Wichita eagle., 1889-05-21
1ailY eagle
GEORGIA INDUSTRIES.
Pine Forest Products Turned to
Profitable Use.
How the Waste of Southern Lumber Mills
Is Utilized in These Days af Universal
Progress-Savannah's Chances
for Navy Yard.

Is Utilized in These Days af Universal
Progress-Savannah's Chances
for a Navy Yard.
For thosc who have capital to invest in
naval stores, industries, lumber mills, ex-
tensive sheep or cattle ranches, or large
cotton plantations, Georgia offers the most
desirable advantages, writes a Savannah
(Ga.l correspondent of the New York
Tribune. Under the designation of naval
stores are included turpentine, resin, pitch
and tar These products are derived from
the sap of the long-leaf pine of the South,
vast forests of which form an immense
belt across the whole State Of Georgia The
collection of the sap and its manufacture
afford employment to thousands of people.
Recognizing the advantages which Georgia
possesses IN this respect, the South Allan
tic and Gulf Coast Naval Commissioners,
sent out to select a site for the new navy
yard, have been examining the coast line
from Charleston to Brunswick The COM
mission is composed of Commodore Mccain,
Captain Boyd and Captain Brownson, with
Lieutenant Kennedy as secretary. The
Site TO be selected VIII have to be be-
yond the range of commandment, and
necessarily several miles in from the
sea- Savannah harbor thus offers
fair inducements for such naval station,
and 1t is not unlikely that it viii be the
choice of the commissioners. Fixing the
site OF the new navy yard here would give
strong impetus to the already extensive
lumber industries in the pine woods ust
back Of the city. This IS now the great sea-
port and center Of the naval store and lum-
Der business Of Georgia. The great swamps
which border on the rivers OF the State
abound IN dense growths of cypress trees,
which are now being used extensively for
shipbuidfng purposes. The exports to Ger
many Of this valuable timber are also large
and increasing every year. Thousands Of
barrels Of turpentine and resin come IN
from the woods annually and pass through
Savannah barbor to all points north and
west.
Commercially the pine woods of Georgia
are probably her most important resource
They are almost inexhaustible and of su.
perior quality to those found further up on
the Carolina coasts. As soon as the large
saw-mills denude one section Of the country
they move to new districts and they begin
operations again. Young pine trees spring
up at once all around the stumps of the cid
cnes, and in five years they are ready to be
tapped for turpentine. This does not ma
TO grow INTO large timber. while the turpen-
tine farmers are making good living from
an abundant flow of sap. In fifteen or
twenty years the trees are ready for the
woodlands axe again. Thus they actually
grow faster than they are cut down.
In the primitive sort of lumber mills there
is always more or less waste, and great
deal of timber that would be utilized in
some way by a Northern lumberman is
burned up. Lumber is so cheap here that
IL does not pay TO make any use of refuse
matter. Things are being systematized,
however, more generally every year, and
ways Of disposing Of all parts of the trees
TO profit are being invented. The pine-fiber
industry is probably the most recent and
the best illustration of what can be done
with the pine woods by little thinking and
experimenting. Whose brain first saw tex
tile possibilities in pine foliage is quite I'M
known, but by the discovery what has been
only waste matter Is now converted into
various articles not only of comfort, but OF
commercial Importance The varieties
known as pitch, ng-leaved and field pine
have leaves averaging fourteen inches in
length, and some measure twenty-seven.
Children and women gather these leaves I
from felled trees, and bring them to the
.he average price pail for this ''straw," as
it is called.
The straw is then thrown into huge
tank and little caustic soda is added For
twelve hours the mass is then cooked by
steam from pipes passing through the tank.
Then il is passed through the rubber,
which cleans es it entirely from all soda,
pulp, ETC., leaving clean fiber alone. The
wrlnger, breaker and carder then success
lively handle IL and the dryer finishes it.
The fiber is used for various purposes. The
coarser material is in demand for mat
tresses and general upholstering, being
elastic, durable and exempt from insect
raVages. The finest is marked surgeons
packing" and is used by physicians in va
rious ways. Mattings, carpets and other
fioor-covering material are made out of it.
When this peculiar industry was first
started the object was TO make flooring
material; but the makers soon set about
evolving from the pine wool fabric which
would resist the chemical action so de-
structive TO every material heretofore used
as packing for phosphates. The result is a
cloth that will endure every test. The cot
ton planter is thus benefited by the inven-
ton, and the manufacturers of fertilizers
are also coming IN for their share of the
the South. Oil is another product which
the pine straw produces. This is drawn
from the green straw by subjecting it to
the action of steam in great retort or
boiler. The medicinal properties of this
oil are well recognized by medical men, and
there is great and general demand for it.
Thus thousands of dollars are being an
nually made OF material that few years
go was allowed 10 go To waste.
toCElLANEOUS.