The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1889-11-13
KENTUCKY LETTER.

in North Carolina This section OF the
State IL known az Eastern Kentucky and
is located on the Kentucky River, about
fve hundred miles from it's confluence
with the Ohio. The country is all that can
be required in its vast timber resources,
and immense coal deposits which extend
for hundreds of miles North of this place.
The country as far as have been, is ex-
ceedingly rough and hily. Great noun
tains extend throughout the whole of this
section of the State, which are covered
with ash walnut poplar and oak. all of
the finest varieties. In this vicinity also
is large forest OF white pine amounting
to some 300 million feet, according 10 an
estimate recently made by gentlemen /
from near your section. The poplar tim
Der is of very fine growth and said TO be |
equal in all respects to that Of Tennessee. !
The average yield per acre is twenty !
thousand feot, and in some sections of the |
country on this river it will exceed that
amount greatly. The oak timber in this
county is not of good quality, but is very
large and thrifty, but will not answer for
slaves on account of worms in the wood.
For railroad uses it is said to be No. /.
In the adjoining counties the oak is of
much finer quality and much larger
growth. Walnut timber grows in the
mountains to quite an extent and is very
fine. 1t is pronounced by buyers to be
| equal to Indiana walnut in finish and
sizes. The ash timber is not good but
very large. 1t is generally defective, and
quite brash, with very little "toughness"
| to it. The white pine that l mention is
the only body of that class of timber l
know of in this State. l can distinctly
remember when this same body of timber
was offered to my father and Chaplin Hall,
of Warren, Pa, for the small sum of two
dollars per acre, but they did not consider
it Of any value. even at that price in those
days, and continued to cut and run lumber
from the headwaters of the Allegheny to
Louisville, KY, and pay no regard to this
timber, which is not over l50 miles from
that city, with as handsome a river to
lumber OH as the rivers of Penn'a are.
Almost the whole of Eastern Kentucky
has been recently purchased by what is
known as the Kentucky Union Land Co.,
a corporation representing many millions
of money, who are now bringing this
timber and coal to the notice of the mar
kets of the world. The company are
building standard guage railroad from
Lexington, KY, to Jackson, on the Middle
Fork OF the Kentucky River III Breathitt
County. This road is to be in operation
by Jan. lst, 1890. 1t is now in successful
working order from Winchester, Ky, to
Slade Station, fifteen miles East of the
Kentucky River at this point. The Louis
vile Northern r. r. are also running
their line from Frankfort, KY, up the
Kentucky River on the opposite side from
the Kentucky Union II. r., furnishing
excellent facilities for the transportation
of lumber and coal from these mountains.
This company are prospecting for oil ard
gas in this and adjoining counties, and are
meeting with good success in obtaining
both articles. The Kentucky Union Land
Co. are also engaged extensively in lum'
bering. In fact from observations l be-
lieve them to I've as heavily engaged as any
firm in the United States. Their mill ca
pacity at Clay City is three hundred
thousand feet per day, with corresponding
dry kilns; and is the most complete estab
lishment of the kind in the United States
You will at once note from this, that tn,
amount of teams and men required t,
keep this elephant in operation amounts
to hundreds. The logs are flooded dowT
the Red River TO the mills, distance av
eraging 100 miles. The logs and timber
! from the Kentucky River, are hoisteC
from the river by steam and loaded on tn,
cars and sent to Clay City by rail. All
instructed to ship eight hundred cars PEI
month OF logs from this point for the frs
three months, and then increase tn,
amount to so cars per day. The boomagt
at this point is under construction ami il
to be 10 miles long, and is capable of hold
ing logs in the highest water they eve
have here. We are busy starting larg,
camps along this river for $50 miles up
with an average crew of 80 men to a camp
These camps are established every II
miles through the first two counties
Above these counties the work is con
tracted TO two brothers (natives of KY,
who are to deliver to this boom fifty mil
lion feet in two years. From this descrip
r ton, you can readily understand t. a
numbering is done in the South, as well a
Northwest
am well pleased with the country anC
the climate. am in my usual health anC
= feel that 1 was lucky to strike this section
;, when did, for the North Carolina feve
!. was getting me considerably "rattled,
and was positive that needed chang
!, of climate. The forests are not abundan
q with game, some few bear, no deer bu
!, wild turkeys, quail, and squirrels-by
. the-way, suppose you know that an
good on squirrels, from what YOU have
seen. The streams arc full of bass, pike
J. and cat fish, perch &G. The soil is rich
;, although it is so mountainous that no till
q ing u the land is done here, except by tn
squatters. Wages for labor in the wood
is less than in Ponna. The Canadian
T. Provinces send in large forces of excellen
]. men for this work. The men in the mill
= are generally from Saginaw and WiseOn
sin. find my position here a more com
i plicated one than l had imagined befor
}, coming, but / still believe that l All
4 IL.