The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-04-18

so enormous in extent and so superior
IN quality as measurably to silence
the lament which the rapid disappear
ance of the forests of the Eastern
states has occasioned in recent years."
Mr.. Ewart believes there is sufficient
timber In the Pacific coast states to
supply lumber for many generations to
come, and In proof of this he points
= to, the fact that in Montana and Ore
gon, as we'll as In Washington and
Idaho, there is much land, burned
over, which now contains q young
growth not yet of merchantable quail
ity.
He places the amount of timber
standing in the five states in this
order: Montana and Idaho, 5O,0OO,-
OO0,OOO feet each. and Washington,
California and Oregon at 100000 ,OOO,-
OOO feet each. with this classification
in approximate feet:
Fir, 100000, 100000; Western white
and yellow pine, $4,000, 100000; sugar
pine, $4,000 100000; redwood, 75,O0O,-
100000; cedar. $4,000 900 900; hemlock,
OO,000,0O0; spruce. $4,000 900 900;
spruce, 5,O0O,OO0,OOO; miscellaneous
woods, 5,0O0.0O0.OOO.
This gives us an aggregate stand of
1o0,00O,OOO,OOO feet" he said, land as
the present value of our coast stump
age ranges from 40 cents to $3.50 per
thousand feet the relative Importance
OF our forests must be seen at a
glance.
While the average is more than 81
thousand feet there are many dis
tricts where the quantity to the acre.
quality and accessibility will more
than double that figure.
Our prices are much lower than
even In the yellow pine districts of the
south, where the products command
$500 thousand, while in Minnesota
ana Wisconsin white pine cannot be
touched at much less than $40, when
only timber of marketable quality is
considered.
In view of these facts, which are
borne out by the latest governmental
reports there is absolutely no reason.
to avoid the conclusion that early and
rapid advances must take place in our
timber values.
of course, with greater facilities of
transportation. such as will be afford
ed by the completion of the three
are now building, there will be mater
ial advantages to lumber interests, but
in the meantime the heavy demand for
construction material incident to the
new lines of railway already prevail
Ing in domestic and export trade must
keep prices on firm and steadily ad
vancing basis"
Mr.. Swart mentioned also that the
Panama canal as a factor will I'M
questionably increase the current
coast mill prices on lumber not less
than so per cent
These are forces" he added, "that
are already at work and there is moth
ing that can divert or stop them. Con-
sidering all these conditions, it is in
evitable that the forests of the Pacific
coast states will register phenomenal
increases in value in the near future;
in fact. l may say the movement has
already begun, and this means that the
big trees of the West will represent
more dollars at the close of this year
than the most sanguine lumberman
has thus far ventured to predict"
Mr.. Ewart spoke of the summit of
the Cascade mountains as the dividing
line between the big trees on the coast
side and he names these in this order:
Fir, spruce, cedar, hemlocls and birth,
and the smaller fur found among the
pine and tamarack of the Eastern
slopes. The coast side trees are from
three to ten feet in diameter and cruise
from $4,000 to 100000 feet the acre.
This class of timber necessarily in
wolves heavy logging outfit invest
ments,' he added, 'the work being
done almost entirely by steam donkey
engines, steel cables being used to
drag the logs over skid railways to the
point where they can be loaded on cars
and moved by railway locomotives.
East of the mountains, where the
timber is smaller, logging can be car
ried on by horse power, the particular
outfit varying with the local condi-
tons. The average stand on this side
is little less than 10000 feet board
measure the acre.
Il firmly believe there will be more
logging operations this year than in
any year in our history and there is
reason for it, There were few timber
land sales in 1905, because the govern
ment fraud investigations created a
general distrust of Western titles. and
this held off many investors until the
atmosphere cleared, but now, when it
has been shown the number of ques-
tionable titles is relatively small, there
appears to be renewed inquiry and
activity in timber lands
"Those who buy now will be able to
do SO better than in six or nine months
be cause everything indicates advances
in stumpage values during 1906 far
beyond anything previously expert
enced."