The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1891-04-10
VALUABLE TIMBER.
sonaothiae About the Enormous Supply
About Big secne Gap.


A representative of the PosT met Mr..
John Delclisur, Of the New York d South
ern Lumber Company, few days ago, and
Intercepted him regarding the timber re-
sources of this neighborhood, especially
that timber contiguous to the line OF the
T.. & N. railroad. Mr.. Delclisur during
a conversation said: "The completion
OF the L. & N. system through this country
opens up vast timbcred section abound
Ing mainly in hardwoods, such as walnut
both black and white, poplar, known IN
the north as wildwood, oak, white and
red. chestnut, maple, beech, and other
woods.
The two principal shipping points will
be Big Stone Gap and Pennington Gap,
and large quantities OF logs and lumber
are now being hauled to these places
awaiting the opening Of the new railroad,
and doubtless renewed activity will be
the order of the day in the near future.
Of all these woods black walnut stands
pre-eminent owing to the beautiful finish
and polish it takes. The variety known
as curly or figured walnut is exceedingly
scarce and is only met with in mountainous
sections of our country. ltcommands an
almost fabulous price in the market, being
cut into thin sheets x to ga of an inch
thick, called veneers Several of the val
liable trees have been found in our neigh
IL, al ~
after is the burl the black walnut bur,
and the buttcrnut or white walnut burl.
These burls are knots or cxcresccnces
growing from the hut-cnd of trees and
often attain prodigious weight up to
1900 pounds. A number of these have
lately been found in the little and big
Black Mountains and arc now being taken
TO PenningtOn's Gap.
Walnut under favorable circumstances
attains great height, one tree coming an
der my own observation measured 81 feet
to the forks However, this is rare and
trees 80 inches in diameter, and from 40
to 50 feet to the forks arc considered
very fair trees The foreign demand for
this wood is so great that the supply is
entirely inadequate and buyers are search
ing the country far and near picking up
every desirable parcel offered for sale. AS
walnut generally grows on rich soil, thou
sands of these trees have in years gone
BY been cut down TO make way for grain
crops, and have been cut into fence rails
and shingles. We're these trees standing
to-day they would be worth fortunes to
the owners of the land. Several theories
have been set forth as to the causes Of the
grain Of wood becoming curly or wavy,
the most plausible Of which is that in old
trees the outside having more vitality than
the heart, grows faster than the latter and
assumes wavy shape.
All figured woods command more or
less fancy price, ash, cherry, poplar, and
are much sought after, figured maple being
most plentiful Of these woods. The coun-
try lying north of the Stone mountain be-
tween Penningtons Gap and Big Stone
Gap commonly called the pocket" or
"Crab. Orchard" contains endless supplies
Of fine yellow poplar and white oak all OF
which will now become marketable. Ash,
cherry, and red birch also abound near Big
Stone Gap and either at this place or
Penningtons Gap q furniture factory would
thrive if ssmanagcd rightly. But success
in the timber business depends entirely
on good judgement and strict economy
from the moment an axe is put into tree
until it is delivered. If our railroads
grant reasonable freight rates we are
bound to see lumber business in hard
woods spring up at Big Stone Gap and
Pennington's Gap second to none.