New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-08
Using UP THE FORESTS.
RAPID DESTRUCTION OF TIMBER IN THE
UNITED STATES.
THE LOGGING INDUSTRIES SEEKING NEW FIELDS
FOR THEIR oPERATroNs-DAMAeE FROM
FOREST FIRES DECREASING.
-eY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRiBUEEI


FOREST FIRES DECREASING.
1877 TELEGRAPH TO THE TRiBuSEI
Washington, July 1.-THE question as to now !ope
n will take at the present rate TO complete the
,,on Of the forests Of the United States seems TO DC
80 hitch ,rlI, probably be solved within the next ten
raara nn1ess more effective means shall be founu 10
nraserve the wood land which still belongs 10 tne
United States and to the various states A"e
is one of extreme importance III every SENSE "nu " -
o,so one which directly and personally htere't' '0
thousands of human beings than Is iulagheu O' per
sons who are not familiar with the grown a"u
a, thu lumber and timber industries OF the country
r. sS,catA the nportanoe Of this consideration IL may
=, erncient N saw that in the year ended has 81
1000 Oh. Average number OF persons employed III inc
tagging ca1nps i'm the transportation OF loes U" '
and In the lumber mills, saw mills ana piahn'e ,l
=, tha three States N Michigan, Wisconsin apu i",
So+a ,vaS 148e12 to whom was paid IN Wages .l'o
.normous sum Of s3s27o697. Inc per9ons ~
o,,ov.d represertod total population proospS' "
.. 80 200 ooe VERSIONS who were directly OF lhni-
az So,orSsnt 'urSn these industries in the three
states mentioned. ,, ooD.s NJ
80 Tho investigations OF tie special agents u
AZ. Csrsns Rnreau strongly indicate tnst u''eso
Industries will virtually cease TO exist 10 ''o'o ~
within the next six years, % far a. 1'os la
pendent upon the timber on lhhos WIN Il. h.n,r
bv individuals Already the employers nave oesui,
.. ,,rsroro far the future by buying large aross W
.,tsorcd land in other States In Montana ana iu~o
thor have become tho owners OF 1,loOooo sereS y,
ar and cedar, which it is estimated ",l 49,
400 600 900 feet board measure, Of ~.
humber. IN California, oregon and WASHINGTON NV
have acquired 1,275,380 acres OF Douglas III ~u VA,
wood, estimated % yield 27'43l, 4oooo' 10, ,,,s
c4na North Carolina, Georgia, Florida A@oau'' "a
-, Louisiana Arkansas and Missouri their hou-
,rrs amount to 1Ao7 35s acres of yellow pine "ns
cvnress which, II is estimated, VIII yleio 49,.
- IAe 7o5 900 feet and IN West Virginia. henVuoAs'
TenDessee Ohio and Illinois they own iooa-o 80
Of yellow poplar and hard woods, wllon, !" - ''-
mated will produce total OF l,llS,'oo,o io'~
~. 0o,ras seem prodigous, and vet they make
nngrerate of less than $4,000 100000 feet Vhlch
:, Loss than five times the aggregate output OF ~no
nine lumber from the mills OF the North"eSUol ~.
IN tho year 1890, and less by leooVooV'o0V -
4gor ,he estimated amount OF merchahlAoie ui4oo
standing on private or corporate hoknhES Ia W. ~,
Of Michigan, Wisconsin and MihhesoU' On 'i"y 80
800 The Census Bureau has been unable % ascer-
In how rpcb ~ the land still In these states oel0pss
A. .ha r-S-ed STATES and how much to oach OF uio
catcs resnectyely and the opinion is expressed tnaO
the timber thereon comprises substantially ue eN'to
reserve upon which dependence can De piaceu io'
etra upplies from the Northwest after the year Iooo
II bould be noted that nearly all OF the
white pine remaining III t1e oll'eu 0'D''
the three States mentioned -. -,
oua =, the subjects OF inquiry the extent OF
$50 oree and the damage TO standing timber owheu
hv milling establishments In the decahe VI i0oo ~
900 Renor+s were received from lis concerns 10
michigan az I'm Wisconsin and IL IN MlhhesoOa' ~
In w. ro+sd that the number Of such reports was III
invcrse ratio to the number of Indians In tle uhrco
80 fac+ that is not wholly destitute OF interest
~ significance IN view OF assertions wnlch are 80 lie
or.rtlv heard In the Western states Inc esC'nlaeu
area of tmbored land burned over from June - IooO
70 Nav 81 1890 was 145,09S acres, or nearly ~ pr
cont ~ the acreage reported the estimated quantity
- .t,to l5Ilad hoard measure, 424.2b4,0Oo feet
y u, .,,o resnltant damage 81 o230s9, or more thnn
600 600 wear. The total number OF establishments
1oortirg the ownership Of timbered land was 80, Oh
bich 166 reported loss by fire. Special Agent FFee'
says: ,... ,oto =,
aTbc results obtained show a much lower rate OF
,oss than has been generally indicated bv curreh0
forestry statistics. 1t appears that greater care '
heen taken to prevent fires since the TIMBER Has w
Come so valuable and that the careless and waste
fpI methods which once prevailed In numbering opera
,ons have Owen place TO more sensible ana consertS
tive management II Is HG% Ig lie Wick has
Seen killed by fire and manufacture 1t before IL ns
become damaged by worms IN whc case SnT t ey
lion an value from that Of green timber GOES uoo Ca
u ond 70 ner cent The total average reduction OF
value To growing timber from fire as o2taIcu I'm
NO data presented is found % be 61.oO per CENT
Tp The loss for ten years is shown an average an
mai I,ss Of 1902 500 TO establishments Wnlcn cue
lbs ss7 feet during the census wear MnlIn od6
Equivalent TO an annual charge OF Ooo cents Uer A'"'
Tbere appears TO have been gradual aud fairly uni
form increase In the wages o. o. us annual earn
To- TO- a band iu Michigan amounted " Sooo IN lo5O
us ths average was S2as and in 1890 It was S2e2 IN
Wisconsin In 1870 the average was S24l III looo ~
vs. Ss5G7 and I'm 1890 it had increased TO sal In
-ota tbe averages for the several years were as
follows 1870, S23s 1880, $500; 1890 @2S''