OUR PACIFIC NORTHWEST 



65/ 



forest remain. Much of the timber is 

 of great size and of high quality. The 

 government estimates for Oregon are 

 about 213 billion feet of lumber, and for 

 Washington about 195 billions. It is 

 conservatively valued at $12 a thousand. 

 The lumber business in Washington is 

 about 4 billion feet a year, selling at 

 $60,000,000, and Oregon has about half 

 of this amount. Washington claims first 

 rank in the lumber business, with 100,000 

 people engaged in its various branches 

 on an annual pay-roll of $7,000,000. In 

 cedar shingles alone she produces to the 

 value of $15,000,000 a year. 



The larger part of the forest growth is 

 the splendid Douglas fir (spruce) which is 

 illustrated on page 659. Large amounts 

 of red cedar, spruce, and hemlock are 

 also found. In the mountains east of the 

 Cascades there is much yellow pine, which 

 adds greatly to the lumber resources. 

 The so-called fir is one of the most val- 

 uable woods known for structural work, 

 having greater tensile strength than oak. 

 A-tany trees exceed 200 feet in height, and 

 usually they are free from flaws or ir- 

 regularities of growth. 



ABUNDANCE OF WATER POWER 



Many of the streams of the far North- 

 west have large volume and great fall, 

 thus presenting most favorable conditions 

 for utilization for power. The Secretary 

 of State of Washington has made an esti- 

 mate for the larger rivers of 3.000,000 

 horse-power which can be made available 

 by ordinary means, and the Oregon Con- 

 servation Committee estimates the total 

 undeveloped water power in Oregon at 

 3,317,000 horse-power. These are large 

 figures. Many of the streams mentioned 

 will furnish from 100,000 to 400,000 horse- 

 power. Some of the force is now being 

 utilized, notably part of that of Snoqual- 

 mie Falls, which now furnishes Seattle 

 and Tacoma with remarkably cheap 

 power, carried 40 miles on wires. The 

 plant is said to be the second largest in 

 the United States ; it cost $10,000,000. 



The falls of the Willamette at Oregon 

 City, a short distance above Portland, 

 were harnessed long ago ; they supply a 

 large amount of power for local mills 



and half of the electricity for 115 miles 

 of street-car lines in Portland. Rogue 

 River and many other streams are also 

 being used. Lake Chelan is a great 

 natural reservoir. Fifty miles long and 

 at an elevation 300 feet higher than Co- 

 lumbia River, it is capable of furnishing 

 a large amount of power, only a small 

 part of which is now being utilized. 

 Water power in the region east of Ta- 

 coma will soon be harnessed, to add 

 greatly to that city's supply of electricity. 



Another valuable asset of the water- 

 courses of the Pacific Northwest is the 

 abundance of fish. The fisheries that are 

 scattered over the two states are a source 

 of great revenue. Columbia River is 

 famous as the favorite resort of the su- 

 perb salmon known as the Royal Chinook, 

 which weighs from 60 to 70 pounds, and 

 there are several other varieties. 



On the lower part of the river the fish 

 are caught in nets, but higher up revolv- 

 ing wheels are used, which often scoop 

 up thousands of fish in a day. The sal- 

 mon catch varies greatly from year to 

 year, depending on the runs, but its value 

 a year is about $3,000,000. 



The extensive open range and the mild 

 winters are especially favorable to stock 

 of all kinds. Oregon stands sixth in the 

 United States in its sheep and wool pro- 

 duction. There are in that state about 

 3,500,000 sheep. A short time ago Ore- 

 gon's wool production reached 22,000.000 

 pounds a year. Some of this from Wil- 

 lamette Valley sold for 30 cents a pound ; 

 in that section, moreover, the yield is 

 often 15 pounds to the sheep. In eastern 

 Oregon the yield is 6 to 9 pounds. This 

 industry is also on the rapid increase in 

 the state of Washington. 



NOT RICH IN G0ED AND SILVER 



The Pacific Northwest appears not to 

 be as well endowed with the precious 

 metals as California, Nevada, and the 

 Rocky Mountain province. Washington 

 is low in metal production, but has many 

 promising prospects, especially of low- 

 grade ores, which will eventually be 

 worked with profit. The southwestern 

 portion of Oregon has had profitable gold 

 mines and placer workings ever since the 



