LOGGING IN" THE DOUGLAS FIR EEGION. 103 



a period of five months was as follows : January, $0.882 ; February, 

 $0,276; March, $0,109; April, $0,053; May, $0,159. 



The average cost per thousand feet of the wire rope used in trans- 

 porting and loading logs to operators that deliver their output to tide- 

 water or the Columbia River amounts to about $0.15. The average 

 cost by certain regions in accordance with the above is as follows : 



Per 1,000 feet. 



Puget Sound $0. 14 



Columbia River . 15 



Grays Harbor . 19 



Willapa Harbor : . 20 



The above figures are based on a large number of camps and in no 

 case on less than a year's time. The average cost for the Puget 

 Sound region is based on 20 camps and an output of 896,000,000 feet. 

 In this region the lowest cost for any camp was $0.07 ; the highest, 

 $0.27. The cost at 7 camps ranged from $0.10 to $0.12 ; at 1 camps, 

 from $0.13 to $0.15 ; and at 5 camps, from $0.16 to $0.19. The aver- 

 age cost for the Columbia River is based on 10 camps and an output 

 of 385,000,000 feet. In this region the lowest cost for any camp was 

 $0.08; the highest, $0.23. The cost at 3 camps ranged from $0.10 to 

 $0.12 ; at 2 camps, from $0.13 to $0.15 ; at 4 camps, from $0.16 to $0.25. 

 In the Grays Harbor and Willapa Harbor regions a great deal of 

 long-distance pole-road roading is done, which explains the rela- 

 tively higher costs. In these regions the highest cost was $0.30 ; the 

 lowest, $0.13. 



The cost of wire rope per thousand feet is a rather large item of 

 expense, and varies considerably in different camps. The reasons for 

 this variation are to be found in the following factors : 



(a) Life of lines. — Generally speaking, main yarding lines should 

 handle three, four, or five million feet. If a line is defective or the 

 yarding chance is particularly bad, it may not serve to yard 2,000,000 

 feet. Not infrequently, because of defects, main yarding lines have 

 to be discarded before they have handled as much as 1,000,000 feet. 

 Occasionally, 10,000,000 feet or more are yarded with a main yarding 

 line. Taking it straight through the region, in good and bad 

 chances, main yarding lines possibly average 4,000,000 feet. They 

 last longer as a rule in road (short haul on the ground) or swing 

 work than in yarding work. Trip lines last longer than yarding 

 lines. Some logging superintendents estimate that they last no 

 longer; others, that they last nearly twice as long. 



At one camp the main yarding lines used during one year aver- 

 aged about 4,000,000 feet per dine. Eight million feet were yarded 

 with one main yarding line. One main yarding line lasted three 

 weeks, another only two days. They were If -inch lines. The country 

 is mountainous and badly broken up, and the slopes for the most 

 part are steep. The logs were moved both uphill and down. They 



