The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1922-09-28


out--Many Miles of Railway Are
Necessary.
MISUNDERSTANDING up to the
Twentieth century civilization of what
is described us the last frontier settle
ment in the United States is foreseen
in the recent Announcement by the for
est service of the proposed sale of
timber in the Malheul' national forest
Oregon.
This wooded section, now remote
from railroad facilities and present
day methods of living may soon ring
with the sound Of blasting and AK
blows, Of putting locomotives, Of mill
Whistles automobile horns and other
noises of industry.
Where now stand giants OF the
forest will rise numbering towns and
agricultural communities, and where
roam bear, deer and other wild ami
mails muscular men and hardy women
will tread. Dissertation of the last
great forest primeval" is impending.
Lumbermen of the country see in
the brief statement of the service the
final opportunity for their trade to
deal initially with a virgin pine forest
Of wide eXpanse ana the last oppor-
tunity for the settler to take posses
sion of a region now remote from
railways and markets and virtually
unused agriculturally.
Huge Timber Tract.
The opening for sale of the timber
of the Bear valley unit of the Malheur
national forest affects approximately
S9O,000000 feet of Blue mountains tim
Der now and marks the beginning of the
razing of the entire forest, containing
more than 7,000,0000OO feet of lumber.
To start the numbering operations 1t
will be necessary to build about 50
miles Of trunk line railway, in addition
to tap lines, thus opening incidentally
for settlement an agricultural country
having an area of 10000 square miles,
or about twice that of the state OF
Massachusetts.
The agricultural development that
will ensue upon the numbering actiyi-
ties, which involve the employment Of
hundreds of men in building of neces.
sary railway alone, will demonstrate
also exceptionally the policy of using
the national forests as an adjunct OF
the general progress and welfare OF
adjacent regions. The forecast Of the
forest service provides for at least one
logging and numbering unit that Will
never have to move elsewhere to find
new forests-at least one sawmill town
that will never die for lack Of material
for its industries.
The mill site recommended IS at
Burns, Ore, village of about 1000
persons, located 30 miles northwest of
Crane, the present terminus of a
branch of the Oregon Short Line of
the Union Pacific railway, which leaves
the main line at Ontario Ore. 1t is
likely that the Union Pacific would I'M
QeftHke 10 Dullu Il III bllNl ~ yin VI bllt
to Burns If a sawmill were put in oper-
alton at the latter place, it is said.
From Burns on, however, whoever
buys the timber will have to build a
logging railway, which is required to
be a common carrier, for a distance Of
so miles to Senaca. The country is
open and with easy slopes, extremely
we'll adapted to economical logging and
easy railway construction,
It is estimated that, exclusive Of the
line from Crane to Burns, whoever
takes this timber will have to eNpend
approximately S3,0O0000 in railway
building. mill construction and operat-
ing expenses for the first year. Be
cause Of the lack of railways there are
10000 square miles Of land in Harvey,
Grant and Cook counties almost en-
tirely given over now to grazing. The
few natives of this section contend
that their community, from n settle
ment point Of view, Is the last frontier
I'm the United States.