A Relic of the Ancient Rainforest
A state forestry official unearths a cedar log with a spruce growing over it, dating back to 1680, to be showcased at the World's Fair.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
L. F. Henderson, superintendent of Forestry for the state of Washington, has secured on the Johns river in Chehalis county a section of a cedar log with a spruce which has grown over it. The rings on the spruce indicate that it has been growing over that fallen cedar since the year 1680, or 213 years ago. The cedar is as sound as when it fell. It is estimated to have been about 200 years old when it fell. It is quite possible that in 1492 when Columbus landed on the Atlantic coast that this cedar tree had just begun its life on this coast and within the sound of the roar of the surf of the Pacific. It will be an attractive feature in the state's exhibit.
“It is quite possible that in 1492 when Columbus landed on the Atlantic coast that this cedar tree had just begun its life on this coast.”
This piece highlights the deep, ancient history of Washington's old-growth forests, which were already being framed as 'exhibits' for outsiders to marvel at, a tension that persists today in the struggle to protect what remains of these ecosystems.
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