USA > California > Humboldt County > History and Business Directory of Humboldt County [Calif.]: Descriptive of the Natural Resources. > Part 5
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Telephone 55.
OAKLAND, CAL.
J. N. LENTELL
CIVIL ENGINEER, AND BRICK MANUFACTURER H Street., bet. 4th and 5th
K CAPITAL STOCK,
$300,000.00.
Publishers, Printers,
Stationers, Binders.
Oil Paintings and Engravings at J. E. Mathews
HISTORY OF HUMBOLDT COUNTY
41
that yield a million feet. Did all the above territory average at this rate the total quantity of redwood in the county would be over six hundred billion feet. But let us leave the region of speculation for that of reality. Mr. Geo. D. Gray in an article first published in the North Western Lumberman (Chicago) and subsequent- ly in the Journal of Commerce, thus writes of
HUMBOLDT'S REDWOODS.
"The size of the redwood varies greatly with the locality. Further north the belts increase in size, the character of the wood changes until in Hum- boldt county is found, probably, the finest belt of timber in the world. Trees from twelve to eighteen feet in diameter, and from one hundred and fifty to two hundred and fifty feet high, are no rare occurrence. In this section there are large tracts which have been estimated to have 250,000 feet to the acre, and single acres could be selected that would double or treble that amount, and the lumber is of the finest, softest quality, equal to the best Eastern white pine." The late Mr. Allan Mckay, of Eureka, gave the average yield per acre in some land near by at not less than 500,000 feet. This would give in round numbers two hundred and fifty- five billion of feet for the redwood belt to-day in Humboldt county.
WEALTH IN REDWOOD.
Average the value of this at $15 per thousand feet and we have $7,500 per acre, or $3,825,000,000, nearly four billion dollars for the whole. This is nearly six fold of the whole assessed value of property in the State of California, and al- most twice the value of all the gold and silver mines on the Pacific Coast since 1848. There would be, therefore, more value in the redwood of the single county of Humboldt than in all the gold found in all the mines of all the counties of Cali- fornia from pioneer times to the present day. The value of the redwood would, therefore, give one hundred and thirty thousand dollars to every man, woman and child within the boundaries of Humboldt county to-day. Even blot out all its wonderful agricultural resources and Humboldt would to-day be the richest county in the United States, nay, the richest county of its size throughout the world. Let the average cut of redwood in Humboldt every year, say, 120,000,000 feet, and there would be therefore in this magnificent belt of woodland enough to supply a yield of this description for over two thousand years. These estimates differ very much from others published, notably those of the Government, but there are acres of forests in Humboldt county that will yield two million feet, and that would take only seventy-five such acres to give a year's supply. It is claimed there is a large extent of country in Eel River Valley that will yield half a million feet per acre. Two Canadian gentlemen averaged the yield in Humboldt at 350,000 feet per acre. Mr. John Vance puts it at 100,000 feet per acre. We would say set the figure at 250,000 feet per acre and it will probably be the truth. We think that we have not at all over estimated the wonderful lumber resources of this undoubtedly won- derful county. But even a very liberal deduction on the figures above given- one-half or two-thirds-would still leave it without a peer. But as there is a steady
Gibbard & Lever -MAKE A SPECIALTY OF-
Ornamental Mantels Cor. Third and H sts, Pioneer Building, Eureka
E. G. PLUKE, Agent Heath & Milligan Manufacturing Co's BEST PREPARED PAINT
42 Western Hotel O'Connor & Ross
Great American Tea Company Myers & Clyde
Western Hotel
N. E. cor. First and D Sts., Eureka, California DAN MURPHY, Proprietor
Light and Commodious Sample Rooms
Superior Accommodations for Commercial Travelers
TERMS: $1.00 TO $2.00 PER DAY
Free Carriage to and from the Hotel
Office : First Floor Cor. First and D Sts.
The Western Is a New House Just opened to the Public, with Every Modern Convenience
C. O'CONNOR
OTTO RO88
O'CONNOR & ROSS . Southside Second, bet. E and F Sts, Eureka, Cal.
