The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1908-01-17
1OO,OOO,OOO TIES.
Are Equivalent to 100000
Acres of Forest.

In the construction of new track
and for the renewals. the steam and
street railroads used, in 1906. over one
hundred million cross-ties. The av-
erage price paid was 4S cents per tie.
Approximately three-fourths Of the
ties were hewed and one.fourth sawed.
Oak, the chief wood used for ties,
furnishes more than A per cent, near.
ly one-half of the whole number, while
the southern pines, which rank second
contribute about one-sixth. Douglas
fir and cedar, the next two, with
approximately equal quantities. sup.
ply less than oue-ifteenth apiece.
Chestnut, cypress, western pine, tam
arack. hemlock, and redwood are all
of Importance, but no one of them
furnishes more than a small proper
ton,
Oak and southern pine stand high
est in both total AMI average value;
the average value of each is 81 cents.
Chestnut ranks next, followed by
cedar. Hemlock, at % cents, is the
tie reported.
More than three-fourtlIs of all ties
are hewed; and with every wood from
which ties are made, except Douglas
fir and western pine, the number Of
hewed ties is greater than the number
sawed. About ten times as many
Douglas fir ties are sawed as are hewed
OF the oak ties a little over one
sixth and of the southern pine ties less
than one-third are sawed. In con-
trast to the southern pines is the
western pine, of which more than one
half the ties are sawed. In general,
when lumber has relatively low
value the proportion of sawed ties in
creases, because the market for ties is
always active, while that for lumber
is frequently sluggish. All western
species are affected by this condition,
for stumpage is abundant aud its val.
ue relatively low.
Ten per cent of the ties purchased
were treated with preservatives either
before they were purchased or at the
treating plant OF the railroad com.
pany. At least ten railroad COM
panies are operating their own plants
for the preservation of their con-
struction material.
OF the many forms in which wood
is used, ties are fourth in cost, sawed
lumber being first, irewood second,
and shingles and laths third. It has
been calculated that the amount of
wood used each year in ties is equity
alent to the product of 600, 900 acres of
forest, and that to maintain every tie
in the track two trees must be grow
| ing.
With nearly 100000 miles of railroad
trackage and approximately $500 ties
to this mile, there are over 800, 000. 900
ties constantly subject to wear and
decay. The railroads report that in
the form of ties cedar lasts eleven
years. cypress ten years. and redwood
nine years. These woods, however,
lack the desired weight and hardness,
and, what is more important, they
are not available in the region of the
trunk lines of the Central and East
ern States. When it is considered,
then, that the service of the longest
lived tie timbers in general use-chest
nut, white oak. tamarack, spruce, and
Douglas fir is but seven years, while
with some. as the black oaks, it is but
four years, whereas treated tie with
equipment to lesson wear will last
fifteen years, it is apparent how much
the railroads can save il preservative
treatment of ties is universally adopt
ed. The saving in the drain upon the
forests is of even greater moment.
Details of the consumption OF ties
in 1906 are contained in Circular 124,
just issued by the Forest Service in
, cooperation with the Bureau Of the
: Census. This pamphlet can be Sc
: cured by application to the Forester
: at Washington, ID, G.