Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1908-05-11
MUST KEEP
river OPEN
BOOM COMPANY receives ORDERS
FROM war DEPARTMENT.
Long Continued Efforts of Settlers
for Open River SuCCe SSfui. At
tempt to r1OnOpOIiZe WiShkah
River Must Cease. Will not inter.
fere With Logging Operations.

Last week the Wishkah Boom Co.
received formal notice from the war
department, through Major Chitten-
den, engineer in charge of this dis
trict, that, unless its operations were
so regulated by May 20 as to insure
permanently free channel of rea-
sonable width for boat navigation on
the Wishkah river, it's permit for OPP
Grating a boom would be cancelled.
The order recited that repeated COM
plants about obstruction to naviga-
ton from the settlers and their at
torneys, and the failure of the boom
company to grant promised relief,
left the department no option but to
issue this drastic order.
With this action, the settlers along
the Wishkah river win a fight with
the boom company that has been con-
tinued for years. In the early days
of the boom in the river, settlers were
few, and logging operations were not
of great proportions, and the man
agement of the boom company at that
time had little difficulty in dealing
with the farmers, but during the past
ten years, logging on the Wishkah
has grown wonderfully, and the
growth of the cities on the harbOr
has stimulated farming to such an
extent as to cause constant friction
between the home builders and the
boom company.
The feeling between the two inter-
ests was not lessened by the 81 am
bigger than thou" attitude assumed
by the management of the company
in recent years. When a rancher
ventured to complain that his land
was being washed away, his fences
destroyed, and his cleared land COW
cred with logs and driftwood, the
manager had habit of throwing out
his chest and telling them to appeal
to the courts if they did not like his
style of doing business, usually add
ing the statement that he had attor-
neys employed by the year. This, to
men of limited means, worked for a
time, but, as matters grew worse,
they did go into court and appealed
to the war department, as 1T now ap-
pears, with a degree of success that
will prove not only beneficial to them
individually, but to the country at
large as we'll.
The Wishkah river is entirely too
important stream to be permitted
to remain obstructed, particularly as
no real reason exists why 1t should
not have a free boat channel at all
times. unless it is that a compara-
lively small expenditure by the boom
company would be required. All who
are familiar with the river agree
that it is an ideal stream for logging
purposes, and that if the boom was
managed properly there need be nc
interference with navigation.
But this boom has been operated
with an eye single to making all the
money possible with the least posi-
BILE cost, and has been satisfactory
neither to the settlers nor to the log
gers. While the river has been
blocked by logs, to save cost OF stor-
ing them elsewhere, loggers have
been months in getting their RATS tC
market, and in some instances have
been heavy loosers by reason of a
fall in prices while they We're waiting
on the economical methods OF the
company to get their logs delivered.
Since the receipt of this perempt
ory order an attempt has been made
to create an impression that the con
tention is between the farmers ant
the loggers, and that the latter would
be damaged and possibly put out o.
business. Nothing is further from
the facts. The loggers will doubtless
be annoyed while the boom opera
tions are being adjusted to fit the or
der, and the boom company may en-
deavor to enlist their aid In an effor
to have it modified, but the action O.
the department really concerns th'
boom company alone. That corpora
ton must now proceed to do what Il
should have done years ago-tak'
proper care Of the logs without in
jury to other interests. or give UP IT.
permit. Should 1t take the latter
course, logging would continue with
out a break. It is one of the bes