HARDWOOD RECORD 



29 



operates four rr.int'S producing a little over 

 1,000 tons of coal per day and four more 

 mines are now being opened up on the oppo- 

 site side of the river from Stearns, which 

 when thoroughly equipped will produce 1,500 

 tons more. The (-ompany expects to have the 

 mines in operation late the coming fall, al- 

 though opening them up may be delayed 

 somewhat longer. 



The saw mill cut of the Stearns Company 

 in this region is about 15,000,000 feet of oak. 

 hemlock, pine and poplar, oak being the larg- 

 est quantity of lumber produced and the oth- 

 ers following in above order. Minor quan- 

 tities of about eighteen other varieties of 

 wood are also produced. The timber holdings 

 are extensive enough to last approximately 

 fifty years, while the coal holdings, on the 

 basis of 2,500 tons production, should endure 

 about fifty centuries. Thus it is fair to pre- 

 sume that the production will be greatly in- 

 creased. 



J. S. Stearns is president of the Stearns 

 Lumber Company, Inc.; W. T. Culver is vice- 

 president, and R. L. Stearns is secretary and 

 treasurer. F. R. Seeley has general supervi- 

 sion over the manufacture of lumber at 

 Stearns, Ky.. as well as the marketing of the 

 stock. 



Spanish Liunber Market. 



Considerable American lumber of all classes 

 is used in Spain, it being preferred to other 

 foreign lumber marketed there. Shipments 

 for Seville are made via Barcelona and Va- 

 lencia, which is much more expensive than 

 if made direct. The market could probabl.v 

 be further enlarged by using catalogues print- 

 ed in Spanish, with prices in Spanish cur- 

 rency and measures in the metric system. 

 Terms of sale are generally from thirty to 

 ninety days after receipt of shipment, but 

 some firms take advantage of the best cash 

 discount. There are no tariff restrictions 

 against American lumber. The American con- 

 sul has forwarded a list of furniture manu- 

 facturers and lumber dealers in Seville, which 

 has been placed on file in the bureau of man- 

 ufactures. 



Lirnibering in Chihuahua. 



The northern portion of the Mexican state 

 of Chihuahu;i has made great strides in in- 

 dustrial growth within the past six months, 

 notably in mining and lumbering. There is 

 a daily train service from Ciudad Juarez into 

 the interior on the Mexican Central trunk 

 line. The Rio Grande, Sierra Madre and Pa- 

 cifico has a tri-weekly service, having as its 

 terminus Casas Grandes, 158 miles from Jua- 

 rez, but the road is now being extended into 

 the timbered districts. The same company 

 is extending the road from the timbered re- 

 gions at Medara and will continue until the 

 two projections meet. An extension to the 

 coast will also be constructed. 



Lumbering is a new industry, and, judg- 

 ing from the progress made of late, will be a 

 very profitable one. No lumber has been ex- 

 ported up to date, as not all the necessary 

 machinery for complete lumber operations has 

 been received and installed. However, there 

 are now in operation or course of construc- 

 tion in that section extensive drying sheds, 

 saw mills having a capacity of 500,000 feet of 

 lumber a day, log pond, planing mills and 

 turpentine stills. 



The Pole Supply. 



To users of telephone and telegraph poles the 

 question of how best to meet the scarcity of 

 suitable timber is of paramount importance. 

 Latest reports from the Census Bureau show 

 that there were in operation in 1902 approxi- 

 mately 700,000 miles of pole line ; subsequent 

 additions and lack of reports on many lines 

 show that these figures must be much greater 



today — at least 800,000. The average line con- 

 tains about forty poles to the mile, so there are 

 doubtless 32,000,000 poles in use. Assuming 

 that the average life of one is twelve years, it 

 follows that for the maintenance of the lines 

 now in operation there are needed each year 

 more than 2,6.50,000 poles. That this demand 

 will toll upon present low available supplies is 

 recognized by the companies and has led to a 

 long series of experiments in cooperation with 

 the government to ascertain best methods of 

 cutting, seasoning and perpetuating the life of 

 poles. Those cut in winter and spring are more 

 durable than others. 



Michigan Forestry Association. 



A giillii'i-iiji,' which will attract national at- 

 tention will be the convention of the Michigan 

 Forestry Association at Saginaw, Nov. 12 and 

 i:i. It will cover wider ground than ever he- 

 fiirc, from the fact that many forestry anl 

 limibcr exports from Wisconsin, Minnesota and 

 Ontario, as well as some engaged in the gov- 

 ernment ssrvice, will appear before the meet- 

 ing. The pine problem particularly is a serious 

 one, not only in Michigan but through the en- 

 tire northern part of the country, and it must 

 ho met by some means or other. Not only tne 

 disappearance of the wood before the ax mast 

 ho combated, but adeciuatc protection from fire 

 must be assured for remaining stands. The 

 association accomplished a great stride forward 

 when it secured a committee, named by the 

 state, to look after waste lands and set out 

 new nurseries. Delegates from man.v states will 

 attend and much will undoubtedly be accom 

 plishod for the good of the cause. 



' ' Cheaper Logging. ' ' 



Under the above title, the Clyde Iron Works, 

 of Duluth. Minn., has just issued the first edi- 

 tion of its new catalogue. A great deal of pains 

 and expense have been devoted to the prepara- 

 tion of this work and the result warrants much 

 more than passing notice. 



