Humboldt County CA Archives History - Books .....Redwood 1890
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Book Title: History And Business Directory Of Humboldt County

REDWOOD
California's Monarch of the Forest

The Vast Lumber Interests of Humboldt County

    THERE are many places in California known as the redwoods, but in reality
the redwoods of Humboldt county are alone worthy of the name—just as there are
many silvas or woods in the world, but the silvas or woods of the Maranon or
Amazon are the only ones that take their place in a map of any continent. The
redwoods of Humboldt county cover the following area:

ACRES.

Humboldt Bay               125,000
Eel River                  100,000
Van Duzen and Yager         75,000
Redwood Creek              100,000
Little River                40,000
Mad River                   30,000
New Trinidad                40,000
                          ________
Total                      510,000

This  makes  up a little over one-fifth the total area of the county and
represents an immense quantity of lumber. There are single trees that yield
50,003 feet, and acres 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 subsequently 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
Humboldt 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 almost 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 California 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 wonderful 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 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 37th 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 contains no rosin or pitch, hence fires that
frequently run through the underbrush of redwood forests have no effect on the
standing timber.

    "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 account 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
merchants 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 extinguished 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, conies the labor of rolling the logs into it.
Cattle alone would be useless, except for the smaller logs. Blocks and tackle,
often double, and sometimes triple blocks are needed to roll them out of their
beds. Nor will any ordinary 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 Humboldt Bay in 1887, by A. A. Marks, teamster, with five
yoke of oxen, scaled, collectively, 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, except 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 engine. 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 improvements
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 perpendicular 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.


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
practically 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
California," 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 iridescent 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,
frequently 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 purposes, 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 shrinks, checks nor warps makes it well adapted for this kind of
work, as indeed 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, considering 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
advantages 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 making shutes. This is very expensive. As the roads and shutes
are advancing a small army aided by several donkey engines engage in hauling
these monster logs to the shutes where they are slid down to a point accessible
for a team of from twelve to sixteen oxen, and are then hauled to the railroad
landing place for transportation to the Bay. The work in the logging camps is
really the most important, for here an immense amount of money may be lavishly
expended, or a great saving made. So the most experienced men are engaged for
this work. It is a most picturesque scene to witness the operations in a logging
camp. The giant redwoods, forming the outer boundary, towering for 200 feet in
the air as if looking solemn and sad at the destruction of their, comrades,
which are lying prone, cut into logs, charred and divested of their foliage. The
donkey engine puffs and blows as it hauls the stubborn logs towards the shute. A
boy leading a horse with canvass bags filled with water on his back threads his
way up along the hillsides. He carries the water to tubs placed at intervals of
fifty feet along the shutes. The log which the donkey engine was hauling arrives
at the shute; it begins to slide, and men with tin pails in their hands run
along dashing water in front of the logs. A loud crash is heard—it has struck a
log gone before it. A sullen and powerful train of oxen are slowly hauling
several timbers over the greased skids; they arrive at the landing place and the
logs are rolled by jack-screws and a donkey engine, with block and tackle, onto
the short logging trucks. A train of twelve or fourteen cars is rapidly loaded,
the engine whistles and goes thundering on its way to the log dump. This scene
goes on without intermission from 6 a. m. until 6 p. m., except for a half hour
at noon time.

    The men engaged in logging have their cabins and cookhouse, barns,
blacksmith and carpenter shops in the near neighborhood of where they are at
work, and these camps have all the appearance of thriving villages. The
eating-houses are under the charge of a good cook—a woman usually—and the food
is always of the best, though plain;  plenty of meat, vegetables, bread, coffee,
tea or milk with cakes and pastry, well cooked arid wholesome. Leaving the
logging camps we will go with the train, hauled by a Baldwin locomotive over a
most substantially built and well ballasted roadbed; the rails are usually
steel, ranging from thirty-six to fifty-two pounds to the yard measurement.
Along the edges of the streams strong embankments are built, over the creeks and
rivers are truss bridges and trestle-work. Hillsides are cut into, and for four
or five miles a ride is enjoyed through the wild scenery of a heavily timbered
canyon, across or aside of some clear running stream, then the train rapidly
approaches the Bay and is a few minutes later standing at the log dump. This is
constructed out of timbers of a thickness of one or two feet, and probably 16
feet long, placed standing at a distance of two feet apart for probably one
hundred feet. The blocks and chains which support the logs on the cars are
removed, a jack screw is applied and in a few minutes the entire train load of
logs is lying in the slough ready to be made into rafts by the loggers and
raftsmen for towage to the mill. Here is also a number of cabins and cookhouse
for the men employed in this department. A stern-wheel steamer tows the raft
down the Bay several miles to the log boom adjoining the mill. At this point the
raft is broken up and the logs are floated into the boom and are hauled up a
slanting railway on a car, one by one, into the mill where they await their turn
to be sawed up into the lumber of commerce.

