Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1922-10-07
LAST FRONTIER Uf
WEST IS DOOMED
TIMBER CUTTERS WILL INVADE
THE MALHEUR NATIONAL
FOREST or OREGON.
BIG TRACT OF VIRGIN PINE
Wore Than Seven Billion Feet of Lum-
Der, 1t 10 estimated, Viii Be Taken
Ost-iaany hnes of Railway Are
necessary.

MISUNDERSTANDING up to the
IWelitieiii century ciT:lIzution of what
" described as the lust frontier settle
ueht in the United Suites Is fUreseeli
III the recent announcement by the for
est service of The proposed sale OF
TIMBER in the Malheur national forest,
Oregon.
This wooded section, now remote
from railroad facilities aud present
day methods of living. may soon ring
With the sound of blasting and ux
blows, of pulling locomotives. of mill
whistles, automobile horns aud other
noises of industry.
Where now stand giants of the
forest will rise numbering towns and
agricultural communities, aud where
roam bear. deer AMI other wild ami
mails muscular men and hardy women
Will tread. Dissertation of the last
great forest primeval" is impending
Lunbernlen of the country sec In
the brief statement OF the service the
final opportunity for their trade tc
deal inltially with "A virgin pine forest
Of wide expanse anu the last oppor
tunity for the settler to tuke posses
sion of region now remote from
railways and markets and virtual,
unused agriculturally.
Huge Timber Tract.
The opening Tor sale of the timber
of tile Bear valley unit of the Malheul
national forest affects approxlnatel,
S90,UU0,000 feet of Blue mountains tim
Der now and marks the beginning of the
ruzing Of the entire forest, containin.
more than 7.OOO,O00,O00 feet of lumber
TO start the numbering operations Il
will be necessary to build about 81
miles of trunk line railway. In addition
to tap lines, thus opening incidental,
for settlement AIN agricultural countr,
having an area of 10000 square miles
or about twice that of the state o.
Massachusetts.
The agricultural development tina
will ensue upon the numbering activi
ties, which involve the employment o
hundreds Of men in building OF neces
sary railway alone, will demonstrate
also exceptionally the policy of usin;
the national forests as an adjunct o
the general progress and welfare o
adjacent regions. The forecast of thu
forest service provides for ut least OH
logging and numbering unit that vii
never have to move elsewhere to tint
new forests-ut least one suwmill tOwi
that will never die for lack of materla
for its Industries.
The mill site recommended Is a
Burns, Ore, village of about l,O0'
persons, located 30 miles northwest o
Crane. the present terminus of
branch of the Oregon Short Line o
the Union Pacific railway, which leave
the nlain line at Ontario, Ore. 1t /
likely that the Union Pacific would un
dertake to build branch from Gran,
to Burns If suwmill were put in oper
alton at the latter place, 1t is said
From Burns on, however, whoeve
bu,s the timber will have to build
logging railway, which Is required t.
be a common carrier. for n distance o
80 miles to Senaca. The country l.
open and with easy slopes, extremel.
well adapted to economical logging an,
easy railway construction.
Il Is estimated that. exclusive of th'
line from Crane to Burns, Whoeve
takes this timber will have to eNpen,
Approximately $3,0ONGO0 In railwa!
building, mill construction and operat
ing expenses for the first year. BE
cause of the lack of railways there arr
10000 square miles Of land in Harney
Grant and Cook counties almost en-
tirely given over now to grazing. Tn
few natives of this section conten,
that their community, from settle
ment point of view. - the last frontle
In the United States.