WHITE LABOR
Cigar Manufacturers
Wholesale and Retail Dealers In
CIGARS and TOBACCO
We Manufacture the Finest Brand of Cigars on the Coast
Send for Sample Box and Satisfy Yourself
Make No Mistake! There is Only One GREAT AMERICAN IMPORTING
T
Company's Store IN EUREKA And that One is on
F. Street, bet. 4th and 5th
You can save 25 per cent by Dealing with Them
This Company supplies more Hotels and Restaurants than any other Concern on the Coast
Remember, F St, bet 4th and 5th, Eureka, Cal.
-
Meyer & Clyde
D Street, bet. 2d and 3d
EUREKA - CALIFORNIA
DEALERS IN
COAL AND WOOD Hay, Grain and Feed
ORDERS DELIVERED TO YOUR HOUSE
FREE OF CHARGE AND WITHOUT
DELAY
D Street, bet. Second and Third, Eureka, Cal.
General Auctioneers Real Estate Agents and Collectors CARL HAMILTON & CO., H St., bet. 4th and 5th, Eureka, Cal.
J. E. MATHEWS, Agent for Daily, Weekly and Sunday EXAMINER
HISTORY OF HUMBOLDT COUNTY
43
and increasing demand for the products of this wonderful tree, increasing more every year, we believe that the hillsides will be cleared of the natural growth long before the arrival of the millenium. No doubt, however, that those interested will find it to be to their interest not to permit the entire destruction of these noble forests, and that the modern art of forestry will be brought into requisition to save them from such destruction; in other words, tree-culture will by and by become as important to Humboldt as wheat culture is to the great interior valleys of the State. Mr. Gray's article, referred to above, is so interesting and contains so much condensed information in a small space, that we make no apology for giving the rest of it:
THE REDWOOD DESCRIBED.
"Redwood (sequoia sempervirens) is peculiarly a California production, being found nowhere except on a small portion of the coast of this State. The whole belt is confined between the 37thr and 42d parallels north latitude, or between Monterey Bay, on the south, and Crescent City on the north, an extent of country about 490 miles long. The width is irregular, following the conformation of the mountains, but will average about thirty miles. Below Monterey Bay there is but little timber of any kind, while at the northern extremity of the belt the redwood gradually disappears, and pine, fir and spruce take its place.
The whole belt of redwood lies upon the western slope of the Coast Range. Throughout the section named the rains are heavy in the winter, and the fogs dense in summer, coming in from the ocean wth the wind very regularly every afternoon, and during the whole year the climate is mild and even in temperature. Not that I would imply that the section named is one vast forest. These were the original boundaries of the redwood belt. In Santa Cruz there is considerable standing timber, but north of there until you reach the Russian river, the country has been stripped. Between the mouth of Russian river and Crescent City the country is by no means one vast forest. There are large tracts of fine farming lands, extensive sheep and cattle ranges, as well as large sections that have been denuded of their native forests.
" As but few of your readers are familiar with redwood lumber, it may not be out of place to give here some of its characteristics and qualities that make it one of the most valuable of the forest productions. As the name indicates it is of a dark reddish color. It is soft, coarse grained and very brittle. The grain usually runs very straight, and is split readily, it being no difficult matter to split out a board one inch thick, eight to ten inches wide, and ten to fifteen feet long. When dry it is much lighter than pine, spruce or fir, but of the logs cut from a newly fallen tree, the butt log thrown into water will often go to the bottom like a stone, while the top logs will float like cork. It is of slow growth. Of timber now being cut, the circles indicate that many of the trees have been standing thousands of years. The bark of the tree is very thick, soft and fibrous in character, and con- tains no rosin or pitch, hence fires that frequently run through the underbrush of redwood forests have no effect on the standing timber.
Gibbard & Lever make a Specialty of Bedroom and Parlor Suits Fod map" S.
SKILLED INTERIOR DECORATORS AT PLUKE'S
44
ROBARTS BROTHERS.
W. H. ROBART8 J. T. ROBART8
P. W. ROBARTS R. W. ROBART8
ROBARTS BROTHERS Port Kenyon, Humboldt County, Cal.
