars, showing tina,
the new combination is most powerful
financially. Very little has so r beer
alios 70 react the ear of the pub il
concerning the intentions of this syndi.
cate. IL controls about 1900, 900 70
100000 feet Of lumber of the total
annual supply of 100000. 600 feet, and
can therefore direct about one sixth oil
the whole supply. The importance OF
California; redwood forests cannot BE-
over estimated, although % far moth.
ing has ever been done to preserve
some portion of this bountiful gift OF
nature to future generations. The red.
wood timber belt-and redwood grows
only In California extends from Wat.
sonville, in Monterey County, to Ores.
cent City. in Hunbolds County. II il
40 miles In length by 30 miles wide
and contains, on carefpl estimates
about 1900, O00, 900 feet of timber. Oh
this amount 100000 feet are cut
Down each year, among them trees
xhich have stood 1000 years. M at.
tempt 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 unlim-
tied supply for future ages At the
rate with which the destruction of the
forests is carried on the supply cannot
last much longer than q few genera.
lions. and building material which il
OF iuestimable value to California will
then become too scarce to be used as il
Is now. The virtues of California red
wood lumber are but Just becoming
knewn In foreign countries. For the
past 30 years its use has almost wholly
been confined to Pacific Coast countries,
intending South America, Australia,
Honolulu and British Columbia. Our
wheat ships have long been carving
small quantities to Europe in the shape
OF dunnage, where at first it was
thought to be good for nothing, being
not resin0us enough to make good fuel
and too brittle to be used where
strength Ia required. Blu, its many sd-
vantages are now becoming to be un-
dersteod, and in February last the de-
mand 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 proper
tons, 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 gathered from
the following figures representing the
annual receipts in San Francisco: In
1863. 46. 038, 2l7 feet: 1870, 50, 500 feet;
1876, 116.0l8.070 feet; 1880, $3.50, 297
feet, and 1882, 81, 265, l3l feet. The con-
sumption was greatest in 1876, that being
the year in which building operations
we're prosecuted on an unprecedented
scale in all parts of the Stat. The
lumber which goes to foreign countries
is shipped from the mills direct and
ne iriy equals the amount received at
San Francisco. In additmn il is esti-
mated that in 1881 nearly 6OOOO, 600 feet
were used for railroad ties, the wood
being peculiarly adapted for this pur-
pose on account of its durability under
ground. That redwood takes most
beautiful polish is a comparatively re-
cent discovery, which promises to bring
it quickly into fashion. Some of the
uses to which it il put may not be gem
orally known. 1t has been discovered,
for instance, that certain insect found
in the new juice of the grape will not
bore into il and all wine makers yats
are now made of redwood. Az the
wood also resists the action of the tan
ming solution, tanners vats are con-
out of it. They last forever.
Resembling Spanish cedar In color,
cigar boxes are now being made of red
wood, the Est importing increasing
quantities for this purpose. The log
ging is done with the aid Of steam at
the more important camps, the trees
being sawed and not chopped. The
mills at which redwood is dressed are
forty in number, of an average capacity
Of 1000 feet day each. The industry
gives employment to about 10000 men,