Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1883-07-06

The mahogany iree L 4 native of n,
Weal lndles. The nahamas, and that par
ton Il Central America that lies AL
ltcenl 10 the hay IT Honduras, and ha'
! lao heen ionnd IN Florida. u i stated
u he II moderately rapid gruNih, Teaeh'
Ing ils fall maturity IN about 200 years
full grown il Is one u the mon
erchs u tropical America. IL trunk
which often exceeds forty feet Ia length
and siN la diameter and massive arms
rising TO a lofty hight and spreading
with graceful sweep over lmmens,
spaces, covered with beautiful foliage
bright, glossy, llghh airy, ellnglng ~
long 20 the spray as 20 make u ALMOST
an evergreen. present a rare comhlna'
ton of loyellness and grandeur Ihe
leaves are small, delicate aud polished
like those Of the laurel. The fruit ls q
hard, woody capsule oval, not unlike
the head Of a iurky IN slHo and shape
and contains five cells. in each Of which
are lnolosed about fifteen seeds,
The mahogany tree was not discovered
an the end II the sixteenth century, and
was not brought into European use illl
nearlya century later The first men-
ton uf Il Is that u was used In the re'
pair Of some Of Sir Walter Raleigh :
ships at Trinidad, IN 1881 It's finely
yaricgated tlnls We're admired but Ia
that age the dream Of Fl Dorado caused
matters OF more value 10 be neglected,
The first that was brought 20 England
was about 1924, a few planks having
been sent 10 Dr. Gibbons, Of London, by
brother who was West Indian Cap
tain. The Doctor was erecting a house,
and gave the planks 10 the workmen,
who rejected them as being too hard.
The Doctor then had candlo-box made
Of the wood. his cablnetmakcr also
complaining Of the hardness Of the
timber. But when finished, the
box became an object Of general
curiosity and admiration. lle had
one bureau, and her grace Of Buckng-
ham had another made Of this beautiful
wood, and the dcspised mahogany now
became a prominent article OF luxury,
and at the same time raised the fortunes
OF the cabinet-makor By whom Il had
been 50 little regarded. Since that time
II has taken a leading rank among the
ornamental woods, having come TO be
considered Indispensable where luxury
Is intended to be indicated.
A few facts win furnish a tolerably
distinct idea Of the size Of this splendid
tree. The mahogany lumbcrmen, hay
ing selected tree, surround II with a
platform about twelve feet above the
ground, and cut it above the platform.
Some twelve or fifteen feet Of the largest
part Of the trunk are thus lost Yet a
single log not unfrcquently weighs from
six or seven TO fifteen tons, and some
times measures as much rs seventeen
feet in length and four and a half and
five and a half feet in diameter, one tree
furnishing two, three, or four such logs.
Some trees have yielded 1900 superb
cial feet, and at average price pieces
have sold for $4,000. Messrs. Broad
woods, London planoforte manufac-
turers, paid $4,000 for three logs, all
cut from one tree, and each about fifteen
feet long and more than three feet
sQnare The tree is cut at two seasons
Of the year-in the autumn and about
Christmas time. The trunk, of course
furnishes timber of the largest dimen-
sions, but that from the branches is pre-
fcrrcd for ornamental purposes, owing
to its closer grain and more yariegated
color
In low and damp soil its growth is
rapid; but the most valuable trees grow
slowly among rocks on sterile soil, and
seem TO gather compactness and beauty
from the very struggle which they make
for an existence. In the Bahamas, in
the most desolate regions, once flour
shed that curiously yeined and much
esteemed variety once known in Europe
as madeira wood" but which has long
since been exterminated Jamaica,
also, which used TO be fruitful source
of mahogany, and whence in 1853 not
less than j2l 900 feet were shipped, is
now almost depleted That which is
now furnished from there is very infe-
rior, pale and porous and less esteemed
than that Of Cuba, San Domingo, or
Honduras. Lumber World.