San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-12-13
In A MAHOGANY CAMP.
SCENES IN THE DEEP FORESTS OF
BRITISH HONDURAS.


Through Forests of Uudcrbrush and
yines-Something About the Men.
An interesting story about mahogany
cutting anil rafting has reached the state
department from Consul Burchard. Be
lize. the capital Of the British possessions
in Central America, now city of consid-
cradle commercial Importance, owes It's
origin, AID wealth to the mahogany
cutters. During the first half of the pres
ent century princely fortunes were quickly
accumulated in the business, especially by
those who had the good fortune to secure
contracts from the English government
for the mahogany, which was formerly
largely employed in naval architecture.
Since iron and steel have taken the place
of wood in the construction of public yes
sells the ma hogany trade has decreased to
| a notable extent, although it is still large
| and profitable. ...
The expense and difficulty of getting out
the wood are much greater. Few trees can
now be found near a river of sufficient
water to aoat the logs. Having selected
| and secured suitable locality and ar
ranged with one of the exporting houses
| of Belize to advance the means in provi-
sions and cash to carry on the work, the
mahogany cutter hires his gang of laborers
| for the season. Nearly all labor contracts
are made during the Christmas holidays,
as the gangs from the mahogany works all
| congregate in Belize at that time. The
men are hired for year at wages ranging
from $12 to go per month.
IL TIE WOODS.
All work in mahogany cutting is done
| lNNrgt l-G No lahnrprS nj
| daybreak and generally finish their task
before II o'clock The rest of the day can
| be spent in fishing, hunting, collecting In
| dia rubber and sarsaparilla, or in working
| up mahogany into dories, paddles and
bowls, for all of whi2h they find ready
| market. Game and fish are abundant.
The regular ration for a lGborer in this
| country consists of four pounds of salt
pork and seven quarts of -four per week
which is delivered TO him every Sunday
morning The abundance of game and
| wild fruits enable the mahogany laborer
to save a large part of his rations, which
| he either sells to his employer or sends
| home 10 his family.
The ownc" or overseer of mahogany
| works is a distinguished parsonage within
the DISTRICT of his operations. He lives
| well, often luxuriously, and has many and
| varied sources of enjoyment His rustic
| dwelling in the forest is supplied with
| every comfort and many luNuries. He
! travels up and down the river in bateau
made of mahogany and fitted up regard
less of expense for enjoyment and con
| vcnience.
l. The mahogany tree hunterl is the most
I important and best paid laborer in the
| service. Upon his skill and activity largely
depends the success of the season. Ma
| hogany trees do not grow in clumps or
clusters but are scattered promiscuously
| through the forests and hidden in dense
| growth of underbrusb, vines and creepers.
| 1t requires skillful and experienced
| woOdsman to find them.
| HUNTING THE TREES.
No one can make any progress in a trop-
| ical forest without the aid of a machete or
| heavy brush knife He has TO cut his way
| step by step.
The mahogany is one of the largest aud
| tallest of trees. The hunter seeks the
| highest ground, climbs to the top of the
| higHIst ;goy, and surveys the surrounding
country. His practiced eyes detect the
| mahogany by its peculiar foliage; he counts
the trees within the scope of his vision,
notes directions and distances, then de
sends and cuts a narrow trail to each
1 tree, which he carefully blazes and marks,
7 especially il there is rival hunter in that
| vicinity. The axmen follow the hunter,
| and after them go the sawyers and hewers.
To fell a large mahogany tree is one
| days task for two men. On account of
| the wide spurs which project from the
| trunk at its base, scaffolds have to be erect
| ed and the tree cut off above the spurs,
which leaves a stump from ten to fifteen
| feet high, waste of the very best wood.
While the work of telling and hewiug is
in progress other gangs are employed in
| making roads and bridges over which the
| logs arc IN be hauled TO the river.
The trucks employed are clumsy and
Anticipated contrivanceS which no Anieri-
can would think of using. The aXles and
| boxes are imported from England and the
| other parts of the truck made on the
| ground. The wheels are of solid wood
made by saving off the end of a log and
| fitting iron boxes in the center.
No tire or spokes are needed. New wheels
are in constant requisition, and repairs
cause frequent and expensive delays
| Most of the trucking is done at night by
torchlights made of pitch pine. The oxen
are fed on the leaves and twigs Of the
bre2dnut tree. which gives them more
strength and power of endurance than any
other obtainable food
GETTING LOGS TO MAERET
The trucking is done in the dry season,
and the los collected on the bank of the
river and made ready for the floods which
occur on the longest rivers ia june and
July, and on all in October and November.
The logs are turned alrift loose AMI caught