The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-05-21
GREAT NUMBERING ENTERPRISE.
What The American River Land and
Lumber Company is Doing,
Its Operation in the Famous sugar
Pine District-An Enterprise
of Immense Scope.

Pine District-An Enterprise
of Immense Scope.
The RECoRD-UNIoN has taken occasion
! to call the attention of its readers to the
operations OF this company from several
points ofinterest during the past year,
the principal of which has been its belief
in the ultimate success Of the ENTERPRISE,
and the great benefit, directly and in
directly, which the city of Sacramento
will derive from such success. Our
reporter, while at Placerville not long
since. had very pleasant Interview with
Colonel George W. Cummings, the pro-
jector OF the enterprise, and the SuPerin-
tendent of the company. From this
gentleman many interesting particulars
We're CLEANED as to the developments
made by the company during the past
year, and the work contemplated for the
present, and following seasons. The
company was badly handicapped, as the
Colonel phrases it, by the lack OF
sufficient depth of water to float the logs
down the South Fork OF the American TO
the boom ut Folsom, last spring. Being
the initial year, when The company was
be again to make a favorable showing,
the disappointment was most keenly ieIt,
not only by the promoters OF the enter
prise, but by many i'll this community
who take deep interest in the legitimate
development OF the resources OF the Stale.
The gentlemen who have largely FUR
nished the capital to carry on this enter
prize, prominent among whom are
MeSSrs. y. j. RalstOn, II. p. Livermore,
{. r. Livermore, the TreadWell Brothers,
Colonel Fry, Albert Gallatin, and other
well-known capitalists OF San Francisco,
have had the courage of their opinions
and have backed up their venture with
sufficient capital to greatly extend the
scope OF the company's operations and
to show their belief in its ultimate sue
cess. This corporation was regarded with
a jealous eye by many Of the Old residents
OF III Dorado County at the outset from
Misrepresentation as to the cOmpany'S
intentions. But these being now well
understood as only the Wcl-dircctCd
efforts of enterprising men to develop 4
section of country which, but Tor their
somewhat novel project, must have lain
dormant Tor long series OF Years, all OPP
position TO the company'S operations has
subsidized, and the corporation and its
agents are welcomed throughout the re-
gion in which its operations are con-
Quoted.
DIFFICULTIES OVERCOME.
v
to last seasons water failure, rs such an
occurrence from the same causes has
never been known before by any Of the
white settlers OF the country, viz: The
freezing OF the snow into a solid body Of
| ice in the month of May. The splendid
| body of snow in the mountains this year,
gradually melting and keeping the
| streams up, has enabled the company to
pass their logs over the most difficult
| portion OF the river at least sixty days be-
fore hos
| And while our reporter was in Placer
! vile ne heard on every hand that the logs
were moving in good shape on their -FOUR
| ney to the boom at Folsom, where the
company's mill will speedily convert
| them into lumber
The theories which have been advanced
! from time TO time that sugar-pine butts
logs would not float have been iucOnJI-
nently exploded by Colonel Cummiuc>'
simple eXpedient OF cutting the trees in
the winter when the sap is out of them.
| Our reporter saw several OF the largest
sugar-piue butt logs aaoat with at least
one-half their circumference out OF the
water. One of these logs measured sew
enty inches in diameter and scaled BIS
feet.
The American River Land and Lumber
Company Is the first lumber concern on
the coast to establish winter logging
camps, and the experiment has been at
tended with great success. Falling the
timber IN the deep SHOWS of the SicrraS
not only lightens the timber, but it pre-
vents, in great measure, the trees
breaking in their fall. Colonel Cum
mings showed our representative a letter
from the foreman at the Jogging camp
estimating that the company had not lost
10000 feet by breaSage this winter in
cutting which footS up more than 1909. 500
feet. The Colonel, who has had consid-
cradle experience in lumber operations
in the East. says il would make orr
editorial visitors open their eyes and
look twice, 10 see if they were not the
victims Of some hallueination, on behold
ing fourteen logs, each sixteen feet long
cut from a single sugar-pine tree, and
scaling III the aggregate g, 5g2 feet. Colo
mel Cummings claims for the American
River Land and Lumber Company the
largest average cut of sugar-pine ever
made on this coast, viz: nearly 2,OOOOu)
feet, cut without picking the timber, the
logs OF which average 1896 feet each.
THE GEORGETOWN DIVIDE
Has always been celebrated for its won
deriul growth of sugar pine and yellow
pine, but we we're not prepared for such
a showing as has been recorded The
American River Land and Lumber Com
pany owns the cream of this timber to
the extent of about 10000 acres, and when
their works are completed this enterprise
Will undoubtedly be referred 70 as one Of
the most important lumber operations on
the Pacific Coast. Their trade has already
been very considerable with our city, and
as their operations are extended our Iner-
chants will be still more benefited in
their business.
Their improvements consist, in part. of
a logging railroad and an extensive flood
ing Dam, by the use OF which they can
drive their logs through the difficult por-
ton Of the river, even at iow-watcr season.
in the summer, and leave them in posi-
ton to be taken by the first flood into the
boom at Folsom. The logs will be brought
TO the river over a logging railroad, con-
structed in the most approved manner
and equipped with all the modern Iop-
ging and Ium bering devices.