The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-05-05
HER GREAT
OPPORTUNITY
Astoria's Wonderful Timber Resour-
ces Compared With Other
Points.
MORE VALUABLE THAN GOLD
lsttnsdng Figures compIisd--Ths Markets
Of the Nohd Opsn TO the Nehalem
Valley OrsSon's rfodust
II Superior.


the wealth Of clatsop eounty's forests.
Tho providing OF means for reaching tho
domestic markets has revived inierep, In
the great timber preserves OF this part
OF the state OF oregon. Fr0m a CONNER
eiai point OF view the forests OF the
United States present the most valuable
crop or product raised on American soil
The national agricultural department says
The value OF tho product OF the gold
ana silver mines Of the United States for
the year 1894 IL: Gold. ts9.too.ooo. silver.
o.. I9s. 60: total. t7Os22.ooo. The most re-
cent and careful estimate, as the same
authority says. Of the value OF the rrod'
uets Of the nations forests during the
samo year. " n.o@.G0.coo or. nfteen times
that Of gold and silver. The same au-
thority also asserts that n 10 the gold
and silver products or TINT year the val
ue OF all other minerals. including iron.
copper. lead. Elnc. coal, lime. natural gas.
petroleum, salt slate and building stone
be added, We would have obtained for
the value Of all our mineral products
for the year 1894. the sum o. tSa1. 120p.
or only about one-hAlf OF the value OF
our forest products for the same year"
That unexcellcd opportunities for the
establishment OF number OF modern
sawmills at the mouth Of the Columbia
are presented. under existing conditions.
needs but little argument An experienced
tiubcr man. who visited the Nehalem
valley while on prospecting tour along
the Pacific coast some years aEo. stated
that after having examined the famous
redwood REGIONS Of California. and hav-
ing made a thorough investigation Of the
immense timber sections tributary 10 Pu-
get aound. that there was lmmeaaureably
morr and better timber more easily ac-
ccrsible TO market In the NehAlem valley
thnn in any other section OF the Pacific
Coast. The topography Of this i'm
monsc Sehalom timber region. In
It's relation 20 the Nchalcm river.
and the streams emptyinE there
In. admits OF the marketing AT the
smallest cNponFe Of nearly every stand
ing piece OF merchantahie timber With
the completion Of the railroad down the
Columbia river. and the location OF mod
crn sawmills al Astoria and the mouth
Of the river. this Nehalom timber will
hc Immediately available for market
Experienced coast mariners say that
there will he no difficulty or risks what
ever IN towing logs from the Nchalem
river up the few miles OF cast and into
the mouth Of the Columbia. there being
seasons In both summer and winter,
when the sea IL 80 placid that severai
trips with RATS OF logs can I've made dur
ing daylight each day from the Nehalcm
10 Astoria. II The attention OF Eastern
lumherrnen were called to the situation
here and the near completion OF the As
toria and Columbia river railroad which
will furnish easy and cheap access 20
the domestic markets OF the middle west
ern states, they would flock here In num-
hcrs and make short work OF arranging
for the placing OF this timber upon the
market The China and other Oriental
markets also offer unlimited possibilities,
The size quality OF the Schalem tim
ber which has already been shipped In
small quantities TO those points have been
viewed with amazement both by Euro
peans and natives In the different Asiatic
markets Oregon timber Is gaining q
worldwide reputation A little more ac-
tivity and push on the part OF the homo
people viii develop an industry greater
than the salmon fishing or any other
product OF the state.
The Port Blakeley Mills on Puget
Sound are now getting their loss from
the territory back OF Olympia They
recently closed a ten year contract with
loggers for S0,0O0OOO feet per year The
logRers own their own railroad into the
timber belts, and undoubtedly have n
fat thing. II Is conceded that the timber
OF this section is superior to that con-
tracted for by the Port Rlakeley people,
and that II Is equally accessible. Puget
Sound territory certainly has no monop-
-. - A.. Ia TAr lUwf,
or domestic markets. The mouth OF the
Columbia river II In every respect SUI
perlor harbor, and many hundreds OF
miles nearer 10 foreign ports, while with
the railroad completed. II will have a
much shorter and better line to Utah,
Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas and Missou-
ri than has the Sound country, Port
Blakeley ls not on the line Of any rail-
road. and its lumber products must OF
necessity be handled by boat and re-
loaded into railroad cars or ocean vessels.
Astoria mills will he able TO load their
product direct upon through cars for
any point In the United states or they
can 'onI It dir 1T into ocean steamers or
sailing vessels for all seaports of the
world, They will have the double ad-
vantage OF being able TO ship lumber or
shingles 10 all points without breaking
bulk.
There are perhaps few who realize the
enormous consumption of lumber and
timber In this country alone One item
IL worthy OF considration: Mines, both
gold and silver or coal, use large quanti-
ties OF timber every year II is stated
on good authority that the Butte and
Anaconda mines OF Montana alone use
l0O, ,000.O0O feet per fear. Last year the
South African mines consumed large
portion OF the output OF the Port blake
ley Mills. Astoria can reach all OF these
markets on as good terms as can Puget
Sound.
In view OF all the facts and considering
the immense possibilities there Is not the
slightest excuse for the people OF oregon
and particularly the people OF the West
ern portion of the state contiguous to
the mouth OF the Columbia, longer re-
naming idle upon this subject, This one
resource can no made TO return millions
TO the state every year. Shall not As
I