HARDWOOD RECORD 



the hunters or explorers who have entered this 

 wild domain. Yet what an ideal resion for the 

 sportsman, the modern child of Nimrod, the 

 knight of the rod and gun. What a field for the 

 explorer who desires to open up new country, as 

 well as the prospector for timbers or costly 

 cabinet woods. In these dense forests are heard 

 the shrill notes and chatter of birds of most 

 exquisite brilliancy of plumage, yet lacliing in 

 song. Far off from the distant tree tops at 

 evening comes a sound so hideous that it pro- 

 duces a painful sensation to the ear and a 

 shudder. This is the wail of the howling ape, 

 whose unearthly bellowing when once heard is 

 never forgotten. He lives in the tops of the 

 tallest trees and is rarely if ever seen on the 

 ground. Ximble and swift footed deer and ante- 

 lope scamper over the savannas or across the 

 mgged mountain slopes, or sometimes congregate 

 in herds of hundreds. Leopards are common, and 

 the cougar or American tiger, with beautiful fur 

 ornamented with dark spots on a yellowish or 

 fawn colored pelt. His lair is far back In the 

 lonely fastness of the jungle through which he 

 skulks in search of prey and stealthily creeping, 

 springs upon and devours it. He sometimes when 

 suCFering from extreme hunger attacks and kills 

 cattle, but is never known to assail men. 



The style of the camps in this country are always 

 patterned after the habitations of the natives. 

 Tents or houses built of lumber are never seen in 

 the bush or the interior of the country. The 

 mahogany cutter who desires to establish a 

 camp invariably hires a native to build the ner- 

 essary quarters, which he erects in his own way 

 and according to the climate and customs of the 



country. At Corosol I noticed two of these 

 Carlb house builders making preparations to build 

 a two-room shack with hallway between. They 

 each had a machete, which was the only tool to 

 \h- used on the Job. They bad all the material on 

 the ground ready for the completion of the house, 

 and 1 am [>ositive there is not a carpenter in 

 the United States that would have known what 

 the stuff was or what they were doing. They 

 had several piles of smooth, straight poles of 

 various sizes and lengths from one to six inches 

 in diameter and from eight to thirty feet long. 

 These were to answer the purpose of joist, stud- 

 ding, ratters and other dimensions usually 

 sawed. There was a great pile of sheaves or 

 bundles of the long ribbonlike blades or sprays 

 from the leaf of a certain kind of palm tree to 

 be used in the roof instead of shingles. A great 

 pile of clay or limy substance as white as chalk 

 which consisted of decomposed coral and shells 

 from the bottom of the lagoon was to take 

 the place of plaster or cement. At another place 

 was a lot of material tied up in bundles, which 

 consisted of a certain kind of very strong vine, 

 which is so pliable that it can be tied like a 

 string. It ranges in size from cord or string to a 

 half inch rope. This was used instead of nails, 

 screws or bolts. There was not a particle of 

 manufactured material of any kind used in 

 the building and the only expense was the 

 la*,ior of collecting the material and putting tip 

 the house. I was told that It would cost the 

 owner $50 in United States money when com 

 pleted ready to move into. A pole or post about 

 six or eight inches in diameter with notches cut 



into It for steps is used as a substitute for 

 stairs, when the loft Is used for sleeping quarters. 

 There are I wo styles of native built houses in 

 the bush, one l>elng entirely open on the sides, 

 having no walls at all. These are mere sheds 

 rather than bouses, consisting only of the roof 

 supported by forked posts set In the ground. 

 In the other style the sides arc enclosed with 

 thin walls made of small saplings Inter- 

 lapped or woven together In basket form and 

 the interspaces filled or oompletely plastered over 

 with clay or m()rtar and provided with rude 

 d('Ors and windows. I have many times lodged 

 and rested In these houses and found them quite 

 comfortable. A rough floor Is laid on the joist 

 overhead, usually of small poles placed close 

 together side by side, but sometimes whlpsawed 

 lumber is used ; this, however, is considered an 

 extravagant luxury. In British Honduras there 

 Is no tax levied against the property of natives 

 living out In the Interior unless they become so 

 aristocratic as to afford to have floors of sawed 

 lumber in their shacks. This Is the mark at 

 distinction from which the line is drawn between 

 those that must pay taxes on their real estate 

 and those that are exempt. The open shacks 

 are really the most comfortable habitations for 

 a company of hardy wood cutters, as there are no 

 obstructions to the breeze which blows gently 

 and almost continuously during part of the sea- 

 son on account of the trade winds that sweep 

 over that part of the country. These winds 

 regulate the atmosphere so that the temperature 

 ranges from about 75 to 85 degrees the year 

 round, rendering the climate most delightful as 

 well as healthful. J. V. Hamilton. 



CEROS CAMP AND ITS PICTURESQUE SURROUNDINGS. YUCATAN. MEXICO. 



Two Large Transactions. 



Ernest B. Lomt>ard. the prominent wholesale 

 hardwood man of Chicago, closed two deals the 

 end of last month which are Indicative of the 

 fact that trade conditions are Improving. 



