The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1902-09-02
.SALEM'S
WOOD
SUPPLY
Great Amount of Fuel BEING
Shipped in
COnYictS Clearing Land for
the State

1T will be buth a few years until Sa-
lem and the state institutions that are
located here will be Obliged to ship In
every cord of wood that Is used,' said
local wholesale wood dealer today.
"The acreage OF timber from which
cord wood may be cut is practically ex-
hausted in the vicinity of Salem. Sa-
lens wood supply is being obtained
largely from timbered districts so fas
remote from Salem that wood cutters
cannot haul their product to the city
and sell the same in competition with
wood that is shipped here. This con
dition will do much to hasten the time
when all of the city's wood supply Will
be shipped in. Even now of the 5O,-
600 cords that are annually burned the
proportion that is shipped in from dis
tant points is rapidly increasing.
THE statement that the timber acre
age for cordwood surrounding Salem.
Wllhlh convenient lahbNt 10 obbhN VA
hausted. may seem an unreasonable
announcement, but II is. nevertheless,
true" continued the dealers. Fully 20
per cent OF the trees. particularly OF
the fir family, that are seen in the val
lev are unfit for either fuel or lumber
for the reason that they are decayed
at tho heart Otherwise the trees ap-
pear healthy and vigorous.
There Is no shortage in the wood
supply this year, and no dealer has
control OF the supply. The fact that
great amount OF wood Is being ship
ped in this year has provided for the
shortage that would surely have exist
ed have shipped 10 Salem over
1000 cords from Pratum. this county
Many large contractors. who. a year
ago. cut several thousand cords in this
county. cut not single cord this year
They became discouraged last spring
when the valuation OF cord wood de-
preclated and many were compelled
TO let go OF their holdings at about ac-
tual cost"
When asked II the increased price
OF lumber in any way affected the price
OF cord wood, he dealer said that wood
suited for numbering purposes was
never reduced 10 cord wood, while the
increased manufacture OF lumber pro-
duced a larger amount OF slabwOod
and refuse for fuel. that must be sold
in competition with cordwood. and the
result was rather TO expand the price
OF cordwood.
The price OF wood in Salem is prac-
tically the same for the same time last
year. Big body ar brings 49, good oak
Is worth 81, while second growth hr Is
worth $3.50 TO s275, according TO
quality. The scarcity OF first growth
hr has increased the demand for good
secOnd-grOwth FIR. and It's consumption
has been advanced largely In
fact. there Is more second'grOwth
ir wood burned in Salem at the pres
ent time than ever before. When the
supply Of secondgrowth mr. has been
exhausted then the shipment of cord
wood 10 Salem will begin In earnest
Superintendent J, D. Lee. Of the
state penitentiary has given Farmer
Porter force Of ten TRUSTEES With
which 70 clear tract Of about 20
acres belonging 20 the state and locat
ed on Miu creek west u the reform
school The land Is COVERED with a
growth Of OAK and ash wood and the
wood viii be USED for fuel in the
prison chapel and The officers quar-
ters The bulk Of the wood that is
used AZ the penltontiary ia bought ~
contract