Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-11-20
A Suicidal Policy.

At the rate Single bolts are being
cut from the forests skirting the up
per Sound country, it is safe to pre-
diet that in five years from the pres
cnt time, cedar timber for lumber pur-
poses will practically be exhausted.
Large areas OF timber land are now
common where not a single cedar tree
worth saving is to he found The all
pervading shingle bolt business is 4
menace to our beautiful forests, and
some way should be provided to stop
the wanton work, for the cedar as Il
forest tree will become extinct. Young
cedars do not grow SO thriftily as
young frs, alders, naples and other
trees and they wholly die out when
deprived OF forest shade by the whole
sale removal of the larger trees. Just
because cedar trees are easily felled,
sawed and split into bolts, many
small farmers are going wild over the
shingle-bolt craze and utterly denud-
ing their lands of this valuable tim
Der.
To show the absurdity and reckless
ness of the methods these persons are
pursuing, it may be stated that only
the trunk, from the stump to the first
limbs is utilized, while the remainder
OF the tree is left to slow decay or the
sweeping forest fires that are proving
such a scourge to the forestry of our
State. These bolts are cut, split and
delivered ut the mills at the beggarly
price of two dollars per cord; and all
this in point-blank view of the fact
that the same timber worked up into
finishing lumber would yield Il hundred
per cent. more profit than in the form of
paltry shingles.
People who own timber lands and
do not want to engage in the shingle-
bolt business themselves are in the
habit of selling their cedar trees on
the stumpage plan: and an accused
plan it is, for of all other ways in
which timber is sold, this stumpage"
business works the greatest evil to the
land and ultimately to the unwise
owners themselves.
Land owners in the Western States,
twenty years ago, and prior to that
time went into q similar craze over
their magnificent walnut timber, al
lowing lumber spectators to cut down
the beautiful trees for little or no
recompense as they wanted their
lands cleared for agricultural pur-
poses. Only the choicest cuts were
taken from the trunks, the rest of the
timber being left to destruction like
the cedars of this country. To-day,
the owner of black walnut tree of
average proportions could sell such
specimen for more money than was
paid his father for an acre of larger
and better timber. The writer re-
members when black walnut timber
in Northern Ohio, Indiana and east
ern Illinois was used by the short
sighted owners of the lands for fence
rails and firewood.
One acre of those primitive walnut
forests would now make poor man a
millionaire. The change which has
taken place within two decades in re-
gard to the walnut timber districts
just alluded to, is surely to take place
here in our cedar timber districts in a
shorter time than people may suppose.
The time is coming, farmers, when
one cedar tree on your land will be
worth more than you are now getting
for an acre of similar timber which
you are selling ON the miserable
stumpage plan, and more than this
your children will justly feel like
cursing you for your unutterable reck-
lessness.
We are sounding a note of warning
and happy will they be who regard
our words before it is too late. Pre-
serve your grand old cedar trees as
you would preserve your most cher
ished heir-looms.
If you are obliged to sell little &C.
dar timber to pay for your farms, say
to lumber and shingle spectators,
Thus far and no farther shalt thou
go into my forest" Please do have
a little regard for posterity, if not for
your children who are to inherit your
grand forest lands. Do not allow your
cedar timber to be wantonly destroyed
as it is daily being destroyed all around
you within sound of AK and saw in
every direction.
If you have few acres of what is
now judged to be good cedar timber,
remember it is increasing in value
faster than money loaned at usury
rates of interest.
1t may not be generally known but
it is true, that Washington is the
great thesaurus of cedar timber for
the northwest section of our domain.
The Great Storm,