Warehousemen, nsurance Agents
AND COMMISSION MERCHANTS
AGENTS FOR
The P. C. S. S. Co's STEAMER
NEWPORT
EDWARDS MASTER
WILL MAKE REGULAR WEEKLY TRIPS BETWEEN
San Francisco, Shelter Cove and Port Kenyon
Leaves Port Kenyon, every Saturday Morning Leaves San Francisco, every Wednesday Morning
-RATES OF FARE
From Port Kenyon to San Francisco, (first class)
$10.00
From Shelter Cove to San Francisco, (first class)
-
5.00
For Freight Terms Apply to
GOODALL, PERKINS & CO.,
ROBARTS, BROTHERS
Agents No. 10 Market Street
Port Kenyon, Cala.
San Francisco, Cala.
Blue Prints, Tracing. Etc., furnished on Short Notice
J. N. LENTELL, Civil Engineer Maps H St., bet, 4th and 5th, Eureka.
Headquarters
FOR USEFUL VARIETIES AND ORNAMENTAL ARTICLES
J. E. Mathews
HISTORY OF HUMBOLDT COUNTY
45
"Perhaps I can better illustrate some of the peculiar qualities of redwood by mentioning some of the uses for which it is peculiarly adapted. Its durability above and under ground causes it to be well adapted for railroad ties and posts. These were formerly split, and that readily, to any dimensions required, but on ac- count of the waste of the timber, sawed ties are now coming more into use. Shingles and shakes for roof covering are all made from redwood. When a man has covered his house with redwood shingles he considers that matter settled for life. For railroad ties and fence posts there was consumed in the year 1888 not . far from 60,000,000 feet, and for shingles and shakes about 12,000,000 feet, board measure.
"For tannery tanks it is peculiarly adapted, as the wood resists the action of the tanning solution. A tannery in San Francisco has been using the same tanks for ten years, and they are apparently as good as they ever were. Our wine mer- chants now use redwood vats entirely, because a certain insect found in the new juice of the grape, which destroys the pine vats by boring through them, dislikes the taste of redwood, and lets it alone. As redwood much resembles Spanish cedar in color, and imparts no odor to affect the taste of tobacco, it is now shipped quite extensively to New York to be used in the manufacture of cigar boxes.
"But the principal use to which redwood lumber is put on this Coast is the outside and inside finish of houses, as from 40 to 50 per cent. of the lumber sawed is perfectly clear, without knot or blemish, and much of this can be cut into planks six inches thick and under, and from 24 to 60 inches wide. It is well adapted for brackets, ornaments and mouldings of all kinds. While much of the grain runs straight, curly redwood can be selected, which, when polished and varnished, rivals rosewood in its beauty.
"To the extensive use of redwood in our buildings is due, in a large measure, our immunity from large fires in San Francisco and neighboring cities. There being little or no rosin in the wood, a fire is easily put out, and when once extin- guished it is with difficulty ignited."
MODE OF FELLING THE REDWOOD, ETC.
Most of the timber is now felled with saws instead of axes, as hitherto, it being found that the tree jumps better from the stump, and causes less waste by breakage, than when the ax is used. The trees are then barked and a fire run over the ground to burn up the bark and rubbish. Green redwood burns with such difficulty that the good logs are rarely affected by the fire. And now, when all that will burn has been consumed, begins the real labor of getting out the logs. For handling these monsters no ordinary road will answer. It must be wide, and smooth as a turnpike, all rocks and roots must be carefully removed, all hollows and gullies filled up; if the road is unlevel or soft, skids must be laid down. If the logs are small, of course, such care need not be taken, but for large timber it requires good engineering and much hard work even to build a good logging road. With the road built, comes the labor of rolling the logs into it. Cattle alone would be useless, except for the smaller logs. Blocks and tackle, often double, and some-
Gibbard & Lever
Manufacturer of Furniture and Every Kind of Ornamental House Finish
Factory, 2d & C Sts. Eureka, Cal.
Varnishes and Brushes at Pluke's, Cor 2d & D St.
