The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1893-11-10

beautiful specimens of curly poplar
and walnut, the former being tree
prolific in the south. Wisconsin has
an interesting exhibit of rough nat
ural woods, and the Dakotas, though
generally considered as prairie states,
show samples of nuts which indicate
that they can raise trees as well as
wheat-and billiards..
One inclosul looks from the distance
as though the attempt had been made
to decorate it with great black beads,
but q nearer approach shows it to be
the Ohio space and that the strings of
black ornaments are the buckeyes from
which the state gets its slang name.
Michigan, not having anything of the
grand or gigantic order to show, has
done the next best thing by giving
display OF the useful articles for which
her woods are utilized, and there can
be seen the wooden butter dish, the
economical but handy wooden pie
plate, strcwn about with the reckless
ness which betokens unlimited quanti-
ty, among numberless rolling-pins,
pitch-forlz bands and clothes pins.
From these homely articles one steps
into the great state of Washington and
realizes her proximity to California by
the gigantic fir trees on exhibition.
There is one big fir log twenty-four
feet long and seven feet in diameter
and numerous slabs of cedar cut from
trees eighteen feet through, proving
that this portion of the union is indeed
sister of the state entered by the
Golden Gate. There are also exhibits
of the wonderful western yew and of
the great spruce which produced the
chewing gum of the world before yum
yum and yucatan were invented.
Mexico is we'll represented, but New
South Wales, along with Siam, enters
into rivalry with California in regard
to the magnitude of it's forest product.
IN New South Wales there is to be seen
the black butt which grows to over
800 feet IL height, and there are also
some fine specimens of the ounce, the
fig and lignun vitae.
Samples OF the growth in British
Columbia and various parts of Canada
have been brought, and from Russia
there are exhibits of the lime or linden
tree from the bark of which the most
peautlIul navs are woven, so tough and
flexible is the fiber. Of all the hand.
some woods of Siam the teak grows the
largest, and in the display that coun.
try makes is table of beautiful grain,
the top being solid plank feet 8
inches by feet and inches in thick
ness. This plank is highly polished
and shows to good advantage how the
wood can be worked up
Through all the exhibits. to this
point, the idea is ever present in the
visitors mind that the foreign coun.
tries, though they may not grow as
large trees as California, certainly
carry off the palm in regard to beauty.
The instant, however, one steps into
the space occupied by the latter this
idea is entirely destroyed There it is
discovered that the California woods
hold their own as to beauty, and put
all others most effectually in the shade
in regard to size. The walls which in.
close the California exhibit are con
structed of specimens of all the woods
that wonderful country produces.
Some OF the pieces are highly polished,
showing the most elaborate designs in
the grain. A popularity which can
not well help being remarked is that
the grain frequently marks the out
line of human forms, human faces, an.
finals, birds and bits of scenery.
In a private exhibit not far from the
California space is a plank, said to be
the longest in the world 1t was cut
in June, 1890, in Humboldt county, CAL,
from a redwood tree, IS feet in
diameter. The tree was supposed to
be 800 years old.
Beyond all question California has
the greatest exhibit in the Forestry
building and assuredly attracts the
most attention and receives the great
est amount ofadmiration. There is no
time during the day when the space is
not crowded with visitors, all of whom
express in obs and abs their wonder
and a1nazement or stand spellbound at
the beauties so lavishly displayed.
1t is trifle strange that the near
neighbor of this busy place, New
York, should be the most lonesome
and desolate of all in the building. No
one is ever seen within the ratings
which mark the Empire states space,
for having no real trees or woods to
exhibit she has hung up here and
there a few prints of trees and
shrubs, which certainly excite no
wonder, except as to why they have
been placed there at all.
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