The book fully illustrates typical skidding and 

 loading operations in connection with their most 

 modern and practical machinery, showing actual 

 service and conditions as they exist, without any 

 embellishment or retouching. A handsome col- 

 ored frontispiece adds greatly to its appearance 

 and the numberless large illustrations are done 

 in three-color scheme, with wide ornamental bor- 

 ders. The smaller ones are artistically vignetted. 



The famous "McGilfert" is portrayed in vari- 

 ous stages of operations throughout West Vir- 

 ginia, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, 

 Louisiana, Michigan, the Carolinas, Tennessee 

 and other states, showing logging going on under 

 widely differing conditions, but with equal suc- 

 cess and certainty. The average lumberman is 

 always interested in the methods and operations 

 of his brothers all over the country, and, believ- 

 ing that to influence and convince it is first nec- 

 essary to interest, the company has collected 

 these remarkable views, that anyone may see for 

 himself just what the machines can do. are doing 

 and how they are doing it — supplementing the 

 illustrations with only such descriptive matter 

 as will give a clearer and more intelligent under- 

 standing of the apparatus. 



Surely the Clyde Iron Works may well be 

 pioud of having put out one of the handsomest 

 and most artistic books of the kind that has ever 

 been issued. 



Popularity of Walnut. 



Just now it is walnut which holds the palm 

 as the favorite wood for furniture. Dealers 

 say that walnut has taken a firm hold on the 

 market and, for some reason or another, it 

 appears to be more in demand than the long 

 supreme mahogany. 



The Circassian walnut is the special kind 

 which is attracting attention, and when the 

 visitor to the furniture shop sees the beauti- 

 ful veining. the soft color and the dull, at- 

 tractive finish of this wood he does not won- 



der at its popularity. Its particular charm is 

 its wonderful veining, and the best marked 

 pieces, without any trimming or finishing at 

 all. give the effect of being elaborately dec- 

 orated, simply through the colorings and the 

 lines in the wood itself. 



The color is a dull brown on the olive shade, 

 the Circassian walnut being several shades 

 darker than the ordinary kind. It is more 

 expensive than mahogany, some pieces rang- 

 ing in price from $10 to $25 more than pieces 

 of a corresponding size and style in mahog- 

 any. 



The choicest wood is taken from the root 

 of the walnut tree, and consequently a whole 

 tree has to be sacrificed for a comparatively 

 small amount of the wood. The best pieces 

 of furniture are made with pieces which 

 match almost exactly. A bed. for instance, 

 which has its head and its footboard of al- 

 most an identical pattern in the veining is 

 the best and most expensive. A bedroom set 

 consisting of the bed, small dressing table 

 and two chairs made of this Circassian wal- 

 nut costs more than $1,500, while the best 

 mahogany set in somewhat the same style 

 would amount probably to a hundred or more 

 dollars less than this amount. 



Besides its beautiful grain, its dull color is 

 attractive to many, and the dull finish and 

 lack of a shining, reflecting surface is a 

 change from the mirror-like surface of ma- 

 hogany, golden oak and the others with bright 

 finish. There is a softness about the color 

 and the tone which is new and decidedly 

 pleasing. 



The question of keeping mahogatiy polished 

 and without blemishes is always an impor- 

 tant one. It is almost impossible to save it 

 from the scratches and the markings that 

 will come from everyday use. With Circas- 

 sian walnut it is different. There is no wood 

 which is more easily cared for and with less 

 difficulty kept with its appearance of new- 

 ness. On account of its dull finish and lack 

 of varnish it can not easily be scratched. 

 While even a soft rag may put a few blem- 

 ishes on a new mahogany piece, this will 

 never happen on walnut. Perhaps this is the 

 most important reason for its popularity in 

 this servantless age. 



All sorts of pieces of furniture are made of 

 this walnut — pieces for the dining room, bed- 

 room, library or dressing room, and although 

 they may be found in many styles, some with 

 the ornamentation of the empire days, others 

 severely plain, it is found that in every case 

 the style is a minor point as compared with 

 the appearance of the wood itself. 



That it will finally supersede mahogany al- 

 together is not predicted, but it is a fact just 

 now that among the buyers of expensive 

 pieces there is a strong inclination to this 

 newer wood. 



Lumber Importations in China. 



The imports of lumber from foreign coun- 

 tries during 1906 were as follows; From the 

 United States, $38,736 worth; Hongkong, 

 $1,368; Japan, $259,111, and Chinese ports, 

 $5,000; total, $304,215. Japan furnished more 

 than eighty per cent of the lumber. Only 

 $5,000 worth of foreign lumber was imported 

 from Shanghai, against $42,000 of the year 

 before. As this lumber is unclassed by the 

 customs it is impossible to state with any de- 

 gree of accuracy how much American lum- 

 ber was imported from Shanghai, but as the 

 figure in 1906 was very small it is not worthy 

 of consideration. 



Lumber importers state that practically fifty 

 per cent of the lumber shipped from Shana^- 

 hai to the port of Newchwang consists of 

 American pine. American pine is used in 

 all buildings for the heavier and more impor- 

 tant work. The Korean pine can not be 

 compared with the American product; the 

 former is very soft, has not much strength 

 and is very easy to work. All timbers are 

 sawed by hand, and a Chinese contractor 

 when sawing American pine will charge more 

 than double the amount figured in sawing 

 Korean pine. Of the total of American pine 

 imported during 1906 about fifteen per cent 

 consisted of flooring, fifteen per cent timbers 

 and the remainder in boards and plank. 



