The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-01-01
REVIEW OF THE YEAR.
A WIDER FOREIGN MARKET THAN EVER
BEFORE.

WIDER FOREIGN MARKET THAN EVER
BEFORE.
The big sawmills of Puget Sound
are famed throughout the world. A
description of the Port Blakeley mill
IS published in another column, and
IT viii give the Eastern reader good
idea OF how the business is carried on
in this country. To enumerate ali the
sawmills OF Western Washington
would be like enumerating every farm.
No community Is without its mill.
In arriving at the grand total for
Washington account is taken of all the
mills which produced over 1000 900
feet during the year Among those
not enumerated are quite a number
of good-sized local mills in and about
Seattle and Tacoma, also along the
line OF the Northern Pacific from Pu
get Sound east TO the summit Of the
Cascade mountains and south TO the
Columbia river; several on the middle
Columbia several on the east shore of
Puget Sound north of Seattle and sew
eral in Eastern Washington. Their
product, carefully estimated, Is 49,
O00.0 900 feet. Much of this lumber is
shipped East by rail, but the larger
share is used for home consumption.
No accurate statistics were kept of
the output OF 1887. but the consensus
OF opinion among well informed mill
men is that Washington produced
last year about 10 per cent. more
lumber than the year before. The
trade was steadily good. Up TO mid
summer. Southern California took a
very large part OF the Puget Sound
product, but the bursting OF the
boom at San Diego, and the de-
preston at Los Angeles, temporarily
stopped all demand. Fortunately
about this time, great building activity
in Melbourne created big demand for
Puget Sound fir, and more than two
thirds OF our foreign export was taken
by Australia. At no time during the
year was lumber a drug. Prices were
remuneratiye, rough lumber being
steady at $li@1l 80 throughout the
year. In the month of September last
Melbourne took - 600 ,000 feet of Puget
Sound fir-more than was formerly
taken in year.
1t Is no news to anyone familiar with
Puget Sound fir (which Is also known
as Douglas spruce, red spruce, red
fir. yellow fir, yellow pine, Oregon
pine. Oregon fir, and by its botanical
name Pseudo TsUga DouglasiD TO say
that no timber in the world of the
same weight has nearly so much
strength. For bridges, trestles,
wharves. warehouses, freight cars, and
structures requiring large tim
bers which are subject TO
great strain. no other wood
will compare with it. Gradually the
world is coming to know this and
wherever our fir is introduced there
it finds a permanent market Less
than seven years ago the Baltic CON
trolled the imports Of lumber into
Australia Now Puget Sound has
driven the swedish product com
plete!y out. The large shipments from
PUGET Sound TO Adelaide and Bris-
bane. which will be noted ia the table
Of foreign exports, shows our fir viii
stand the cost OF transportation half
way around the globe and find 4 ready
market at profitable prices against the
lumber cot az the very doors o. our
far-away customers. Some Of our
shipments have gone as far As Spencer
Cali. South Australia. The demand
Is dlle, of course. To the excellence OF
the lumber for the purpose men
toned. Then, too, our trees ana ouE
machinery are 50 large that any size
stick can be-cli al almost a moments
notice. This fact has come 10 the no
tee -sf London builders and today
two vessels are loading at the Ia
coma MIL FOR England's metropolis
The cargees will be made up OF larger
pieces than can be found in any other
lumber district. free from knots, sap
OF pitch perfectly clear in every par
ticAt8r. ne NAliS N4ttSA ALI e4A-'
lumber get 20 shiilingi.
Trade with South America Is gain
ing every year, and that country Is
now the second largest purchaser.
Last year we sent - earsoes, valued
II SIs8,g
And Puget Sound shipped one cargo
this wear 10 Calcutta. Il happened
that the owners Of the British bark
BhotAn, which came TO san Francisco,
concluded u tEy the experiment OF
buviue a load of humber and selling il
on their own account. The vessel
loaded at Port Discovery and sailed
July "A. There j. hardly doubt that
the shipment viii prove prodtan,e, be
cause lumber Of the same quality was
shipped last year and the wear betore.
from Burrard Iulet, in Briti~h Column
hia. with good returns. 30 its n0tun-
likely thai Tn1is siH be added 70
Puget sounds list 81 foreign custom
ers
Tie burning OF the Port Rlakeley
n;n February 3, ISIS. was the onls