46
H. LUND, ARTISTIC HOUSE AND SIGN PAINTER
H. LUND
East side F St., bet. Fourth and Fifth EUREKA, HUMBOLDT COUNTY, CAL.
SIGN WRITER
Pictorial and General Painter - DEALER IN -
PAINTS, OILS AND WINDOW-GLASS Of Every Description
Real Estate, Carl Hamilton & Co.
General Auctioneers and Real Estate Agents H Street, between 4th and 5th Eureka, Cal
Pictures AND Picture Frames at Mathews
HISTORY OF HUMBOLDT COUNTY
47
times triple blocks are needed to roll them out of their beds. Nor will any ordi- nary teamster answer to handle the cattle. He must be a man of judgment and skill. The best teamsters command a salary of $100 to $150 per month. The " bull whacker " is usually the highest priced man in camp.
Once in the road, several logs are fastened together to make a "train," and are hauled to a landing to be loaded on the cars, or to the stream to be floated to the mill. The train of logs once started, there must be no stopping if it can be avoided. All along the road are stationed barrels of water. As the train moves a man runs along beside it, and, filling and refilling his pail from the barrels, throws water in front of the train, that there may be as little friction as possible. The loads hauled are sometimes enormous. One train of seven logs hauled on Hum- boldt Bay in 1887, by A. A. Marks, teamster, with five yoke of oxen, scaled, collec- tively, 22,500 feet, board measure, of merchantable lumber. No wagons are used in the woods ; the logs are simply " shaked " on the ground.
Until within the last few years, all this labor of handling logs in the woods was done with cattle, but now they are in many places using steam for the purpose. The machine used is "Dolbeer's Patent Steam Logging Machine." It consists of an upright boiler and engine, somewhat similar to a portable hoisting engine, ex- cept that instead of a reel to wind the rope on, it has two "gypsy heads," one on each end of the reel shaft. It sits on a strong frame, the sides of which are like sled runners. It has a strong purchase from the engine to the " gypsy " shaft. To move the machine around in the woods they run a line ahead, make it fast to a tree or stump, take two or three turns around the "gypsy " and start up the en- gine. In this way it hauls itself wherever wanted. When the machine is in place it is made fast to a tree or stump, and a line run to the log to be removed, and by means of snatch-blocks the log is hauled in any direction desired. By the use of this machine heavy logs are brought out of ravines and bad places where it would be almost impossible to get them with oxen or horses. The wooden railroad or tramway, is used in many places for transporting the logs to the stream, or to the mills, but as the more accessible timber is being cut off these are being supplanted by iron and steel rails and locomotives.
Our redwood mills are generally up to the times. All the modern improve- ments of double circulars, gang saws, pony saws, gang edgers and trimmers are in use. While double circulars are used in nearly all the redwood mills, many mills on Humboldt Bay are using, besides, what is called " Evans' third saw." This is a saw hung on a horizontal arbor above the double circulars, and cuts down from the top of the log to a little below the arbor of the middle saw. While, of course, it is parallel to the two lower saws, its cut is made four inches out further into the log. Besides this saw there is a fourth smaller saw which is hung on a perpendic- ular arbor and makes a horizontal cut into the log just at the bottom of the cut made by the third saw. The effect of running these two saws is to rabbet out a piece extending from the top of the log to a little below the arbor of the middle saw. These three large saws are usually from sixty to sixty-four inches in diameter and mills thus arranged can cut logs eight feet in diameter. Larger logs must be split.
Gibbard & Lever
DEALERS IN ALL KINDS OF
Furniture Por. Third and H Streets, Pioneer Building, Eureka
General Auctioneers
CARL HAMILTON & CO., H St., bet. 4th and 5th, Eureka, Cal.
VANCE MILLS
EUREKA MILL, FOOT OF G STREET, EUREKA MAD RIVER MILL, MAD RIVER, 4 MILES FROM ARCATA PRINCIPAL OFFICE: S. E. COR. FIRST AND G STREETS
and Collectors Real Estate Agents
H. AND M. R.R.
Train Load of 16 Logs, measuring 88,568 feet, from Logging Woods of John Vance, Mad River JOHN VANCE -MANUFACTURER AND DEALER IN-
REDWOOD LUMBER
Cargoes Furnished to Order with Dispatch EUREKA, CALIFORNIA
48
JOHN VANCE-LUMBER MILLS
Illuminating Oils and Paint Oils at Pluke's, 2d and D Streets.
