The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1911-06-23
OF
LOGGED LAND

Spokane, Wash, June 20.-More
than 100000 acres of cut-over tlmoei
lands in eastern Washington and Ore
gon, north and central Idaho, western
Montana and southeastern British cor
umbia will be cleared and populated
by mixed farmers and homebuilders'
if the present plans of the lumpei
manufacturers and commercial CLUBS
of the Inland Empire are carried ou'
to a successful conclusion, as contem
plated.
E. F. Cartier Van Dissel, president
of the Phoenix Lumber company, VINO
originally brought the question OF de-
veloping the logged-off lands in the
Inland Empire to the attention OF the
Spokane Chamber of Commerce, mas
been successful in interesting the
Stevens County Federation of CONNER
cial Clubs and similar organizations
throughout the Pacific slope country
in the movement. Joined with this
force are the Panhandle, the Potlatcn'
the Humbird, the McGoldrick, the
Phoenix, the Milwaukee and other
prominent lumber companies operat-
ing in various parts of the Northwest.
The transcontinental railway COM
panies were quick to take up the mat
ter from a colonization point, the
Great Northern commissioning Danlei
E. Willard of St. Paul, development
agent, to visit the district for the pur-
pose of ascertaining the possibilities
of the lands in eastern Washington
and northern Idaho. In company with
Mr.. Van Dissel and J. S. Gillespie,
assistant secretary of the Spokane
Chamber of Commerce, Mr.. Willard
has visited several points in the two
states mentioned and it is expected he
will make a satisfactory report to his
superiors on returning to st. Paul.
Mr.. Van Dissel said in discussing
the proposal to utilize the logged-of
lands to the best interests of the
While there are portions of these
lands where 20 acres will give ample
returns for family, probably the bulk
of it will be cut up into 40, 80 and
160-acre tracts. No richer land can
be found anywhere in the country. 1t
is peculiarly adapted for fruit and
grain, while dairying and hog raising
would give valuable returns. To clear
the land of the stumps the 'charpitting'
system has proved the most practical.
THE railroads are showing much
interest in the project, and l believe
that by systematic campaign such
as the Spokane Chamber of Commerce
is outlining, the Inland Empire will
be populated by large number of
farmers. People are look
ing for cheap land. The days of home
steads are passed. Desirable timber
claims are hard to find at a reason
able figure.
1.-The logged-off land offers the best
opportunity for those who want to
work and build home Most of the
land contains plenty of wood for fuel
for years to come"
Albert l.. Flewelling, president of
the Western Forestry and Conserva-
ton association and general manager
of the Milwaukee Land company,
which operates extensively in north
ern Idaho timber, gives the following
as practical and feasible plan Of
settling and developing the land:
Il should suggest the forming Of an
active organization in each district,
along the lines of the district fire assO-
Citations. Each landowner should
come into the organization and pay a
small assessment to place the land on
a selling basis. A parent organization
could be formed with headquarters in
Spokane to act as a clearing house for
each district organization The land
in each district could be classified and
priced. The parent organization would
perfect selling agency on a commits
sion basis. BY this plan, prospective
buyers could be taken in charge by
the Spokane organization, and then
sent to the various district bodies
where the land is located. When a
sale is made, the commission would be
divided equally between the district
and the parent body. By
this method, it is my opinion, there
would be no confusion and the best
results would be attained for all con
cerned."
Samuel Glasgow, who presided as
chairman at a joint meeting Of the
commercial clubs and timber land
owners of eastern Washington and
northern Idaho in the assembly hall of
the Spokane chamber two months ago,
that he will arrange for a
of representatives from all
parts of the district as soon as the
preliminary plans of the movement
are completed.