Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1892-07-14
TANNIN FORESTS OF WASHINGTON.

TANNIN FORESTS OF WASHINGTON.
Much valuable and Useful Information
About Our Hemlock.
(Hide and Leather)
Westward of what is known as "West-
ern Washington" that is west of the
Coast Range,-a region as distinct from
both Eastern" and what is known as
"Western Washington" as either of these
is from the other--is an immense forest
to which in the exhaustion of the tannin
forests of the eastern states, attention is
now being drawn as future supply of
valuable and necessary product.
This forest covers an immense area,
stretching from its longer base on the
Straits Of Fuca to the Columbia River,
and is comprised between the Coast
Range and the sea.
The Hemlock of this region is the
Tsuga Mertensianna, of Carriere. This
has been known successfully as Pinus
Mertensianna, Abies Mertensianna, and
by its prese ut name. This is because the
original family (genus) of cone-bearing
trees (Pinus) was broken up by success
i've revisions Of the genera, into clearly
defined new genera, as generic and per-
sistent characters were observed.
Tsuga Canadensis, is the name OF the
more familiar eastern Hemlock. Our
Hemlock, differs from that species in sew
eral specific characters, noted by botan-
lists, but is now coming to be recognized
nized as differing from it in important
economic characters as we'll.
Before noticing this, will say that it
is much more beautiful and stately tree,
smoother in bark, and more graceful in
conical outline, having it's ultimate
branches feathered to long spring ends.
The foliage is brighter green, and it's
size is grand; being from one-hundred to
more than two-huudred feet high. The
timber is strong and hard, and does not
run to slivers in splitting and drying.
Indeed, it is most valuable timber tree,
and is under-valued only because of the
traditional bad name Of its congenir the
better known Hemlock of the East.
It's chief value to your readers will be
as tannin producing tree. Its bark will
stip two months longer than the eastern
hemlock. This may be because of our
longer and warmer open season. 1t gives
much larger per cent Of tannin-sixteen
per cent as against nine per cent Nova
Scotia, and eleven per cent Pennsylvania.
We have another hemlock on this coast
which is found OIL the slopes of the Cas-
cade Mountains, but is not the prevailing
tree Of any great forest.
1t is popularity believed that there is to
be found in this region red hemlock oc-
curing as on occasional tree along with
our so called white hemlock. This al
legged fact is one of interest, and is one
worthy of careful observation.
The history of the tannin industry on
this coast is interesting. So long ago as
1885, Mr.. Jackson Schultz, of New York,
came to Portland to examine our hem
lock forests, and the tannin industry, Of
which reports had gone East.
He found tanners making leather from
what was called larch bark. The bark
used, was, no doubt, from young hemlock
trees, probably called fir also, since the
larch (tamarac) is not to be found near
Portland, and is not abundant except
upon the slopes of the Cascade, and Blue
:, Mountains.
Nir. Schultz procured some OF the bark,
which was sent to the East for testing,
and the report was unfavorable.
II is impossible now to learn what
bark was given to him as the bark there
used. Certain it is that leather was then
being made in Portland, and that hem
lock bark was to be procured on the Col
umbia River. near Portland, and also
that the source of the tannin extract was
discredited both as to quantity and econ
omic value.
Mr.. j. Y. Miller, of Upton, Providence
of Quebec, who was then the j. Y. Mil
Ter Of the Miller Extract Company, of
Upton, continued to make inquiries which
resulted in personal visit to Washing
ton, in 1890.
He went himself to the forests, easily
recognized our tree as hemlock, and
found that it occurred in vast forests. lie
made experiments on the ground, and
procured decoction of surprising
strength, estimated at sixteen per cent.
He went with this to San Francisco,
where under expert chemical test it in
Dictated value even greater than his
study had exposed.
His report, with this analysis, attracted
the attention of the San Francisco tan
ners, and he was induced to remain and
become the superintendent of a company
which was formed under the name of the
Pacific Tannin Extract Com pany, with
Mr.. J. G. Rued as president.
This company established tannin ex-
tract plant on large scale on Clallam
Bay, on the Straits OF Fuca. This COM
pany ran for two seasons, putting out
several thousand barrels, of which
sample carload went to Europe-london.
Legal difficulties connected with the
title of the land occurred, and other