HARDWOOD RECORD 



21 



commodity is of interest to lumbermen as individuals, and might have 

 some indirect bearing upon tlie actual retail value of their own 

 products. 



The South Awakens 



The first copy of a monthly bulletin published by the Southern 

 Commercial Congress for the purpose of stimulating a more general 

 interest in the unsurpassed natural facilities offered by the southern 

 states has recently been received. 



The character of the comment which it contains brings to mind an 

 interview with a prominent lumberman who is interested in southern 

 operations and who malfes periodic tours of southern points. This 

 gentleman speaks enthusiastically of the remarkable development of 

 the South in its industrial, business and agricultural enterprises and 

 asserts that each year he is greeted with new evidence of its awaken- 

 ing. There is no question but that this vastly important section of 

 the XJrited States has entered definitely and firmly upon a new era in 

 industrial progress. Its cities exhibit a rapidly modernizing exterior; 

 its commercial bodies and commercial houses are alligning themselves 

 with the most progressive and modern institutions of the North; its 

 ports are engaged in the constant rivalry for supremacy which results 

 in a continually- advanced standard. In short, the splendid oppor- 

 tunities which, have for so long lain dormant have come into the light 

 of day with the result , that the whole country is quivering with the 

 excitement of development. 



While northern money and enterprise are undoubtedly largely 

 responsible for the awakening, we can look in the future for southern 

 blood to carry on the work. With the advent of a new generation, the 

 old prejudices and sentiments are disappearing. With the hardships 

 and injustices wrought by the Civil war removed from their immediate 

 scope of observation, the modern southerners are showing an increased 

 tendency to eliminate from their minds the useless and bitter reflec- 

 tions of their woes and to concentrate on questions concerning a 

 living and vital present rather than a dead past. If this tendency can 

 but bring about the shattering of the old "Solid South" tradition 

 it will have lifted one of the most Serious stumbling blocks from the 

 path of southern progress. 



Shipping Jamaican Hardwoods 



A timber agent from New York recently purchased at two 

 points in Jamaica, considerable quantities of mahogany and ce- 

 dar trees. Two shipments of this timber have already been made 

 and it is planned to maice further shipments to a New York con- 

 cern. While the total amount is probably not large, it is of con- 

 siderable significance in that' it is the beginning of an exporta- 

 tion of valuable Jamaican hardwoods into the United States. 



While lumber has never been an article of export In Jamaica, 

 there have for several years been shipments of hardwood tim- 

 ber from Kingston, which went chiefly to European ports. It is 

 probable, in view of the recent shipments from Port Antonio, 

 that the volume of this export will increase, esjjecially as there is 

 a body of about thirty-five thousand acres of forest land in the 

 parish. The government has already taken steps to open up this 

 timber by building roads through it to make it accessible. 



The Island of Jamaica includes some four or five hundred 

 thousand acres of forest, not including scrub lands. In this area 

 is found a considerable variety of hardwood trees, although 

 not much of it is heavily timbered. A recent bulletin on the 

 commercial trees of Jamaica showed that there are forty-six va- 

 rieties suitable for cabinet work; thirty-five for house work and 

 furniture; thirty-five for general purposes, and many more for 

 such uses as turnery, carriage and wagon work, posts, shingles, 

 piles, railway ties, millwork and cooperage. 



The most valuable of the cabinet and furniture hardwoods in 

 the order of their local use are the West India or Spanish cedar, 

 mahogany, Mahoe, satinwood. Blue Mountain yacca, rosewood 

 and yellow sander. 



There are no sawmills in Jamaica. Probably the only sort of 

 mill that could be operated to advantage would be a portable 

 outfit, which could be easily transported from place to place. 



As there are no large bodies of well timbered lands on the islands, 

 and as much of the timber is of small to medium size and is found 

 on the sides of the mountains, it would be difficult to find a loca- 

 tion for a mill to operate. Therefore as labor is cheap and abun- 

 dant, the most practical method has been to manufacture lumber 

 from the native timber by hand. The logs are rolled upon a 

 frame work considerably higher than a man's head. One man 

 stands below and the other above, and they operate a long rip 

 saw. After ripping off slabs on two sides, they line the log with 

 a cord dipped in a chalk or charcoal solution. 



There are many dewellings and other buildings, particularly in 

 the interior of the islands, which have been built only of this hand- 

 sawn lumber. 



Lumber Conditions in Liverpool 



It is reported by a large lumber merchant at Liverpool that 

 recently mahogany sales held in that city were attended by a 

 number of representatives of large concerns. The bidding at 

 these sales was unusually keen owing to the heavy demand, and 

 as a consequence prices were even higher than at the last two 

 sales. There apparently is no immediate prospect of heavier im- 

 ports, and even if such supply should come forward there seem 

 to be more than enough orders to be filled to at least maintain 

 present prices. 



In American hardwoods there seems to be an excess of supply 

 over demand for ash logs, while for ash lumber the market is 

 quiet with not much inquiry. Satisfactory prices for black wal- 

 nut logs are the result of a good demand for prime stock, and 

 the market for black walnut lumber is unchanged. Continued 

 weak values are maintained owing to labor troubles in the cabi- 

 net making trade. 



There is apparently little change in the market for elm and 

 hickory logs, while the demand for round oak and hewn coffin 

 logs is fair. It is reported that the arrivals of oak boards have 

 been heavy and a consequent weakening in values is apparent. 



Prime poplar logs of large size and good length are inquired 

 for, while poplar lumber, both planed and unplaned, is in mod- 

 erate request with a dull market. Buyers it seems are not dis- 

 posed to pay the high prices asked by shippers. 



The demand for red gum lumber seems to be quiet, with un- 

 changed prices. 



The Panama Canal and Hardwoods 



The ultimate completion of the Panama Canal has been discussed 

 from every conceivable angle with a view of arriving at some definite 

 basis on which its possible benefit to various industries of this country 

 will be felt. 



There has been no claim that the opening of the canal will have 

 anv appreciable effect upon the consumption of hardwood lumber in 

 the eastern states, but it is a fact that the development of new steam- 

 ship lines in anticipation of the opening of the isthmus route will 

 call for and in fact, are calling for a large amount of hardwood 

 stock of various kinds. 



Investigation has shown that practically all of the shipyards in 

 the United States are actually at work, either completing or beginning 

 ships designed for this purpose. Hardwood in ship construction is a 

 very important factor and it can be easily conceived that with the 

 construction of a large number of new ships for the Panama trade, 

 considerable increase will be felt for the demand of hardwood stocks 

 which go into this type of construction. 



Reports based on actual observation show that practically every 

 shipyard on both our coasts is now pressed to the limit with orders, 

 and that there is every prospect of large increases in such orders as 

 the time for the opening of the canal approaches. 



Forty-six freight and passenger steamers designed for ocean travel 

 are in the course of construction in the various shipyards along the 

 Atlantic coast. One large yard in New York has now on its books 

 orders for crafts aggregating $25,000,000 in value. The result of this 

 unusual call for sea going vessels has resulted in turning considerable 

 quantities of orders for coastwise trade to yards on the Great Lakes. 

 As a result shipbuilding the country over is in an excellent shape. 



