The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-05-03
THE HAsKIN LETTER
The ALASKAN Opportunity.
FURS
BY Ereder1s J. Hasltn.

Ia BY Ereder
II win probably be . surprise TO most
Americans to learn that lumber was
shipped from Alaska TO the states last
year. AlaskG's mines are celebrated,
her fisheries have been thoroughly
Journa lized 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
AZ present IS that Alaska contains
railroads and open its coal mines and
erect It's cities. One-seventh OF all
the timber CT our national forests IS
contained in the two Alaskan reser-
vaticns. the Chugach and the Ton
gass These two forests contain sew
enty-eighf billion feet of timber and
are capable OF supplying seven hun
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 ana uldhc Sd1Il1OH adlSo- ~
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
cus;ry that must grow If 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 a low. warm
belt where over 100 inches of rain
falls every year Here, beginning at
the waters edge and extending in
the oldest and denseSr 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 and
brush. so dense that one may walk for
miles without setting foot upon bare
soil All of this underground is one
immense sponge. filed with water
which sweHs up at every step. Fire is
impossible
The southern and western coasts Of
Alaska are cut by innunerable bays
and inlets and fringed with islands.
1t is this coastal country upon which
the forests are located. Thus the
Tcngass. although only $50 miles in
length. contains about 1900 miles of
coast line. These are the only ma
tional forests in the United States
which are patro1led wholly by boat.
Practically all of the timber lies with
in haf 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 arc the terrors
Of the coastal country.
When they want TO Jail a man at
one of the mining camps in that re-
s;on of Alaska during the summer.
they strip him and put him in a mos
quito tent. ana 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
meet 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 singularly 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 il TO a 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 it is wound
on 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 TO Alaska, the
! pioneers got all the timber they want
ed by cutting the great trees on steep
| slopes and rolling and sliding them
I down 10 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
I railroad Will include a spur is within
4 forty miles of the Tonsass national
4 forest. Thus an adequate supply of