Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1922-09-23
LAST FRONTIER Of
WEST IS DOOMED
TIMBER CUTTERS WILL INVADE
THE MALHEUR NATIONAL
FOREST OF OREGON.
BIG TRACT OF VIRGIN PINE
More Than Seven Billion Feet OF Lum-
Der. II is Estimated, viii Be Taken
out-Many Miles Of Railway Arc
Necessary.

Z Twentieth century civilization of what
is described a. the last frontier settle,
ment in the United States j. foresccn
In the recent announcmrr- by the for
eSl service of the proposed safe ui
timber in the Malhcur national forest.
Oregon.
This wooded section. now remote
from railroad facilities and present
day methods at living. may soon ring
with the sound Of blasting and aX
blows, of pulling locomotives, of mill
whistles. automobile horns and other
noises of industry
Where now stand giants of the
forest will rise lumhcring towns and
agricultural communities. and where
roam bear deer and other wild ami
mails muscular men ana hardy women
will tread Dissertation Of tile last
great forest primeyal" is impending
Iumhrrucn of the country see in
the brief statement of the service the
final opportunity for their trade TO
deal iuitally with virgin pine forest
of wide cNpan>e and the last oppOr.
tunty for the settler To- take posses
sion Of region now remote from
railways and markets ana virtually
unused aericulurally.
Huge Timber Tract
The uprniu. for sale Of the timber
OF thr Bear Whitley unit of the Malhcur
national forest affects approximately
S!u.nop.0m feet of Blue mountains tim
Der now and marks the bc.innin. Of the
rnZing of the entire forest. containing
more than 7.u00oo0,0u0 feet of lumber
To start thc numbering operations it
will hc necessary To- build about Su
miles OF trunk line railway. ia addition
e. tap lines. thus opening incidentally
for settlement an agricultural country
having AN area 81 10000 square miles
or about twice that of the state of
Massachusetts.
The agricultural development that
will "n>uc upon the numbering nctivi-
ties. which involve the employment of
hundreds OF men in building of ncceS
sary railway alone, will demonstrate
also exceptionally the policy ol using
the general progress and welfare Of
adjacent regions. The forecast of the
forest service provides for nj least one
logging and numbering unit that will
never have Ia move elsewhere To find
new forcStS-at least one sIwuill town
that will never die for lack of material
for its industries
The mill site recommended Is AT
Burns. Ore. u village Of about 1000
persons. located 30 miles northwest Of
Crane, HE present terminus Of
branch OF the oregon Short Line Of
the Union Pacific railway. which leaves
the main line nj Ontario. ore. II il
likely that the Union Pacific would un
deriakc Ia build branch from Crane
to Burns II n sawmill were put in opcr
alton ut the latter place. II is said
From Burns on. however whoever
buys the timber will have To build q
logging railway which Is required Ia
be n common carrier. for IA distance OF
~ miles Ia ScnacH. The country Is
open and with easy SLOPES. extremely
we'll adapted tn economical logging and
easy railway construt tion.
II is estimated thai. exclusive Of the
line from Crane 10 Burns. whoever
takes this timber will have tn expcnh
approximately S3m1OOO in railway
building mill construction and operat
ing expenses for the first year. BE
cause Of the lack Of railways there are
10.OO0 square miles ~ land In Harvey
Grant and Cook counties almost On
tirely given over now ia grazing. The
few natives Of this section contend
that their community. from settle
ment point Of view. Is the last frontier
In the United States.
A Long Time Contract.
While the ancient forest Is doomed
the terms Of the proposed sale are
such that the succession 81 it's sylvan
posierity Is assured. according TO the
National Lumber Manufacturers asso.
citation. Though the timber now Of.
fered for sale by the forest service T.
sufficient only 10 keep moderate
sized mill running continuously for 20
years. the service will at the end Of
that time open NJ another unit and
so on until eventually T.O00.OOO 600 feet
Of timber will lac made available.
The unit II is now planned Ia open
Is ~ per cent western yellow pine.
The minimum price the forest service
viii consider for the pine In the initial
INIT is S2I5 thousand and 10 cents
for timber 81 other species, although
logging the latter will be- optional with
the contractor II is stipulated that
the mill must be IN operation by April
I. 1875. and that stumpage prices Will
after
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