Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1913-12-26

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this article as something more than
The following facts were furnished
the Republican Wednesday by Chas.
A. Fisher, chief forester for the Clear
water National Forest, the authenticity
Of which cannot be doubted, being a
matter of record which may be veri-
fled. Mr.. Fisher said:
ssrhe Forest Service has recently
completed the work Of surveying by
traverse line control and estimating
the timber on an area of approximately
1900 acres within the Lolo creek
watershed of the Clearwater National
Forest, portion of which timber il is
expected will soon be advertised for
sale to the highest bidder. As the
territory embraced in this area is al
most all unsurveyed land it was neces-
sary to run what is commonly known
as traverse control survey which con-
sists of running traverse lines approx
imately two miles apart and as nearly
parallel to each other as possible, and
usually following the ridge tops. These
lines are plainly blazed and marked by
appropriate monuments and bench
marks and after the mapping Of this
work has been completed the area
covered by the survey can be blocked
into sections, thus enabling the esti-
mating work to be located fairly &C.
curately on the area as regards subdi-
viding of the land into sections of one
mile square.
The total area embraced in this
reconnaissance project is 5000 acres
containing approximately64, 900 acres Of
timber, $4,000 acres Of which was
found to be merchantable or such that
the government wishes to sell.
TN addition to the work of estimating
the timber, very accurate topographic
maps were made covering the entire
area and which show in quite minute
detail the topography of the country,
the location OF all the principal streams,
the elevation OF all principal points,
and many other features OF interest to
a logging operator.
'On the $1,000 acres of land there
was found to be approximately
GOO, ,O0O, 600 feet board measure Of mer-
chantable timber, 168,0OO,OOO feet
board measure or Is per cent Of which
is white pine and 432, GOO, 600 feet
board measure or 72 per cent is
mixed species, also about 400. 600 mer-
chantable cedar poles.
"For the handling of this timber il
will probably be necessary to construct
J railroad from some point on the main
Clearwater river, possibly at the mouth
Of Ford's creek, to the sale area, which
road will possibly pass through the
village of Weippe, thus opening up ,
. vast agricultural and dairy section o.
country in addition to serving the tim
! ber sale area.
It is also known that in disposing o
forest reserve timber Uncle Sam will
, have nothing to do with anything
looking to monopoly Of the lumbe
: business, and not an acre Of this fin,
timber in the Clearwater National For
est reserve will be sold to any BIZ
:. company now holding timber in thi
. part Of the country. Not only this, bu
! Uncle Sam sells timber only on condi
ton that the purchaser must actuall
= begin to make it into lumber at once
= and in this case, where no less tha
35 miles Of railroad must be cor
structed to bring the timber With
!, reach of transportation, it is probabl
= the government will give the pul
:, cbasers eighteen months in whic
:, to build the railroad. erect mammot
saw mill and begin operations.
Another fact is also known. A
> least two timber companies, eligable
bid under the terms Of the propose
:. sale, have asked to have this timbt
:. placed on the market, and it is no s,
:. cret that representatives OF these con
panies are now in the section waitin
! for the government to complete II
!. : preliminary work and pnt up the tin
!. ber at public auction.
" To reach this body Of timber, whis
averages, by government estimate
1900 feet board measure to the acl
= = or 2, 72O, 600 feet per quarter section,
er railroad must be built, and it must