The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-01-03
srraT MARKET FOR FIR.
-. IN sire ard Strength. ana
--srds the Worlds Trade
far Many Purposes

1z .~e lumber industry n get in
49, here. mills are annually In
- - ssesr output and as yet have
60 r..ds perceotfoie Impression On
~ss, woodlands whsaes they Draw
Ger ssp91'
-. Fir Is the Monarch.
- sse native trees the Washington
-. on,v exceeds the rest In quantity,
= snportascs from commercial
ss.,spoias. Rising as tney 90 q heignt
= 49, IN some instances and averag-
go ~ feet. the frs dwarf 81 other
- ~rowtss and rival the gigantic red
- (.aslforulz They are the delight
s-rs,ssn both % account Of their ar
go. .s-slgatHeas and because they do
-, IN branch out FOR the arst 20 or
- asove the ground. thus offering
- -. often over 100 feet IN length OF
s..~st grsin ard free from knots. quail
- al 10 BE- obtained from any oLaer
80, n ne word Although clsssed as
iaAIs -.sss Ar Is tough and strong. 20
80 nuslFties T. toined remarkable
..s.,,~ that renders Il flexible TO q de-
- .<.aftsired by any except few va
s.,s,a ~ hard wood.
- mas.s the Washington mr. stands
-..,c.s a rival end not only is in great
1888 on the Atlantic seaoosre. bat "a
sw~a,sea to Europe 70 furnish spars for
/ ard tr tet=GsGE tldEF assEHf4t4 IT.
irssrx DR.. Sansen's fsvnous Arctic
..s~sr rrarn. where the best or mate
- i eallrd for in the contract. The
..s..s states government also recognizes
~eet,ence by requiring 81 IN Its specin-
s..ssrs FOR the new var vessels. including
$50 fasslt on tHe Atlauttc coast. In
80 . ls pr,rclpaily used for deck plank
=. Besides the local market. fir II also
s~x.-sy sought throughout the United
kssTf
s-awe and mining timbers. in the con-
s.rnr,san Of cars and lataly for making
Doors 80
The Export Business.
"a. ,xnart business I'm Washington Ar
!. vsrv heavy. az three or four OF the iarg-
| =. -rtl,s on the Sound devote themselves
s..sustvely 20 the foreign trade. Austria
4. central America South America At
=. England. the continent and Japan
.sf Cana are among the markets sup
sid
n Australia. outside OF Melbourne, sgd
as and Victoria, the demand IL chiefly
~ heavy ilmbers 20 be used In coal
zines but the cities named take great
1usnsftsesof asrnen sion stun which = there
rNsawei and manufactured into the re-
sasref lengths ard shapes. The same may
l. s.A OF the lumber sent TO Central ard
r,gsk America. except that IN the tropical
ard sllb-tropieal countries proportionateiv
sore !. used for mining and less for build
ns purposes.
Sumption are IN many places so far dis
An, from the native forests, with means
a Transportation 80 inadequate or utterly
hskirg that n has proved 90 be cheaper 20
hing lumber from Puget sound than 20
attempt 70 use African timber. To this
nay be added the fact that In the hotter
and more thickly wooded portions the ma
I've woods are excessively hard and have
acne Of the qualities or characteristics
ia; render Washington FIR so valuable.
Quantities Of Puget sound fr are therefore
annually exported TO South Africa 20 be
sses for mining iImhers and In railway
purposes The fact that the number OF
fses sent 10 South Africa in 1885 was less
aan the number in 1895 r. explained by
~ fact that some OF those chiefly inter-
essed In the railway from Delagoa bay 20
johannesburg were implicated with DR..
,smeson IN his famous raid. The failure
q this expedition, followed as II was by
re Imprisonment OF number OF the raid
efx Including those interested in this rail-
way. temporarily pnt n stop 70 the de-
asni All lumber II extremely high In
South Africa Washington fir. which Is
worth here about s. per thousand feet.
ftas ready sale there even at a rate %
81 per thousand
For the English and continental mar
bets deals" and ''hattens" are most COM
nauy furnished. These are what Is
snosn tn this country as dimension stun,
-aally not exceeding sx9 inches. They
sfs used for stringers and building TIM
hers
The Oriental Market.
N al or the markets Just mentioned Pu-
~ sound FIR has been known for years
sai Il has steadily grown IN favor year By
1sss China and Japan are therefore the
sny foreign markets which can be said
70 have developed within the last few
years.
To Japan as by far the more progressive
al sn'erprislng country or the two the
EXPORT OF ar - much the greater. and an
experimental SHIPMENT OF rcaiy-built
aeases was well received there. The tim
Der usually sent, however. Is Tor building
va shows an increase OF 20 per cent over
tas H& shipments. Il VIII take some ttne.
aewever 20 change the Jaranese custom
6Alsif'ng % bamboo. which e. cheap and
feeufal and wen suited 20 the native
syls o. living The demand for lumber -
sss'ffheless steadily Increasing In Japan
"a with the more general adoption 81
European habits az living an enormous
-rseer msrke' win be opened up FOR the
Washington mills.
ons a the difficulties heretofore sncoun-
"ft ~ all who sought 20 introduc.
scoden houses In Japan was the terrible
.ssFsefioa wrought by tho white ants
.rh infeSt the country They appear %
species or land eeredo. attacking
49, and actually honeycomhjng = in
49, time. For some time II was thought
a. Were was no wsv g guard against
lsf attack. ans fear OF them also diraln-
n TIE demand FOR building lumber IN
&s portions OF Central America.
efe tsey abound. II has lately bssn as
-'s'S however. that = coating ~ plaster
~ ne beams ard woodwork 90 house.
safsee ard n. renders e proof arains,
- especially r - This Is adde's 8 thor
- nfQ'ag az he house with hammers
war, ss TIE shaking hat the ants
rscelVa seems % destroy them.
60 NJ sent % China Is used almost En-
...1 Tor shiP-balldlng or ship repairing
usually cut song snd varying IN
$3.50, $50. 81 thickness from tsxfs inches
S"S Inches on Is arrival q = cut TITO
- SWsi lengths Ths obf@ct IN send
80 large sticks - - take advantage
so8eese tsriH. which places on iuri-
- 10y p - much Per piecs. frrcSpec-
- rs dimensions -.ittla or no tufn-
~. $50 Tor hujlttnE houses except ~
49,. ssa residents and the amount
ey ITEM Is ineoaslaerahle.
oreEon's stolen Glory.
- lailS'ice hss been tcre 20 wash
,r~~s.F rom re fact thst 70 - often
!. So called oregon pine. especially
s.,. ~ eeunirteS. an3 ,hus tae uarnia-
warrington timber - credited -
80 whereas ths-a .ta -,-~,s,..,...,,, 3.
Ran here IRE fS~t - that Ore
- - esFl'er sett}e.l han Washington
A. = ~ sNiHu1en - n ~ tamarr befaw
e. state. e was naturally called