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 there was any demand in the latter State. In the last two years, claims have been taken in Washington which were formerly passed by, because the comparatively small amount and poor quality of the timber did not seem to justify the purchase. During the last year or so many citizens of Washington have located claims in Southern and Eastern Oregon.

During the last fiscal year, ending June 30, 1902, more public land was entered and disposed of in Oregon than in any other public land State. The aggregate number of acres disposed of during the year, under the various laws, was 1,297,632. This record has been equalled only once in the previous his- tory of the State. For the quarter end- ing Sept, 30, 1902, the. land offices re- ported 625 more timber entries, cover- ing one hundred thousand more acres, than were reported for the quarter end- ing June 30. In the Roseburg district, at the end of October, there were between 850 and 875 entries, involving 136,000 to 140,000 acres, on which final proof had not been made. A few years ago men who realized the value of 160 acres of timber found it difficult to in- duce others to take up claims, and many owners sold claims for $1,000 and less which cannot now be purchased for many times that price. The de- mand for timber is of course steadily increasing the value, and in a short time claims that have been neglected because they had a comparatively small amount of timber will be worth to the owner more than was realized a few years as^o for the finest.

THIC ADVANCIC OF CIVILIZATION— The lonely cot ncss. The cabin, even to the chimney, Photo by Darius Kinsey, Scdro-Woolley, Wash.

of the homesteader on the verge of the forest wilder- is built entirely of cedar "shakes."

Oregon is now the best timbered State in the Union. Its timbered area is 34,752,000 acres ; that of Washington is 30,582,000 acres, and of Idaho 7,000,- 000 acres. The amount of merch- antable timber standing in the Ore- gon forests was estimated a year ago at 135 billion feet, board measure. The standing timber in Washington was estimated about the same time to be 114,778 million feet. The estimators of the United States Geological Survey gave two reasons for this^iflFereiw:c m