The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-01-01
Wash .ngt tons immense output of Lum-
Der and shingles Number OF
Nails and Their Capacity.

bering From the time of Whitman
crude sawnii IN Eastern Washington
and the little rattletTap, toggie-Jointed
affair al Tunlwater. whose machinery
and equipment were brought around
Cape Horn from Maine, until today the
lumber industry was paramount. SO IL
will De in the future until the great
forests Yield to man 5 necessity, and no.
thing Is left but the stumps and the saw
mills become ruins upon which the iron
and stone generation will hold high rev.
e!. But THAT time is far off. Take the
map and draw line at the Alaska Dor
der and another at the California line.
and you will see the greatest forest belt
in the world spread before YOU. Il com
prises l23,0S9,1i2 acres of timber land and
is the most RENE rkabie timber body in
existence. 1t is. in fact, the last strong
hold Of the forest and when the Eastern
and Southern states become denuded
this timber belt Will be the only one re-
manning.
Several estimates have been made as
to The amount of standing timber III
this belt The government estimated
the standing timber in Western Wash
ingtoa ana Oregon at 500. Qoo, 900 200 feet
and the Puget Sound Lumberman two
years ago made an estimate which has
been pretty generally accepted, although
there are some who believe the amount
has been overestiuated. However. those
figures, which are conservative. are Civ
en- herewith According to that journal
there are Il .97i, 192 acres of timber land
in Western Washington. containing 30S,-
So. 29i. 900 feet Of standing timber. and in
- II Sis On n
tanning loo .91S ,04l 900 feet of standing
timber This gives an average for West
ern Washington Of 1858 feet to the
acre. and in Eastern Washington an av-
erage Of 9209 feet 20 the acre. In Oregon
the amount of timber standing on 49,
l9S. $50 acres is estimated at 23G S93 255.-
900 feet. No estimate has ever been
made IF the standing timber in British
CoIun bin bat is the timber area is
larger than Washington and Oregon.
the amount must Ice still larger. Cheha-
lis county. in Washington. contains the
creates; amount OF timber. followed by
jefferson. Whatcom. Snohomish. Lewis
and C.al,am. TilIImcok county leads in
Oregon. followed by Lane. Cook and
Curry counties. The stumpage value in
the two states at present prices. Is IS
|. =
and sS6 SIS 100 for Oregon. Add 10 this
the forests Of Alaska. those Of Montana.
Idaho Titan and Nevada. ana the red
wood forests of California. and 1t can
readily b. seen that the most valuable
heritage a bcunt>puS II viienc' hpStow-
I'd upon the Pacific coast consists Of her
tin Der wealth.
As compared with Washington. thv.
int Tin nj
state~sl according 70 the census report
$50. o0l 600 600 feet are not - b. men
Toned in the same breath Neither arr
the white pine states ~ Michigan. Min
neS,.3 and Wisconsin. continuing a.
,'ording u the SAM report, less than
=. COO o00 ot'0 feet of stumpaee
The kinds If timber IN Washington
having commercial value ara: Red fir.
yellow fir noble fir. white iir. red cedar
s,ruc =. Alaska pine cor hemlockl. larch.
Alaska cedar. yellow pine bull pine
tafnarack. alder, maple. oak yew. cot
tcnwnod. curly maple, and madrone
The bulk If the timber is fir. Red cedar
which is A distinct species here. comes
next ~ rank: spruce third. and Alaska
pine fourth. The proportion Of Ar *
about fve-eighths Of the forest growth If
Western Washington
Rcd IL Is apifly growing. the rings II
hard summer who'd alternating with tn
Soft spring wood are thick and FAR
apart ard the tree IS very strong I'm
grain l. is found from the ocean IN IN,
Cascade mountains and from the Call
fornia line - Alaska L grows best on
the how lands and often reaches 4
heirhth - 500 feet. Yellow fir. which
ed and somewhat brittle Noble FIR
Grows in the mountains IS white IN col