The record-union., 1899-06-21
FOREST DESTRUCTION.
How the Timber Of the State II
Vanishing.


(San Francisco Call, June 2Oth.)
I'VE have the grandest State lin the
Union and we are running it," is w. H.
Mills idea gathered from a trip
through the northern part of this State
and through Oregon. He has been
through the lumber country of both
States, and If there is anything Mr..
Mills grows enthusiastic over it is the
forestry Of California, but he says there
is limit to the trees and there seems
to be no limit to their destruction.
incidentally Mr.. Mills trip north was
to sell timber land. He went as far as
Portland. and there he closed deal
by which he turned over to lumber
men two lots of land in Oregon. One
included 49, 600 acres and the other
1O5.COO acres. All this will be cleared
within a few years These sales, with
two made in May aggregating 291,OO0
acres, make up a respectable total for
two months
mo one has amy idea of the way the
forests are being depleted said MI.
Mills yesterday. Where few years
ago there were miles on miles of un-
broken timber, now there is nothing but
bare hills and blackened stumps.
saw one place where there were five
sawmills; they cut up 200 logs day,
and they are clearing about 21O acres
a. week. In one place where We have
the right to all the timber left by the
lumbermen 1 found it took 1000 acres
year to supply our engines. The lum-
bermen leave absolutely nothing on the
land, although there is q great deal of
timber the lunbermen cannot use.
There should be no timber cut with
out the supervision of the forest war
dens. They should mark the trees to
be felled, and no others should be
taken. AS it is now all the best trees
are selected by the millmen, and in
getting these out they destroy not only
all the other old trees, but the youl
ones as we'll. The clearing of the for
ests is also affecting the water supply.
II they go on as they have been going
it will not be. long before the Sacra-
mento River will be nothing but a
small stream. In these vast extents OF
cleared lands, where when the trees
stood you could not go any distance
without crossing a stream, there is now
not even spring; the hills are drying
up. When the rain falls it runs eff
the slopes as it does off the roof Of
house, the streams rise and run like
torrents and then dry up again as soon
as the rain is over. Snow melts as
quickly as it falls, almost, and the land
drys before spring is past.
There is another branch of the lum-
ber trade that is using millions of feet
a year; it is the box trade. Every
thing Is packed in boxes now and box
mills are running night and day TO
supply the demand. People do not re-
alize what an amount Of lumber is
used in boxes. Why, last year we
shipped 10000 carloads of oranges out
Of the State; each car had 800 boxes
and each box was at least two feet of
lumber. Now, that makes 6,O0O,ODO
boxes and 100000 feet of lumber for
the orange crop alone After that
there are the other fruits shipped in
boxes, and then there is all the mer-
chandise. Any one can get some idea
Of that by going along the street and
looking at the wholesale houses ship
ping and receiving goods.
You see, sill this territory being
cleared is being put to use, mainly
through irrigation. More people are
coming in and more lumber is being
used. The tariff is almost prohibitive,
and therefore it limits the source Of
supply to our own. forests and we have
not large forests. They are big enough
so far as acres are concerned, but they
are not big forests when you come to
compare them with the great forests
Of the northern country. Between here
and New Orleans there are no forests
to speak of, and yet we have to sup
ply all the demand.
Something should be done about it.
] have written to every Assessor in the
State to ask for information as to the
number of sawmills In their counties,
and when I have the answer it will
surprise people. There are hundreds
of them, and i am afraid to guess at
the timber they cut every day."
Mr.. Mills has been gone week. He
returned yesterday morning He did
not confine himself to the main line all
the way. but took side trips whenever
the opportunity afforded He Travelled
in his private car. saw everything there
was to be seen and heard everything
there was to hear
10 Hang Pictures.