Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1916-08-21


The division of the county upon
which the crew is now working will
conclude the work in the eastern
part of Jackson county. When this
portion is finished the crew will
move into the section west of Med
ford. From the progress which is
being made II seems not unlikely
that the lands in Jackson county will
be classified with the next two
The organization of the forces and
of the work is practically completed
and about 100 men are employed al
together including the camp workers
and the transportation forces. One
more camp of cruisers for which Mr..
Sharp states he has already selected
the men, will be added and then the
organization will be complete.
One of the most interesting feat
ures of the system used is the classi-
fication report. These reports were
originated by Mr.. Sharp and form
the basis of the records of classifi-
cation. Each cruiser makes out one
of these reports for each sub-divi-
sion Of land. The reports are then
checked up and approved by the crew
foreman, then by Mr.. Sharp and for
warded to the Portland Land office
which approves them and forwards
them to Washington, D. c., where
they are filed and form the record
basis. Mr. Sharp says he believes
he has gone over and signed four or
five hundred of these in the past two
or three days. "
OF the land which has been cruised
and classified, Mr.. Sharp says:
"There is much valuable timber
land, the greater portion being clas-
sified as what I would call valuable
for the timber which stands on 1t.
Some of the timber is simply mag
There is also some desir-
able agricultural land, but owing to
the high altitude, not as likely to be
preferred as that in lower parts OF
the country"
One of the hardest problems met
has been the transportation of the
camps from one site to another. The
camps necessarily have to be moved
often so that the men will not have
too far to go from camp before be-
ginning operations. Auto trucks have
been found impractical on the rough
mountain roads. The jumps are too
long, sometimes so miles, for horses
or mules and teaming is too slow. At
present light automobiles with de-
livery wagon bodies are being used
and have proven fairly satisfactory.
eve have not a single green man
in the whole force" stated Mr..
Sharp, "and the pace which those old
timers set is simply terrific" He
went on to tell how two or three of
the compassmen who are mostly
young fellows, had had quite time
at first until they got hardened to
the work, and how the old-timers
Grabbed" If anyone Jagged.
The cruisers who are working on
the job, the biggest cruising job
which has probably been tackled on
the Pacific Coast, are absolutely the
pick of the timber cruisers of the
United States. These men know tim
ber like racing driving knows gaso-
line. Mr.. Sharp says, 81 really did
not expect to be more than under
way by this time, but these fellows
most of them had their lines picked
out before they hit camp and were
in the woods and at work before tho.
lad unpacked their duffle 1t is most
There is not a hitch or
a weak cog in the whole organiza-
ion. Each of these men was picked
Tor his particular job and nobods
las had to be told"
Besides the headquarters camp,
here are five sub-camps, each under
The charge of foreman. These
i've men. according to Mr.. Sharp, are
IS well known in the timber world
Is Battling Nelson Is in the boxing
world. They are Malcom Dobie, w.
=. Slaughter, David Edgar, Charles
W. Mead and Willie Potter, all men
If worldwide regulations and mas
,ers of all there is to know about
.imber Each camp has five cruisers
i've compassmen and the cook. The
amps are located from / 0 to 12 miles
apart. There are also a few men
who work loose" picking up the
odds and ends.
Mrs. Sharp came down from Port
land Sunday and left yesterday for
the Lake creek camp with Mr.. Sharp.
Mr.. Sharp presented her with fine
rifle purchased here and the boys
in camp count upon "the boss's wife"
to bring in some venison. Mrs. Sharp
is anxious to get out in the hills.
which she loves as well as the most