The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-11-25
THE LUMBER TRADE QUIET.
Many Mills Shut Down and Few
Shipments Being Made.

The railroads are complaining of the
small amount of lumber freights this sea-
son as compared with previous years
The receipts of lumber by the railroads
are said to be much less than at this season
last year, though the receipts year ago
were not considered very heavy. The
reason Of the decrease is said to be due
TO the fact that several large mills have
smut down recently, and those
that are still running are not running at
their full capacity. In fact, the lumber
business is said to be duller than it has
been in long time.
An inquiry among the lumber men yes
terday showed that the state of affairs
complained Of by the railroads is true.
The lumber business is duller than It
has been in long time, - said a prominent
young lumberman, who was approached
on the subject. In common with every
other branch of business. the lumber in
dustry suffered severely during the tinan-
c1al panic. The business is now prac-
tically at standstill. Many of the large
mills, and the majority of the
small ones, have shut down.
They have been compelled to shut down
simply because there is no demand for
lumber. Only those mills are running
which stocked up on orders before the ex-
tent OF the present depression was real
lied, and they are now running to I'LL
orders taken several months ago. Most
Of the mills which have shut down will
resume operations after the holidays.
There is very good explanation of
the present stagnation in the lumber
business, and which lkbelieve to be the
correct one. Over rs per cent. and proba-
bly, 80 per cent. of the yellow pine lumber
consumed in the United States is taken
by the railroads for bridges, crossties and
warehouses, but chiefly for bridges.
Yellow pine is almost the only timber used
tor bridge work by the railroads east of
the Mississippi river, and by many beyond
it as well. All the large eastern railroads
are, or rather were, large purchasers of
lumber from this port For several
months these roads have bought almost
nothing.
The railroads, like all the rest of the
country, have been short of money, and
they have let their repairs go for awhile
waiting for business to improve and money
to become easier. Now, this cannot last
much longer. Decay and wear and tear go
on just the same in times of
financial depression as in other times
and the result is these railroads
which have been holding out of the mar,
ket for lumber, will find themselves at the
end of the year with large arrearages of
repairs, which will require their atten-
tion at once. This will bring them all into
market at once, with theresult of causing
a general revival of business, after New
Years. Especially will this be the case
if there is the improvement in financial
conditions which may be reasonably ex-
pected.
with this in view l think we have rea-
son to expect a good demand for lumber
by the middle or latter part of January.
"Of course a general revival of business
would mean a revival in the building
trades, which would help the demand for
| lumber. The railroads are the
largest consumers of yellow pine timber
in this country, however, and it is to
them we are looking now for an i'm.
! proved condition in the business"
How about the South American
trade7"
There is no demand from South Amer.
lea, and has been none for some time, y
was the reply. Things seem to be at an
entire standstill in that part Of the
world -