A Review of the Resources and Industries of the State of Washington, 1909 | Page 4

interior finish, shelving, etc. The
hemlock is valuable not only for the tannin of its bark, but as a wood
for many purposes is equal to spruce. The yellow pine, where it is
plentiful is the main wood used in house construction and for nearly all
farm purposes. The yellow pine is the chief timber in all eastern
Washington. The harder woods, maple, alder, ash, etc., are used where
available in furniture construction and for fuel, as are also all the other
woods.
COAL.
Not content with covering half the surface of the state with forests for
fuel, the Creator hid away under the forests an additional supply of heat
and power sufficient to last its future citizens an indefinite period. The
white man was not slow to find and locate the coal measures in many
counties, notably in Kittitas, King, Pierce, Lewis, Whatcom and
Thurston, and to put it to the task of driving his machinery. The coal
measures of these counties are of vast extent, and, although little
developed yet, there are 3,000,000 tons of coal mined annually in
Washington. Other counties are known to have coal measures beneath
their forests, but as yet they have not been opened up for commerce.
The coal already mined includes both lignite and bituminous varieties
and furnishes fuel for the railroads, steamboats and power plants,
giving very satisfactory results. Much of the bituminous coal makes an
excellent article of coke and provides this concentrated carbon for the
various plants about the state engaged in smelting iron and other
metals.

[Page 11] The fixed carbon of the coal ranges from 48 to 65 per cent.
and the total values in carbon from 64 to 80 per cent. and the ash from
3 to 17 per cent. The coal measures underlie probably the great bulk of
the foothills on both sides of the Cascades and some of the Olympics,
the Blue mountains of the southeast and some of the low mountains in
the northeastern part of the state.
Besides these coals already mentioned, it is known that veins of
anthracite coal exist in the western part of Lewis county, the extent and
value of which have not been fully determined, and, owing to the
absence of transportation, are not on the market.
MINERAL ORES.
The general topography of the state suggests at once the probability of
deposits of ores of the precious metals, and the cursory prospecting
already done justifies the outlook. Practically the entire mountain
regions are enticing fields for the prospector. Substantial rewards have
already been realized by many who have chanced the hardships, and
there are now in operation many mining enterprises which are yearly
adding a substantial sum to the output of the wealth of the state. The
ores occur chiefly in veins of low grade and great width and known as
base on account of the presence of sulphur, arsenic and other elements
compelling the ores to be roasted before smelting.
There are, however, some high grade ores in narrow fissures and in a
few localities free milling ores and placer deposits are found. In most
cases the free milling ores are the result of oxidation and will be found
to be base as water level is reached in the mining process.
Mining of precious metals is being prosecuted in Whatcom, Skagit,
Snohomish, King, Pierce, Lewis, Skamania, Cowlitz, Okanogan,
Chelan, Kittitas, Yakima, Klickitat, Ferry and Stevens counties.
Of the metals the mines of the state are producing gold, silver, lead,
copper, quicksilver, zinc, arsenic, antimony, molybdenum, [Page 12]
nickel, cobalt, tungsten, titanium, bismuth, sulphur, selenium, tellurium,
tin and platinum.
There are also iron mines, and quarries of marble, granite, onyx,
serpentine, limestone and sandstone--beds of fire clay, kaolin, fire and
potter's clays, talc and asbestos and many prospects of petroleum.
Mining is suffering for the lack of transportation for the low grade ores,
but prospects are excellent for relief in this regard in the near future.

The era of wildcat exploitation has been relegated to the past and
legitimate mining is now getting a firmer hold in the state, and we look
for results within the next five years which will astonish many who
think themselves well informed.
FISHERIES.
A glance at the map of the state will disclose a remarkable combination
of salt and fresh waters within the jurisdiction of the state of such a
character as to amaze one not familiar with it, but learned in the habits
of the finny tribe in general.
The ocean is the great feeding ground. Out of its mysterious depths the
millions of fish come into fresh waters fat and rich from the salt water
vegetation.
[Illustration: Plate No. 9.--Chelan County Views.]
[Illustration: Plate No. 10.--Farm and Dairy Scene Common to Clallam
County.]
The great Columbia river in the south, Willapa harbor,