The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-04-06


much higher fl cures, was a splendid
investment, syndicates were formed
and intelligent agents sent out
through the country, with plenty of
money, to buy up all of the best
timbered surveys. Local agents, [
understand, were employed to assist
III making favorable purchases, and
a general scheme appears to have
been cOncocted to gam absolute
control of the entire timber interests
of eastern Texas by a few men.
thereby adding thousands of dollars
to their own Golfers, and creating a
timber monopoly extremely detri-
mental to the people of the state,
who must be supplied with lumber
from these pineries.
TO complete the monopoly of the
timber lands many devices have
been planned to secure that portion
belonging to the school fund. From
what l could see and learn the state
has had but few friends who were
in POSITIONS to protect her interests.
Your prompt and decisive action in
the matter, however, has awakened
a lively feeling of appreciation on
the part of all that class who desire
that justice shall be done the chill
dren of Texas in the protection and
care of the means so wisely set
apart for their education, and who
oppose monopoly of the timber by
mOnied rings and corporations, COM
posed of men who are utterly in
different to everything save their
own growth in wealth. 1t is natural,
however, for men of enterprise
to engage in speculatiOns that
promises the greatest profits,
but it is left to the wisdom of the
legislature to see to it that the free
school fund does not suffer loss from
that source.
As evidence of the estimate placed
upon the timber lands, ! mention
the fact that | met with an agent
who had bought some $4,000 acres.
Upon being asked what value he
placed upon his lands, stated that
they held their choice surveys at
$500 per acre. But L am of the
opinion that, as the railroads now in
course of construction penetrate
them, much higher rates will be
asked and received, and | doubt
their being sold at $500 per acre
now. For it is known that these are
the nearest pineries to the west
that they are the finest in all the
south, and that the supply of lum-
Der is now far short of the demand,
and will, no doubt, continue to be
for all indefinite perlod-even after
the completion of the several rail-
roads now i'll course construction,
and the erection of the many mills
that will be erected as soon as trans
portation is afforded for their
lumber. There are many tracts
of this land that will
yield fifteen thousand feet of lum-
Der per acre. Lumber sells at the
mills at $40 per thousand, thus max
ing the aggregate amount of $3.50
per acre. AS matter of course
there are different grades of timber.
Some choice spots will go even be-
yOnd this estimate, while others will
fall short of it. 1t was reported to
me that as high as forty thousand
one acre.
1t should be borne in mind that
the pine forests of the country are
rapidly vanishing before the axe
and the saw. Competent authority
tells us that the pine timbers of the
northern states are rapidly being
cut away, and that i'll few years
the supply must come mainly from
the south. Texas contains more
pine timber than any other two
southern states-that vast source of
wealth lying principally in the
southeastern portion of the state,
where the timber lands belonging to
the free school fund are situated.
Prof. Sargent, OF Harvard, in q con-
tributlon to the census bureau, and
published in the New York Ship
ping List, estimates that in 1890 the
greater part of the pine lumber
must be furnished by the south.
Already some Michigan and Wis
consin mill men have been seeking
locations for mills in southeastern
Texas, and it is reported and be-
lieved that others will soon initiate
their example and profit by their
enterprise.
There are now number of mills
at Orange and Beaumont of large
capacities-seven, L believe at Beau
mont-which are supplied with
logs floatcd down the Neches and
Sabine rivers, from the counties of
Jasper, Newton, Hardin aud Tyler.
and several transportation roads are
i'll operation, transporting logs to
the Neches and Village creek 10 be
tioated to Beaumont.
Several railroads are now in
course of construction through these
counties. The Trinity and Sabine
Pass railroad will soon be in running
order from Trinity station, on the
|. & @. N. railroad, to a point at or
near Moscow lin the northern part of
Polk county, distance of thirty
miles, and will, it is believed, be
pushed to completion, eastward,
centrally through the counties OF
Tyler, Jasper and Newton, at least
through the finest timbered portions
of these counties, and where much
of the school lands are situated.
The East Texas, when completed,
will pass through Hardin, Tyler
and Angelina counties. The Hous-
ton, East and West road, completed
to Moscow, in Polk county, will
pass centrally through Angelina
county. The Kansas and Gulf Short
Line road, now being built from
Jacksonville, in Cherokee county, on
the |. Il G.. N. railroad, will pass
through Angelina county and, 1t
is believed, will thence pass through
Jasper and Newton counties. There
are still other railroad enterprises
looking to the early construction of
railroads through this timbered
section. One from Shreveport to
| Burksvllle, on the Sabine river,
thence southwesterly through the
counties of Newton, Jasper, Tyler
and Polk in its extension towards
Eagle Pass, on the Rio Grande {;
another from New Orleans, with the
avowed intention of running north
westerly, crossing the Sabine into
Newton county. There are still
other railroad enterprises looking
to Sabine Pass as an outlet to the
sea, which, if constructed, will nee
essarily afford transportation and a
market for the timber OF southeast
ern Texas. Judging from the infor-
nation at hand, these roads will
soon be built, and at an early day
that entire section will present a
complete network of railroads.
With so many roads passing
through the counties where the tim
Der lands belonging to the free
school fund lies, it is not at all rea-
sonable that anv considerable por-