The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1906-07-19
LEADS IN LOGGING.
GREATEST SOURCE OF TIMBER
SUPPLY THE UNITED STATES.
Almost Inexhaustible Resources Of
This Country in Woods Prac-
tically Unlimited in
Variety.

Recent official reports show that
Uncle Sam is easily the greatest lum-
ber man in the world The greater
part of the timber that is used in maxi
ing everything from matches to masts
is hauled from the shores of the North
American continent. While pine and
fir form the bu'k of the trade, other
American woods are much In demand.
Even the tree-cl0thed islands Of far
off Australia depend upon American
forests for their supply of commercial
timber. 1t is estimated that half of
the spool stock used in the thread man
ufactories of England Is birch wood
that comes from Maine, state that
has been turning out on an average
150,000,000 feet of lumber per annum
for the last so years. Southern
cypress, for many years regarded as
fit only to furnish shade for alligators,
is ROW the standard shinale wood OF
the world.
California redwood which half a
century ago was practically unknown,
is to-day eagerly sought for in all the
markets of Christendom. One of the
best examples of the demand for GER
tain American woods is found in the
prices paid for walnut, which comes
chiefly from the middle Atlantic states.
German agents have been known to
pay from $3.50 to $400 each for fine
logs of Pennsylvania walnut.
Notwithstanding the enormous out
put of timber from the United States
there is enough left to furnish food
for the hungry teeth of the great saw
mills for many generations to come.
1t was estimated by government cx-
perts in 1900 that the standing sup
ply of timber in the United States
amounted to more than 2,000. eco o00.-
600 feet, board measure. With such q
supply, together with the scientific
methods of forestry that are coming
more and more into use, there is lit
tie fear that the United States viii
have to go outside her boundaries to
procure lumber. The very magnitude
of modern enterprise is q guaranty
that measures will be taken to pre-
serve the forests.
A single corporation operating in the
state of Maine. has invested nearly
SIG zoo, 600 in mills and machinery,
dams and forest land With such an
amount of capital tied up it is evi-
dent that the future prosperity ot the
undertaking depends upon the preser-
vation of its supply of raw material.
The producing territory OF
the United States may be divided into
six geographical sections, each OF
which is commercially distinct from
the other. The lake region, with its
white pine and hemlOck, includes the
states of Michigan, Minnesota and Wis
consin and parts of Missouri and Hi
nois.
Practically all of the states south Of
Mason and DiXon's line and as far
west as the Rocky mountains; comprise
the section from which come principal
ly the long and short leaf pine and
all the expresses. OF the various
groups that which furnishes the great
est variety of woods includes the New
England and north Atlantic states.
Their forest products range from the
spruce anu DITCH VI AIdlllC W MIN
ory, oak and walnut of the middle
states.
Ohio Indiana and part Of Illinois
form district whose contribution TO
the worlds supply of lumber is prac
tically all hardwood. Redwood, Doug
las fir, cedar and spruce flourish in al
most unlimited quantities IN the Pa
cific states and the Rocky mountain
states supply pine, aspen, cottonwood
and spruce.
That the American lumber trade
has long since passed the days Of its
infancy and is now one of the foremost
industries of the country Is plain to
every one who glances at the statis
tics prepared by government experts.
With the growth of the industry log
ging has been transformed from a
crude operation performed by hand Ia
Dor, helped out by oxen and horses
into a business conducted as skilfully
and with the same attention to care
full organization and detail as are seen
in other great enterprises.
In the almost inexhaustible forests
of Washington single company often
has hundreds of men on its pay roll
and works a score of logging engines
on its own railroads, some of which
are more than so miles in length
Companies of this size are capable OF
turning out 100000 feet Of logs daily
during the entire year.
Unlike other industries which have
been rapidly developed from small be
ginnings, numbering has not lost al
its picturesque features The red
shirted river drivers still guide tbs
great drives down the rivers. but nor
massive dams control the flow of th'
water and the logs float to marle
with a regularity unknown in tn
early days To the old-time pictur
esqueness has been added q seow q
discipline not unlike that belonging
to an army.
Chauffeurs of Long Ago.
There were chauffeurs long befor'
automobiles. History tells us tha
.Io,,+ +bo vaor 17qH men STRANGELY AZ