The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1886-07-17


We clip the following interesting ar
tiele relative to the future lumber ex-
port trade, from the Times Democrat,
of which we made mention last week:
The steamship Gydonia, now lying
at the wharf of the Morgan Company
in Gretua, will this morning commence
loading. The cargo will be l 100000
feet of timber from mills in and around
Lake Charles. This is the first cargo
of pine timber that has ever before
been shipped from New Orleans as an
exporting point to the United King
dom.
The Gytlonia has been chartered by
Messrs. Ross, Keen d Co, ship brokers,
for this special voyage, which was
much spoken of in railway and steam
ship circles yesterday IS a new outlet
for the lumber trade.
Mr. Ross was last evening visited by
reporter of the Time. Democrat,
whom Mr.. Ross introduced to Mr.. I.
b. Merritt, who is CARRYING on this
branch of the business in connection
with tile firm, Mr.. Ross remarking,
I" MIR. Merritt can give you all the de-
tails you desire. He has been brought
up in the pitch pine trade at Pensa-
cola, in short, he has been fed on saw
dust"
Addressing the writer, Mr.. Ross
said: You mnst remember that this
is somewhat of an experiment with
us, in order to ascertain whether or
not we can improve the trade of this
timber"
Mr.. Merrltt-"This is the staple ar
tiele of pitch pine. 1t Is the tree split
up. Every year between 400 and 500
cargoes of it are shipped from Pensa-
cola, and we can see no reason why
New Orleans should not be developed
into a lumber exporting port"
Chow about the railroadsT'
1.-THE railroads, especially the Nor
gan and Northeastern, have given
every facility and encouragement to this
enterprise, and we were agreeably
surprised to find the railroad people
take the matter mp with such yigor
and assist us to develop it. They have
gone so far as to allow us to name our
own rates. When we went to them
in relation to the rates we were met
with Name the rate that you can af-
ford to give They have placed every
facility at our disposal" |
Have many of the mills gone into
this export businessg' /
d" Already fifteen mills have taken
hold within the last six months. Last
week we cleared to Mary Jenness from
here coastwise. The ship Mxry A
Staples is now full due, and we will |
load hGr with a cargo of lumber on
similar exporting voyage. The steamer
Sandringham IS now in port and will
load principally with lnmber for Aspin-
wall, and similar shipment will
shortly be made TO Central America
and the West Indies"
''' How long has this exporting trade
been going onT'
"There has been little or no lum-
Der exported from here until within
year ago. i ace no reason why in the
course of the next two years this port
should not be one of the most prom
inent lumber ports in the United
States. We find decided tendency
toward developing the exporting trade
in poplar, oak, walnut, etc, which in
reality can be exported much cheaper
from here than any other port in the
United States"
How does this pine compare with
pine from other ports"
"We have obtained the opinion of
half dozen inspectors and experts,
and in their judgment this was fonnd
to be long.leaf yellow pine of large
girth, the sap being very thin, logs
free of knots, and it works up into
very excellent lumber, resembling the
wood shipped from Paseagoula, which
lumber has a high reputation in the
French and other continental markets
in a word, there is no better pitch
pine grown in the South than this
lumber that can be shipped from New
Orleans"