The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-12-18

special correspondent of the Poss-inteill-
gencer stood last year in the great EroI
cotton mills AT Shanghai and saw overnsadt
the magnificent beams he asked the supe-
intendent OF construction whence theYy
came From Port Blakeley.' was the re.
ply There was nowhere else for us tsI
get them from. When we were constructs
ing this building We needed lot OF Arge0
timbers We simply chartered a ship, sensI
her 20 Puget sound and got cargo OF curl
own"
Japan Is almost equally dependent on they
Pacific Northwest fer her timber supply.
and "a the rapidly advancing wave OF civ
ilization in the island empire spreads fur.
Their and further the mills of Puget sound
Will feel its reflex touch. Already several
specially chartered vessels have loaded
lumber at Seattle wharves for Kobe and
Osaka. and Or the very outskirts OF Tokyo,
the capital OF Japan, ana one or the real
Is great cities Of the world. a little lumber
yard has sprung into existence with the
sign Douglas Fir TO greet the eyes OK
the American traveller.
Other foreign and coastwise customers
are going To- take Washington lumber 10
increasing quantities. Alaska, with Its rap
id increase Of population, wealth and trans
portation facilities. viii undoubtedly ne.
stow her patronage on her sister state hxr
wall has but a limited amount OF BUILDING
material, and even prior 10 annexation was
the largest foreign purchaser of Washing
ton cedar shingles. With the new !nnux
OF American capital and American peg
pie. there viii be more building and on
larger scale.
So far as the lumber season Is concernsi,
Il differs from the single season In TINS
important respect: The chief market ior
Washington shingles is IN the East. the
shipments by rail amounting to lU times
those by water. The winter season IN fss
East virtually closes down building opera
tions. so far "A : outdoor work Is concs.n-
Cd. Not so with lumber. The largest snp-
ments from Puget sound are cargo shp
Ynents. and the demand goes on Winner
and summer alike
With all the enormous quantity OF inm-
Der that goes out from Seattle Il has o.sn
a matter OF general surprise that there are
not more lumber manufacturing estanilso-
fnents in the city. II rumor amounts 20
anything there viii DO at least two iaffs
plants placed in this city during the COM
ing year. Port B!akeiey. which IL pfacii-
caiIy u suburb of Seattle. IL also 10 eass
its manufacturing facilities increased :onh.
Nalw6rth a Neville. or Bay city, Men-,
are to establish there n large plant ior
turl,.E.sc out cross arms for telegraph pofs
II must also BE- borne In mind, in essnh.-
ing the manufa curing resources OF sttt-
tie that Ballard. me largest shngle in'a-
ufaCuIrng town "A the world, Is 10 al -
tents and purposes a part Of this city. I.A
lack Of lumber manufacturing plants Wiz
in the city IS emphasized ny the Frs'ss
fact that contractors during the pfsea.
year have had 10 so as far as tfays ma
Dor for purchasing lumber 10 fdna c1
tracts within the city OF Seattle.
Logs Are Scarce.
one Of the most striking features Of y:
lumber market Just now j. the scarcfsg % y
logs IN the Puget sound district IT. -
scarcity applies TO botb cedar and M us
especially TO fir. The big Port Btaketey
mill. which usually carries a stock OF troal
u 90 o-g 20 81 40 80 feet Of legs has nov
on hand not more than 1.e4s} 30 feet u
Puget Mil g.. has. not more than 1917 -,
feet for it's three big mills The ~. Fsas
& Tacoma Lumber Co.'S supply does NV