A FOREST SERVICE TIMBER DEAL 



OXE of the largest deals iu timber in the history of the United States 

 Forest Service is at present well under way, and the outlook for an early 

 consummation of the sale of approximately 600,000,000 feet, board 

 measure, of standing timber is extremely bright. 



Ai)plication for this timber was made by the Navajo Development Co., 

 a corporation chartered under the laws of Arizona ; a careful examination of 

 the area has just been completed by representatives of the company and of the 

 Forest Service. 



The tract is located in the eastern part of Arizona, comprising a large 

 portion of the Sitgreaves and Apache National Forests, and is estimated to 

 contain for cutting approximately 575,000,000 feet of western yellow pine, 

 15,000,000 feet of Douglas fir, 6,500,000 feet of white fir, 1,500,000 feet of Engel- 

 mann spruce, 1,000,000 feet of Mexican white pine, and 1,000,000 feet of blue 

 spruce and corkbark fir, board measure, of saw and tie timber, log scale. 



The western yellow pine is frequently known as "western white pine," and 

 possesses many of the qualities contained by the white pine of the north woods, 

 the lumber manufactured from it is light and soft, but has considerable 

 strength ; the upper grades are much in demand for manufacture into finishing 

 stock, flooring and ceiling, sashes and doors, etc. The clear stock is highly 

 prized by pattern makers, and the entire output of this class of material of 

 one manufacturer is sold to one of the principal transcontinental railway lines 

 for use in making patterns in its shops. 



Douglas fir is excellent for mine and other timber, and certain railroads 

 pay more for cross ties manufactured from this class of material than for 

 those made from other species, owing to the fact that they last much longer 

 in the ground. Many thousands of cross ties are made annually in the South- 

 west, from white fir and the other species mentioned. 



The timber is located about 60 miles south of Holbrook, Arizona, the 

 county seat of Navajo County, situated on the main line of the Atchison, 

 Topeka and Santa Fe K. R. from Chicago to the Coast. From this point 

 a railroad will probably be constructed south to the timber, passing in the 

 vicinity of several small towns and through a section containing much agri- 

 cultural land, a good portion of which can be irrigated by means of driven 

 wells. 



All of the cost of railroad construction will not have to be borne by the 

 lumber operations, since by making the road a common carrier, yearly many 

 thousands of tons of freight, now handled by slow, cumbersome freight wagons, 

 would be hauled on the new line. Large quantities of hay, grain and other 

 supplies, all of which must be shipped into the region, are consumed yearly 

 in the small towns and at Fort Apache, an important military post, located 

 about 20 miles south of the tract. In addition, considerable revenue will be 

 obtained from passenger traffic, since, besides civilian travel, several move- 

 ments of cavalry troopers and their horses to and from Fort Apache are 

 made annually. 



Large deposits of coal, said to be of excellent coking quality, exist within 

 30 miles of the timber. The development of these deposits only awaits a rail- 

 road to the vicinity. 



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