Demorest Patterns and all kinds of Fashion Books at J. E. Mathews
HISTORY OF HUMBOLDT COUNTY
49
The "Band" saw is rapidly coming into prominence, at the present writing this style of saw is used exclusively by the "Elk River Milling Co." and the "Union Mill," it is destined to supplant the circular saw entirely. Since it has been prac- tically demonstrated to be a saving of lumber, the "Band" saw is prophesied to be the "saw" of the future.
There are about forty mills engaged in cutting redwood. The largest have a capacity of 75,000 or 80,000 feet per day. Perhaps the average would be about 40,- 000 feet daily.
SOME OTHER USES.
In addition to the uses, quoted above, to which the wood of this noble tree can be put, are given, and the tree thus minutely described, in " Forest Trees of Cali- fornia," a pamphlet issued in 1882 by the State Mining Bureau : "The foliage is like that of the yew-the same flat and final starry spray or twiglets of small leaves, say one-half to one inch long, distinctly in two rows-flat and line-like, with a sharp point; dark-green above, soft grayish-green underneath. The limbs are spreading or drooping ; cones of an oblong shape from one to one and a quarter inches long and one-half to three-quarters of an inch thick, consisting of numerous trapezoidal-disked scales, with three to five flat, oval or obovate, dark, reddish- brown seeds to each scale. The wood is red, with a faint coppery or metallic iri- descent gloss, the hues deepening to richer, darker shades with age. Choice curl grained wood is very ornamental for cabinet finishing and similar work-takes a fine polish with a simple stain of varnish. Well-matured heart-wood of the base of these trees is so solid and heavy as to sink in water. These will last for ages under the most trying circumstance, like cedars and yews. Insects seem never to trouble any of it. The bark, reduced to bast, has been utilized for upholstering- an excellent material."
ORNAMENTAL USES.
There is such variety to this redwood-variety as well of color, as of grain and texture (hard or soft)-as to make it very serviceable to the furniture and cabinet-maker. Of late there is being used extensively in these branches what is known as burhls, or the huge knots that sometimes grow on the tree trunks, fre- quently eight or ten feet in length or breadth. These burhls- harder than iron- wood-consist of innumerable small birds'-eye or tiny knots, so compactly put together as to leave no grain whatever. The wood of these burhls, when worked is of a rich, dark mottled brown, and highly ornamental. Side-boards, tables, mirror- frames and other articles made from these knots are of the most exquisite beauty and durable as iron. It is destined to be used more extensively for veneering pur- poses, for it is doubtful if any wood could give better results.
Of late great attention is being given to redwood as a valuable material for the details of woodwork. Architects, in response to the popular taste, are leaning to a more general use of it for ornamental purposes. No wood gives better results at the band-saw or in the shaping-machine-by means of which implements almost any conceivable design is obtained. The fact that seasoned redwood neither
Gibbard & Lever Manufacture
DOOR AND WINDOW FRAMES, BRACKETS SCROLL WORK, TURNING, ETC. ETC.
Factory
Second & L Streets .. :
Best Assortment Wall Paper, E. G. Pluke
50 DAUPHINY BROS. W. J. TAGGART & CO.
MRS. E. KEGLER
A. C. DAUPHINY
G. A. DAUPHINY
FRESH GOODS
SMALL PROFITS
DAUPHINY BROTHERS
MRS. E. KEGLER
DEALERS IN
DEALER IN
:. TEAS ... COFFEES ...
Varieties and Notions
GENERAL .. GROCERIES
... PROVISIONS
STATIONERY
FRUITS
NUTS CANDIES
CROCKERY GLASSWARE
FRUITS
CIGARS TOBACCO
Corner Fifth and J Streets
EUREKA CALIFORNIA
EUREKA, CAL.
