The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1907-12-26
State Is First in numbering in Country

attained in 1905 was still more
firmly established in 1906. Not
only was the state first in lumber
production last year, but it led the
next largest lumber-producing
state by the great margain OF more
than billion and a half OF feet,
or more than IS per cent. That is
the state of Washington in 1906
yielded more than half as much
again as the second largest state
in the lumber industry, which was
louisiana. Yet, as recently as 1904,
Washington was second in lumber
production; Wisconsin was first.
In 1905 the "big four" states were
Washington, louisiana, Wisconsin
and Michigan, in that order.
All the lumbermen know how
phenomenal has been the raise OF
Washington in the timber indus
try. The state last year produced
11.5 per cent: of the entire lumber
product of the United States, al
though Washington's share OF the
whole in 1890 was less than | per
cent. The shifting of the lumber
business is described in a striking
way by the forest service. in con-
nection with some tables prepared
by that service and the census
bureau. These paragraphs are
quoted:
'"The changes which have taken
place in the cut of the various
species are strikingly reflected in
this table. The cut of Idaho in
1905 was more than six times that
of 1899, that of Washington was
triple, and that of Oregon more
than double. In the same length
of time the lumber production of
Louisiana increased 1911 per cent,
that of California 1877 per cent,
and that of Mississippi So per cent.
On the other hand, the cuts of
Indiana and Ohio decreased 81 per
cent, that of Georgia 1854 per cent.
and that of Wisconsin and Michi-
gan 80 per cent. 1t is interesting
to carry these comparisons back to
the earliest date for which figures
upon the lumber cuts in the vari-
Gus states are available, to show
the shifting which has taken place
in the sources of our lumber sup
ply. Michigan, for instance, fur
nishes % per cent. of the lumber
production of the United States in
1880, but only sc per cent, in 1906.
louisiana cut or per cent. of the
total in 1880, and IA per cent. OF
that of 1905. Washington fur
nished only 90 per cent. of the
lumber production of 1880, and
11.5 per cent. of that of twenty six
years later.
THE great lumber-producing
centers moved first from the pine
and spruce forests of New England
westward through New York and
Pennsylvania to the white pine
region of the Lake states, and then
swung southwark to the great yell
low pine belt. Now, however, the
Pacific Northwest is rapidly assum-
ing the position of chief impor-
lance, and lumber from California,
Oregon and Washington is stead
lily working its.way eastward across
the plains and prairies. The Pa
clhc coast at present contains the
country's greatest supply of virgin
timber, yet numbering in that re-
gion is heavy and is increasing.
The total product of the Washington
mills last year was 1905, O53, 900 board
feet. The nearest approach to these
figures by any state was louisiana, the
1906 production was 2,796, 1896, 900 feet.
For the whole country the production
last year amounted to 37,135, 139, OOO
feet, which was an increase of little
less than 8 per cent. over the product
of 1899. The increase in the state OF
Washington as compared with 1899 was
over POI per cent, which was far greater
than that in any other state. The in
crease in Louisiana was 151 per cent.
Other but lesser gains were in Missis-
sippi, 53 per cent. and California, SO