77 



able. lu ii receut coiuuiuuicatioii received from the superiutendont of 

 the Western Union Telegraph Company, at Omaha, Nebr., he says : 



Wo are not now using any native poles, but, for what renewals are made and new 

 lines built white Cedar poles are shipped from the East — obtained mainly in Mich- 

 igan and Ohio. In the lines built several years ago pine was used. 



The superintendent of the Colorado Telephone Company at Denver 

 states that telegraph and telephone poles should be cut in winter, when 

 the trees are not full of sap. Experiments in applying preserving 

 processes for poles, tarring, charring, etc., have not been satisfactory. 



The nature of the soil greatly affects durability. There exists also 

 this practical objection, that as contracts provide that poles shall be 

 delivered at tbe stake," for lines of considerable length preserving 

 processes are not feasible. 



MINING-. 



In connection with the mining industry in this region, a great amount 

 of timber is annually consumed, of which it is impossible to give even 

 an approximate estimate. But it is larger in the aggregate than one 

 unacquainted with the facts would suppose. One mining camp in Mon- 

 tana, Butte City, established only a few years, it is estimated requires 

 at its present state of development not less than 40,000,000 feet, B. M., 

 per year, of round and square timber of large size, not to speak of the 

 countless number of small trees used for " lagging." Much of the tim- 

 ber used in Utah and Montana is now imported from the Pacific slope, 

 as the home supply of good-sized or accessible timber, especially in the 

 former Territory, has been exhausted, or timber can be produced more 

 cheaply by rail from a distance. Much timber is required for fuel and 

 charcoal, especially the latter, which is used extensively in smelting 

 operations. The before-mentioned mining camp with its reduction 

 works consume, it is estimated, 1,000 cords of fire-wood a day, or about 

 30,000,000 cubic feet of solid wood per year. 



CHAKCOAL MANUFACTURE. 



From the best information obtainable, it is believed that the charcoal 

 burners of the Rocky Mountain region are doing immense injury to 

 the forests. They draw their supplies of wood almost wholly from the 

 public domain, and although they profess to make large use of dead 

 timber, there is no doubt that the growing forests are largely en- 

 croached upon by them. A person well informed upon this subject 

 recently expressed himself thus : 



The charcoal burner is the most conscienceless violator of law that we have, cutting 

 everything down to poles 2 inches in diameter. He leaves behind him barrenness and 

 desolation. The traffic in charcoal is so exhaustive upon the forests, and so injurious 

 to the best interests of the State, that wherever permitted it should be done under a 

 license only, by the giving of a bond, and by the rigid enforcement of conditions and 

 penalties. There are no reasons why tlie charcoal burner should longer be allowed to 

 prey npon the timber and young forest growth. On the contrary, many strong and 

 urgent reasons exist for limiting his operations. 