THE SAW MILLS.

    The sound of the saw mill is music in the ears of the citizens of Humboldt
county, for it is to be found in almost every locality, and Humboldt Harbor is
practically bordered with them. In most cases, or rather mills, the circular saw
is used; some though are equipped with band saws. To go into one of these mills
is, to say the least, bewildering. From the booms or "log ponds" the logs are
hauled into the mill up an incline by a great chain attached to a low iron car
which is first lowered into the water and the log is floated upon it and made
fast; a lever is moved and the steam windless slowly draws it up into the mill.
Here it is rolled off onto a platform and again onto the steam feed which
carries the log against the saw, which quickly removes the first slat,
disclosing the deep, rich color of the redwood, without blemish, the entire
length. The slat is run over rollers and carried out on an endless chain cable
to the waste pile, some little distance from the mill, where it is burned, or,
if it is of value enough, it is cut up into lengths for shingles. The "steam
feeder" is run back to the starting point, a lever is touched and the log is
moved an inch, or as far as desired, and it again runs down on the revolving
saws which quickly remove a plank maybe fifty or sixty inches wide. It is then
carried on rollers to the gang edger, where three or four boards are cut; then
the trimmer saws cut the rough ends off. Some of the boards are then sent to the
planer, or are made into rustic by a machine for that purpose; others are made
into tongue and groove and afterwards are sent down the chute into the yard
beneath and are piled up ready for shipment by schooner to the different points
on the coast, to Honolulu, Mexico, or Australia. All this work has been going
on, though in a less degree, of course, for the past thirty-five years, and yet
the ravages attributed to the woodsman are hardly noticeable. From appearances
the work seems only to have been commenced.

IN GENERAL.

    Many of the companies and firms engaged in the manufacture of lumber employ
during the busy season from 300 to 400 men; pay wages of from $35 for the boys
engaged in tying up the shingles to $150 per month for the head men. The
following are the wages paid in the different departments:

    Mill hands—Common hands in the yard, per month, $30 to $60; helpers inside
the mill, $30 to $50; edgers and trimmers, $50 to $85; sawyers and filers, $85
to $100; engineers and machinists, $100 to $125; tallymen, $75 or $3 per day for
transient work.

    In the woods—Swampers, $60 to $100; choppers, $65 to $75; sawyers and chain
tenders, $65 to $100; teamsters, $125 to $150, besides board and lodging. Nearly
every company or firm has three or four cookhouses; one at the mill, at the log
dump and one at each camp in the woods. The cabins for the men are comfortable,
each having three beds for the same number of men, and in winter time are
provided with stoves and fire places. At some of the camps buildings have been
erected for reading and library purposes. The men employed are sober,
intelligent and industrious, and as far removed from the class that is sometimes
encountered in Eastern lumber camps as possible. Many have their families with
them, but the majority of those engaged in the woods are unmarried. This is but
a short description of the process of lumbering in Humboldt county.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

History and Business Directory of

HUMBOLDT COUNTY
DESCRIPTIVE OF THE
NATURAL RESOURCES
DELIGHTFUL CLIMATE
PICTURESQUE SCENERY
BEAUTIFUL HOMES

THE ONLY COUNTY IN THE STATE CONTAINING NO CHINAMEN

LILLIE E. HAMM, PUBLISHER
(COPYRIGHTED)
EUREKA, CALA.
DAILY HUMBOLDT STANDARD 
NOVEMBER, 1890.


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