New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-09-18
SOUTHERN TIMER LANDS.

An article recently published in a New
Orleans PAPER on the wealth of Louisiana in
timber lands creates considerable comment in
the Southern press and brings ont many inter
eStlng estimates of the value Of the Cor, -ts of
Other states. There are few Southern States
winch ito not possess large areas of wild land
scarcely touched as yet 10y the axe of the lum-
herman. The value of these lands is sure To
increase from year to year, as the rapid de
Nastation OF the great pnerics Of MICHIGAN and
Wisconsin makes lumber dcarcr, and the Gmo
Is probably not far distant when the South will
hnd IN the forests of its mountain sides and its
sandy plains source of immense wealth. The
rugged hills and valleys of West VIRGINIA
Eastern Kentucky and East cuncsscc abound
IN oak, chestnut, ash and maple and at fine
rate the determination of the black walnut 10
advancing in Ohio and Indiana will soau \.
the only important source of supply of that
fashionable and oyerrated wood. \ GREAT d.,l
OF valuable hard wood timber is also fo,nJ u.
Northern Georgia and Alabama and in Western
Arkansas
The pine forests of the South arc
more extensive than those of the Northwest
ana have only been invaded here and there nj
points where mills could be built on RAILWAY
INES or near bays and navgable tidowa+nr
streams. beginning at the Dismal Swami in
virginia, the pine belts follow the coast lines IF
the Atlantic and the Gulf almost to Galveston
ana extend back into the country, as ruIe "a
lar as the tide runs. Milling operations in this
vast tract are usually upon a small scale to
supply local market. Along the Cane Fear
liVer III North Carolina, at Brunsv1clf in
ucol3ia' on the SuWanec and at Pensacola in
fioiioa, there are, however, II few large mills
GhI n Inn l,,,.t. H..
inuie"' Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana
supply theIr own needs from their own forests
anu le1as which used to draw heavily upon
ioilu" anu the Northwest, has of late opened
within her own limits an almost homeless
source OF supply III the pine barrens traversed
by the new railroads in the eastern norton of
her immense domain. The deyelopmcnl ~ n,a
lumber industry in that section has reduced tbo
price of building material nearly ono-baIr a,'d
mas aided greatly III the rapid growth of tba
central and western sections of the Stat. T.,
lact, 1t may be said TO have advanced the Grade
or Texan civilization, for the new settler nav,
puts up II comfortable three or four-roo,,,
cottage instead of a mere box, and tbe EttIo
shanties which used to be the rule in tho r;aI,
prairie country are fast giving place to suh-
stantial faTmhouses.
lDe most important lumber region in tho
south yet to be developed stretches clear acros,
Southern Georgia and Alabama from the A.
llhuc 10 the rivers that flow into Mobile Raw
Inns Wilole region may almost be said to he an
uhbrcken pine forest, for the clearnos and
lumber campssare so few and so far apart that
they only increase the impression of in,mensitv
ana loneliness which the vast woodland snoces
win their endless yistls Of tall straight tree-
trunks make upon the travellers mind. since
Inc olite OF Georgia built the Atlantic aud Gulf