The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-01-22

the new capitol ~ = the &Htt~ -, -
the budding that constitutes the "e0at s.
able ground. The lumbermen object not
10 me amount OF oak demanded ~ the spe-
eigcations for that floor. but chiefly 70 the
farf that such a use OF Eastern oak IN a
wa slllnaton state building viii - used ~
Eastern men a. perpetual argument
against the fir % this state which. ineY
maintain. has met triamplsantiy every
competitive test 10 which II mas been SUD
g 5ecteda
IRE following letter from the superin-
teudent OF the Gray's Haroor COMMERCIAL
Company is self=expianatory:
Fis. Cause ~ Complaint.
.Cosmopolis. Wash. Jan. ls. 1895.
ITO the Editor. II am correctly m
formed. the specifications for the ne~ capt.
toi building can for the interior finish aud
flooring to be OF oak lumber. and u 80. as
a Washington iumbeFman, whose business
II IS 10 study the adaptablity OF woods Tor
various purposes. ! shall enter my protest
against the use OF oak. or any other lumber
not grown IN the state OF Washington Tor
use in our capitol building.
The staple product Of THIS state is ium-
ber No one familiar with the state OF
Washington and It's resources viii deny THIS
statement. TO the weird Nc make tho
statement that for beams. structural lum-
Der. interior finish and for flooring p'lr-
poses, as well as for ship building. deck
ing and many other uses, our lumber mas
no equal on the American continent. These
facts baye been advertised by the lumser-
men. through the daily press. through the
trade journals and through ali the various
avenues OF reaching tho people for years.
until the merits OF our woods, for these
various purposes. are generally accepted
AT this time. and during tle past rev
years. the largest ship building concern or
government work that We have IN thia
country he crsmps ~ Philadelphia. use
no wood for decking. In their government
work. excepting that Of fir In the depot
OF the Pennsylvania Railroad Company in
Philadelphia, one Of the largest railroad
systems We have, and one OF the finest de-
pots IL America, you VIII md our lumber
used for flooring purposes. and, too. at a
cost Of nearly deu5ie what oak, yellow
pine and the various Eastern woods could
be pat in for. In the college building Of en-
gineering NJ Urbana. H., large portion
81 the lumber used for the n00Ting. for the
beams, for the interior finish, is fir. and
was furnished by one OF the large mills IN
Tacoma. being selected for it's adaptabili-
~ for chat work, against all other
woods. In the states OF Iowa. Illinois. Mis-
souri,. Kansas. Nebraska, Wisconsin and
Minnesota as well as various Eastern
states In almost every lumber yard in
some OF these states, and in many yards OF
the balance. will DO found the woods OF
Washington. as competitor against oak.
yellow pine and all OF the woods OF the
United States.
we believe that If Uncle sam specifies
fir decking fer his vessels. and that IL has
10 be shipped clear across the continent. at
an expense OF shoat s. per 90 FOR freight
that an question. except OF merit alone is
eliminated from the subject. and that when
the Eastern people come here 10 buy our
FIR. cedar and spruce for flooring. and for
interior finish. that they do so simply from
the Fact that we have n wood of much
merit for that purpose. Possibly II Is nee
essary 20 bring Eastern lumber here with
which 10 build our capitol building. but we
think IL Will be very hard To convince the
lumbermen OF this state that such is the
case.
'The lumhermen OF the state OF Wash
ington are amongst its largest Taxpayers
This industry deserves 10 be fostered. and
we think that there IS no necessity what
ever for bringing a foot OF lumber from
the East 10 be used in our capitol building
We think that We should. by our acts de-
monstrate 10 the peonle in the East that
we have faith enough in the lumber that
We grow TO use IL ourselves. and we hope
that YOU will aid US by the publication Of
this letter 50 10 do. Very truly yours
-. +. White. Superintendent"
The Architects Explanation.
II. Q, Copeland. the representative at
The state capital of Architect Ernest Flag-,
was handed the above letter at the North
ern yesterday and asked u ne cared 20 saw
anything IN reply. II was just about TO
write an answer 10 an article of similar
tener." he said, THAT va repuMishea
from the West Coast Lumbermau Ia the
Tacoma Ledger.
There IS nothing IN IT," he said. after
reading the letter. The specifications call
for fir lumber 70 be used throughout one
entire story or the building, ana IL IS con-
tsmplated 10 Use Ar IN the UuNlinE where
ever that wood s. practicable Rut thu
building is Intended 10 be hrepToof ami 90
necessity the story referred 20 has little
lumber in H. II y very desirable ia the
other portions to have har7 wood of the
and II the oak IN this state is not III FOR
such use. of necessity III VIII have % -
brought from some other fsErt ~ tho coun-
try. | think no one win ssy that fr lum-
her s. superior - oak for the interior fin
ish or any building
"Ope OF che thiuer that prevent Wash
ington oak hvlns uScd generally iu this
huiljinE IS che fact that fhe trees n~s
not ~ large growth ana as nor furnish
Humber 90 larEr sirt,s Fiuf thr floors ~ ~.
new capital banding wi -e lai1 arra-iir-
g. now system. Sos which every piece 81.
Moot Viii 30 anlt TWO feet long fwo irrh-
e wide ANA ONE tni half inches thick
permitting Washington oak tn - used
very nicely for fhis purpose Government
uSes - Washington woods t7s nothing q
DO With 81. FheV have particular needs In
particumr eases. ana ee have ~"
Wow the West Coast l.ruhrruan saws
great wrorr b. pcrnrt-7f,-i on .nr lu-nner
4asH rrf a.