The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-09-20
Puget Sound Timber Lands.
Henry BUGGY in Tacoma Journal. I

Ut Washington territory known as
the Puget Sound country as about
100000 acres. All timbered
lands west of the Cascade noun.
tains and north of the Columbia
river in this territory are erroneous
ly reckoned as belonging to Puget
Sound district but properly they
do not. believe the acreage above
stated will come very near the true
amount Of timber lands in and trib
utary to Puget Sound. This tim.
bered land will average 10000 feet.
OF good saw timber to the acre,
thus making some SO,OOO,OOO,OOO
feet, which amount is considered by
some as a quantity inexhaustible.
But If snch person was to be living
80 years hence he would see our
great forests had so fast disappeared
as to cause lumber to be very high
and the supply very much limited.
These valuable timbered lands can
now be purchased for from IS to
$50 per acre, making the timber at
about 335 cents per thousand feet
stumpage. This is an extreme low
price for such timbered lands when
we consider the price paid in the
state of Michigan and Wisconsin
Tor such lands ranging from four to
eight dollars per thousand feet
stumpage, and to cut such timber
here as they cut there our land
would yield from 10000 to 50, 900
feet per acre instead of 10000 feet
as it is now selected. Mill men
who came here 20 years ago and
went to manufacturing lumber,
when loggers cut their timber on
the banks of the Sound and
rolled it in by hand and RATED it,
and sent it to the mills little
thought at this early day there
would be railroads built for logging
purposes thirty miles inland from
the Sound to bring timber to the
sawmllls for manufacturing pur-
poses, yet such is the case. While
there is considerable timber close
to the waters of the Sound conven-
lently for putting it in the water
with cattle by a short tram or
skid road, yet 10 years hence, at
the present rate at which it is be-
ing cut and manufactured, burnt
and cleared off by the settlers, will
see the most Of it consumed and
gone, with this inevitable result
before US, it is surely fair to state
that the prerent price asked for
timbered lands in the Puget Sound
country are not more than one
fourth of what they are actually
worth, for eight tenths of these
lands will sell for twice what is
now asked for them, when the tim.
Der is taken off. Some hesitate to
buy timbered lands for fear the
forest fires might destroy it, even
In that event the land would be
worth at least double in ten years
with the timber burnt off and if
the timber should not be DESTROYED
in that time it would be worth i've
and probably ten times the price
paid for it. To look at the invest
lncnt in timber land from any
stand point it cannot but prove to
be good and very profitable. The
timbers of this region are the yell
low, red silver fir, cedar, spruce.
pine, hemlock and white oak, on
the low or bottom land are found
cottonwood, maple, ash and alder.
The yellow and red fir so called by
reason of the color of the wood
form the principle timber of Puget
Sound, and trees of the former are
often seen ten and twelve feet in
diameter and $50 to 800 feet in
height, 1t makes fine lumber and
has great strength, resisting a
pressure equal to the best oak and
is susceptible of fine polish
making it desirable building tim
Der both for heavy and finishing
work. 1t is also fine chip building
timber and much of it is used for
that purpose; the red fir is equally
as good. The fir makes a fine tim
Der for bridge building purposes,
the great length in which it can be
obtained free of knots combined
with its great strength make it the
choice timber for railroad builders.
The cedar Of this section is the
yellow cedar which grows equally
as large as the fir. Some trees are
found that are Is to 20 feet in d.
ameter, trees of this size are always
found to be hollow, the writer
knows OF trunk OF one of these
Notwithstanding not more than
Is miles from Tacoma that is is
feet in diameter. This variety of
cedar seems to be indigenous to
this northwest coast only and is |
confined principally to Western
Washington and Oregon. 1t
grows upon the best land only,
the tlr will grow where the cedar
will not. The best bodies of the
cedar timber have been selected
and are being fast manufactured |
into lumber and shingles, and Is
and 20 years hence there will be |