REDWOOD LUMBERING. 6 1 



Spanish cedar in color, and imparts no odor to affect the 

 taste of tobacco, it is now being 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 the 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 and under thick, and from 24 to 60 inches 

 wide. It is well adapted for brackets, ornaments and mold- 

 ings 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 

 resin in the wood, a fire is easily put out, and when once ex- 

 tinguished it is with difficulty ignited. Of course the general 

 modes, plans and apparatus in use in different lumber sec- 

 tions are the same the world over, but in handling the large 

 redwood logs the nature of the wood and size of the timber 

 call for certain appliances peculiarly adapted thereto. 



" 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 



