The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-09-16
MY TRIP TO CALIFORNIA
BY MISS BESSIE c. SCHOLAR.

fUi00 oI0SiL Os OSFfOOEAns
 My trip to California was filled with delightful features. while my stay in San Francisco was short, I had suffi- cient time to visit the points of interest. among which are the famous Cliff House, Sutro Baths and Golden Gate Park The greater part of my time was spent in : the town of Eureka, which is situated about 15O miles north of San Francisco on Humboldt Bay, in the heart of the redwood district and has population of 2O,00O
 The home of the redwood is in three counties lying along the northern coast of California, Del Norte, Humboldt and Mendocino. The largest acreage Is per haps in Humboldt county, where 1t can be safely said that the trees attain a greater size than in either of the other counties, though in Mendocno the man. ufacturing of redwood is carried on to great extent and is It's leading indus try
 The trees are of enormous growth, often attaining a height of $50 feet, with a diameter of 20 feet. A tree under four or five feet is generally designated as "sap-
 
 single tree to cut from SO,OOO to 100000 feet, board measure of saleable lum- Der.
 The forests are exceedingly dense. the trees growing very close together. so close, in fact that 1t is but seldom that a ray of sunshine ever penetrates their foliage. As a consequence 1t is always damp and cold, so much so, indeed that but little animal life Is seen. St. Patrick has evidently wielded his sceptre in this country, for 1t is totally void of snakes Even the birds shun the dark and gloomy surroundings while to the human being the solitude and awful stiffness is almost oppressive and the solemn grandeur of these mighty giants is suggestive only of mans utter insignificance as a pro- duct of nature. Adding to the beauty of the scenery are immense ferns and here and there streams of crystal clear ness.
 It will perhaps prove more interesting to the reader to refer to the redwood from a commercial point of view and in doing this we shall eonfine ourselves to Humboldt county. There are at present In the county ten mills The annual out put is about 250, 100000 feet At this rate the supply cannot be exhausted in much less than POO years. and where the supply Is to come from after this time need not trouble the minds of those of us who are
 
 Of the 25O.OOO,Ooo feet of lumber man. ufactured annually. about 16.0000OO feet are sent to foreign countries. the greater part of 1t designated as rough clear" being cut not less than four inches in thickness and twelve in width It Is recognized as being ''unmanufactured" lumber, and therefore goes into foreign ports free of duty and is there cut into smaller dimensions for the retail trade
 Redwood, as its name implies is red and the lumber is susceptible of a beau tiful finish. It is used almost exclusively in building in California, and 1t is grow ing in popularity in the east, where A market is being created for it. It is comparatively free from decay and is undoubtedly, less combustible than any known wood. When it has been tried and its many good qualities proven it will be in demand throughout the entire world.
 In outer appearances the redwood re- sembles the cypress of South Alabama There is. too, in the color of the inner part of the trees striking similarity both being soft and porus. as well as beautifully symetrical in growth.