Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1891-02-26
ALL ABOUT MAHOGANY
How the Cutting II DOne-A Tree Eunter-Ilo,..
ing Logs to Tide Water.

In the year 1897. one OF Sir Walter
Raleigh's ships. in an expedition
against the Azores, put. in at Trinidad
for repairs The workmen used the
first wood that came to hand. ana !,
happened to be the now famous ma.
hogany. BY this accident it was first
introduced into England. where it was
much admired, but it did not becomo
an article OF commerce until century
later. Since then it has held frs.
rank as a cabinet makers wood
The mahogany tree is native Of
the West Indies, Central and South
America. and it Is most abundant on
the coast of Honduras, and around
Campeachy Bay. The term 'abun-
dant'' must be taken ii u qualified
sense. however, since the greed of
dealers has stripped hundreds of
square miles. and, as in all numbering
operations, as much is destroyed as is
used. In consequence. mahogany is
yearly decreasing in supply and in-
creasing in price. Single logs have
been sold for s., 900 for cutting into
veneers, in which state it is generally
used.
To fell large mahogany tree is one
DAYS task for two men. At the base
Of these trees large excresences or
'spurs" project, which can only be-
cut away with great difficulty; SO scaf-
folds have to be erected, and the tree
cut off above the spurs. which leave i
stump from ten to fifteen feet high-a
waste OF the very best wood.
While the work of telling and hew-
ing is in progress, other gangs are
employed in making roads and bridges
over which the logs are to be hauled
to the river. One wide truck pass, a.
they call it, is made through the cen.
ter OF the district occupied by tina
works, and branch roads are opened
from the main avenue to each tree.
The trucks employed are olUnsy
and Anticipated contriyances, which
no American would think OF using.
| 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 bread-nut tree, which
gives them more strength aud power
, of endurance than any other obtain
able iood.
, The trucking is done in the dry
| hn Ontla,tn1 IN fho.
, bank OF the river. and made ready for
! the floods, which occur on the longest
. rivers in June and July, and on all in
October and November.
2 The logs are turned adrift loosa
{ and caught below near the tide.wates
t by booms. Indians and Cards tollo-
+ the logs down the river in small boats
to release those which are caught by
fallen trees, or other obstacles in the
| river.
l The manufacturing process consists
= in saving off the log ends, which
4 have been bruised and splinterea .!
: rocks in the transit down the styer
. and 10 refining and relieving tie log
n by skillful workmen. who give them
v smooth and even surface.
II The logs are then measured, rolle
y back into the water at the mout
If OF the river. and made into raft
IS to be taken to the vessel, whlc
}, is anchored outside Of the bar Thl
}. is a laborious and risky operation
}. often resulting in serious losses to IN
g shipper or tho owners OF the vesse
y according to the conditions OF the ol
10 OF lading.
Irresponsible natives CONSTRUCT an
conduct the RATS to the vessel anu
frequently happens. especially IN o.
weather, or by gross carelessne:'
. that logs break away from the ra,'
~ and are carried away out to sea, W
deposited finally on the shores OF ines
islands, or the mainland. where m ~
are eagerly appropriated oy v. :.
tn natives, and utilized for ship-oullulV
furniture, and so on. .-Golden Days