The first was the closing of a contract cover- 

 ing the entire output of the hardwood mills of 

 the Suliivan-Sanford Lumber Company at 

 Naples, Tex. These mills are finely equipped, 

 and have an output of about 125.000 feet of 

 hardwoods daily. There Is oak. ash. hickory 

 and gum in the vicinity of the mills owned by 

 the company which will supply it for upwards 

 of a dozen years. Aside from securing future 

 output, Mr. Lombard took over ail the stock now 

 on sticks, about a million and a half feet. 



The other transaction was in cottonwood. of 

 which Mr. Lombard purchased 5,000.000 feet 

 ftom Indian Territory mills. The lumber con- 

 sists of firsts and seconds and No. 1 common, 

 and was disposed of at once, most of it going 

 to one manufacturing firm of Chicago. 



Lumber Exporters' Meeting. 



The National Lumber Exporters" Association 

 will hold its annual meeting at New Orleans 

 January 22 and 23, and It is expected that much 

 important business will come up. Matters of 

 especial interest to Gulf shippers will receive 

 particular attention. It is expected tliat about 

 a hundred delegates and visitors will attend the 

 meeting. The headquarters of the association 

 will be the St. Charles Hotel. 



Kelley Lmn'ber & Shingle Company's Affairs. 

 By an order of the Circuit Court the Kelley 

 Liunl)er and Shingle Company of Traverse City, 

 Mich., and allied concerns will be permitted to 

 operate under the receivership of Garry Sullivan 

 oi Cedar and J. O. Crotser. The company was 



placed In a precarious condition early In No- 

 vember, owing to the financial stringency, and 

 accordingly action for the protection of its cred- 

 itors was necessary. All the concerns Involved 

 In the temporary embarrassment which resulted 

 show. In a recent acc-ounting, liabilities consid- 

 erably below their resources, so it is thought 

 that it will be only a question of a short time 

 before their affairs will be readjusted satisfac- 

 torily and placed on a sound footing. Walter N. 

 Kelley. the head of the several companies In- 

 volved, is a capable business man, and one who 

 has the confidence of his friends in the trade. 



The Outlook at Evansville. 



Manufacturers in the Evansville hardwood 

 district are finding no fault with the business 

 of the past year. They feel that it has been a 

 banner season, and that In spite of the so-called 

 panic in the money market the outlook for the 

 year 1908 is not In the least discouraging. 

 Up to a few weeks ago the mills were shipping 

 out large quantities of lumber, and it was dif- 

 ficult to get cars to carry the stock. Even when 

 the stringency was felt, the mills were not forced 

 to close down, and are now running steadily 

 with a full force of men. One of the mills ran 

 on half time for a couple weeks, but is now pro- 

 ceeding as usual. 



Many lumbermen express the opinion that the 

 year 1907 was the best in the history of local 

 mills. Not only was It good from point of 

 shipments, but manufacturers received from five 

 to ten per cent more for their lumber. There 

 seems to be no disposition on the part of manu- 

 facturers to lower the price of lumber to any 

 extent, and It is predicted that this attitude will 

 be maintained. 



Miscellaneous Notes. 



Price & Hlgby of Chicago propose the erec- 

 tion of a woodenware factory at Petoskey, 

 Mich., in return for a bonus of $30,000. The 

 company agrees to pay 100 men $60,000 a year 

 for ten years. 



The Archer Lumber Company has been incor- 

 porated at Helena, Ark., with $100,000 cap- 

 ital stock, by W. A. Archer, J. I. Moore and 

 J. A. Scott. 



The Hosp Eucalyptus Forest Company has 

 been incorporated to operate in Los Angeles ; it 

 is capitalized at $50,000 and the directors are 

 E. W. McGee, F. P. Hosp. N. B. Martin and M. 

 T. Whitaker. all of Los Angeles. 



E. L. Warren, who for a number of years 

 was prominently connected with the B. E. Wood 

 Lumber Company of Baltimore, one of the 

 largest concerns of its kind In the South, has 

 severed his connection with that company to 

 enter the wholesale lumber business on his own 

 account. He will maintain his office at Bristol, 

 Tenn.-Va. 



J. A. Davis and Samuel Hodges have recently 

 organized a hardwood lumber and handle com- 

 pany at Harrisburg, Ark. 



The Walloon Lake Lumber Company of Boyne 

 City, Mich., has closed a very successful season 

 and before next winter will move to the upper 

 peninsula where it has 10,000 acres of forest as 

 a source of supply for further operations. Dur- 

 ing the past season the company has cut 6,500,- 

 000 feet of lumber. 



The main plant of the Parkersbnrg Mill Com- 

 pany at Parkersburg, W. Va.. was destroyed by 

 fire at an early hour Dec 27 and the loss is 

 estimated to be between $75,000 and $100,000. 

 A pile of scrap wood was Ignited by sparks 

 from an engine and it is thought sparks from 

 it flew to the distant plant and caused the 



