34 



Forest Club Annual 



mills, situated far back in the mountains, all the buildings were 

 made of best quality of lumber. Even comparatively recent log- 

 ging, which has been continually pushed farther and farther into 

 territory more difficult of access, was done by careless methods, 

 and much excellent timber was felled and left in the woods to 

 decay. 



Hauling- Lumber by Ox-Team. 



The area of virgin forest at the present time is very limited. 

 As a result of destructive lumbering and repeated fires the most 

 of the region is covered by either a second growth of trees or by 

 those capable of making only a poor grade of lumber. Where 

 virgin timber remains it is too inaccessible for immediate ex- 

 ploitation with the present state of development in transportation. 



With the decreased supply of timber the mills have been 

 compelled to close down, until now only two or three of any 

 commercial importance remain. Aside from these, however, a 

 few smaller ones supply the demand in their immediate vicini- 

 ties. The Hobart Mills, the largest lumber producers of the 

 region, are situated about six miles due north from Truckee on 

 Prosser Creek, a small tributary of the Truckee River. The 

 lumber and mill-work products are mostly of Jeffrey Pine and 

 are transported to the main line of the Southern Pacific at 