GIVEN AWAY! Somebody has found out at last the secret which has secured for
W. J. TAGGART & CO.
Their Large Business, and now that the Secret has become Public Property and Town Talk, there is no use of our keeping quiet; so we admit that the secret of our great trade is
To Sell the Best and Ask the Lowest
Laird Scholor Mitchell Philadelphia.
We carry a full stock of the following cele- brated lines, viz: Ladies' fine Shoes, Laird, Schober & Mitchell, Philadelphia; J.& T.Cousins, New York; P. Cox, Rochester: Utz & Dunn. Rochester; E. P. Dodge & Co., Wilder & Clark, A. F. Smith, and N. D. Dodge, Boston. Men's Fine Shoes; L. Boyden & Co .. Newark, N. J .; J. A. Bannister, Newark, N. J .; Hanon & Son, New York; Rockland Co., Boston: J. H. & F. H. Torrey, North Weymouth; together with a number of other first class manufacturers.
J. & T. COUSINS
Best Goods and Lowest Prices In brief, is what fills our Store with Customers and makes a household word of the name of W. J. TAGGART & CO. JONES' BLOOK Cor, Third and F Streets EUREKA, CALIFORNIA
Real Estate, Carl Hamilton & Co. General Auctioneers and Real Estate Agents H Street, between 4th and 5th Eureka, Cal .
CIGARS AND TOBACCO
East side E Street, between 4th and 5th
Books and Stationery
10,000 Songs and Song Books Curiosities of All Kinds J. E. Mathews
HISTORY OF HUMBOLDT COUNTY
51
shrinks, checks nor warps makes it well adapted for this kind of work, as in- deed it does for all kinds of work known to the builder's art, from the plainest four-post shanty to the most elaborately-finished mansion.
Redwood is used quite extensively as a veneer. The best part of the tree for this purpose is that at the base, just where the trunk joins the root. Among the stumps of the old worked-out logging claims there is a rich harvest for future reaping. From them can be obtained the very best of material for veneering, while many, perhaps a large proportion of them, are well worth working for the choice lumber they contain.
THE LUMBER INDUSTRY.
The modus operandi of logging and the manufacture of lumber in Humboldt county is in the majority of instances different from that which prevails in other counties. In the first place in order to derive any remuneration the investment of capital must be large and the operations conducted on a mammoth scale. There is not a plant in Humboldt county, even the smallest, that is not worth, consider- ing mills, railways, shipping and timber land, less than one-half a million dollars. True, some obtained the land for little or nothing, but it is worth to-day, on an average, from $80 to $100, and even more per acre. There are two systems or plans for the manufacture of lumber in this county. One of the most approved and less expensive is the "production of timber at the point of shipment." In this case the logs are hauled down and sawed at the mill, which is located on the Bay accessible for lumber vessels of any draft. The other system is where the mill is located in the timber belt and there the lumber is manufactured and then transported by rail to deep water for shipment. This latter plan is not approved of and only adopted where the advantages of a mill site with a deep water frontage can not be obtained. With this explanation we will give a description of the
LOGGING CAMPS,
Where from 80 to 200 men are engaged, according to the period of the year and the capacity of the mills. In the Mad river country the land is comparatively level, while in the Eel River, Freshwater, Ryan's Slough, Jacoby Creek, etc., the timber grows on steep hills, which form narrow canyons. Those who own level timber land claim it is the best, and others who have steep hillsides are loud in their praises of that form of country, following the saying that "every crow thinks her own young the blackest," but to an impartial judge both have their advan- tages and disadvantages. In the level country there is less loss of timber than that which grows on the hillsides, but again it is more difficult to haul the logs than in a rough locality where shutes can be used. After the rainy season the felling term commences, which is followed up with more or less vigor until the winter months. After a large area has been cut from-or rather sawed-the weeds and branches of the trees are set on fire so that when the cutters are through the charred trees lying butt downward are ready to be sawed into logs ranging in lengths of from twelve to twenty-four feet and longer. Then the swampers begin their work by cutting skid roads, building landings, bridging over creeks and
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