The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-05-03
TIE HAsKIN LETTER
The Alaskan Opportunity.
FURS
By Ereder1s j. HaSIin.

II wifi probably be surprise to most
I! Americans to learn that lumber was
! shipped from Alaska to the states last
!, year. Aiaska's mines are celebrated,
/ her fisheries have been thoroughly
! journa lied and people are beginning
! to- realize that part OF Alaska is a
farming country: but her forests are
! almost unknown.
The few shipments of lumber that
left Alaska last year, however. do not
portend any large export trade in
this commodity. The interesting fact
at present is that Alaska contains
enough timber to build all OF its own
railroads and open its coal mines and
erect rs cities One-seventh OF all
/, the timber CT our national forests is
contained in the two Alaskan reser-
yaticns. the Chugach and the Ton
gass These two forests contain sew
enty-eight billion feet OF timber and
are capable OF supplying seven hum
bred million board feet annually for
all time.
For the last few years the cut OF
Alaskan timber has averaged about
fifty million board feet, used IN local
building. mining and to erect Gamer
les and make salmon crates. Nearly
all of the work has been done by rela-
lively small mills. But every step
in the coming development of Alaska
will require timber This Is one in
dustry that must grow II any other
does.
The Alaskan forests are like no
others in the world. Most of Alaska
is too high and too cold for forest
growth But along the southern and
western coasts there is low, warm
belt where over 100 inches of rain
falls every year. Here, beginning at
the waters edge and extending in
land over half mile. grow some of
the Oldest and densest forests on the
continent Sitka spruce, western
hemlock, and red cedar are the prin-
cipal species. The trees are as much
as six feet in diameter and 80 feet
tall. They have never been cut. and
forest fires are unknown, for these
Alaskan forests are fre-proof. Under
the trees is growth of moss AMI
brush so dense that one nay walk for
miles without setting foot upon bare
soil All of this underground is one
immense sponge. filled with water
which swells up at every step. Fire IS
impossible.
The southern and, western coasts Of
Alaska are cut by innumerable bays
and inlets and fringed with Islands.
1t is this coastal country upon which
the forests are located. Thus the
Tcngass. although only go miles in
length. contains about 1900 miles OF
coast line. These are the only ma
tional forests in the United States
which are patrolled wholly by boat.
Practically all of the timber lies with
in half mile of the water and the
rangers do their work in thirty-fvc
foot motor boats. Five of these yes
sells are kept constantly busy. Storms
often make the work extremely diff
cult. but TO patrol the forests ashore
is out of the question, not only be-
cause of distance but also because OF
the mosquitoes and the bears, which
represent the extremes in size of the
Alaskan fauna. and are the terrors
of the coastal country.
When they want 10 Jail a man at
one of the mining camps in that re-
g;on of Alaska during the summer.
they strip him and put him in mos
quito tent. and then leave him alone.
No guard with rife would be surer
death than the clouds of mosquitoes
without AS for the bears, they are
incredibly numerous and absolutely
lacking in education. They have not
yet learned that modern repeating
rifles are sudden death, and when they
meet a man in the woods. ~the great
Alaska brown bear. especially. are
prone to argue the right of way. By
sticking to the water the Alaskan for
est ranger avoids both mosquitoes and
bears.
Laundering operations on these
Alaskan forests are singulariy easy
and are unique in method. These for
ests have been growing for centuries
tunscathed by ak or fire and the forest
service is anxious to have the mature
. trees removed. They are sold to the
lumbermen for about one dollar per
thousand board feet on the stump.
The forests rise steeply right out. of
the sea The lumberman mounts a
little donkey engine upon raft.
floats it TO convenient beach and
there sets il up for operation A steel
cable is carried thousand feet or
more up into the woods where the
best timber is cut. Then ii is wound
on a revolving drum and the great
logs are "snaked" to the waters edge
in double-quick time. They are then
fioated in great RATS to the mills at
Seward and other coastal points No
where else in the world, perhaps, can
timber be so easily brought to the
mill. For many years, before any ma
| chinery was brought 70 Alaska, the
pioneers got all the timber they want
ed by cutting the great trees on steep
slopes and rolling and sliding then,
down TO the sea with jackscrews.
Between Prince William Sound and
Seward there is an immense supply of
| timber which is suitable for railroad
! construction purposes. The Ma1anus-
ka coal field to which the government
railroad Will include a spur is within
Z f-fr 80 fbn -oI