The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1881-03-04
More About Lumber.

EDTToRs NEWS: / was afraid that
was TO be deprived of my opportunity to
advocate my cause before the public
this week as the Sentinel seems to have
seen my point and subsidized, but Mr..
Mac Mahon has now taken up the sub
ject, and if you are not tired of the mat
ter will endeavor TO reply to him. Mr..
Mac Mahon credits me with writing a
plain gentlemanly advertisement; that
is just what triedsto do, and let me
ask Mr.. MacMahon if he pursues this
subject further TO write in the same
strain. If he should do this he may
change his language somewhat. For
instance he refers to "abuses," an ugly
word intended to characterize the selling
of lumber at prices 10 to 20 per cent. too
high. You see the margin is getting
smaller. Now, sir, have the right to
sell lumber at any price please. If my
figures are too high, / am the only suffer
er. If Mr.. Mac Mahon should catch me
out of hay this muddy weather / pre-
sumo he would have no computations
and consider it no abuse TO sell me hay
at a profit OF 100 per cent. If he should
L
he would get all he could for it regard
none the less if l had to pay
it, indeed / should regard it
as proof of his good Judgment
and his credit would in my estimation
be the higher Mr.. MacMahon states
that some of their best men have figured
on bills telling the facts at Emporia and
Withholding them at Usage City, a state
ment which will make all lumber men
smile, because of the unanimously pc
cuiiar conduct of these gentlemen farm
ers) He speaks further OF substantial
ing these charges" another ugly word,
as if / should 'charge" him with selling
wheat at dollar and quarter bushei
when he can get it-but il is not possible
to substanti2te his statement, because
unfortunately, there are no standard
grades in the lumber business, but every
man is law unto himself, and when
these gentlemen bought lumber Is TO 20
cents less than at Emporia il is not ut.
terly impossible that they got lumber 80
or 40 per cent poorer in quality
and as this is an advertisement
I want to add unless they bought of the
Chicago Lumber Co. at the other town
Further more, if am right in my recoI
lection of the distances, Ivy is nearer tc
Usage City and BurlIngame than to EN-
poria and freight to both those points
is lower than to Emporia, so that pre-
sumIng that grades were equal there i.
no great atrocity in charging higher
| prices at Emporia. Mr.. Nasty desired
a railroad to the Cross Roads for tn,
principle reason that they might take
away all The business from Jonesboro
I do not claim that we can depriy,
neighboring towns of their legitimatl
| business, especially in your widely cir
/ culated paper or should have liveI,
time making explanations at the othe
/ towns in which am interested
Mr. MacMahon asks if Emporia ca
afford to allow these lumbermen to form
i ring and exact extortionafe prices 70
their lumber, &c. If were 10 answe
this in the counterpart of the laDguag
in which il Is stated, should have t
break my rule, and lose Mr.. Mac ahon'
respect for my gentlemaniy Language
But will say that if the lumbermen {
this city should choose TO cuIsivai
! friendly relationships, they have as muc