Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1893-04-27
LUMBERMEN AND THE
NICARAGUA CANAL,

Pacific coast lumbermen are the last
persons one would expect to go on record
as opposing the construction of the Nicar-
aqua canal-an enterprise that will do
more for the Pacific coast than dozen
transcontinental railways. But it is a
fact that several lumbermen have ex-
pressed themselves as. opposed to the
canal, through the medium OF the daily
press. The personal opinions of these
gentlemen should not be taken as ex-
pressing the sentiment of the lumber
trade-and the Lumberman speaks for
the entire trade of the coast when it
states that there are not fifty lumbermen
out of the 5000 who are opposed to the
canal. The opponents are. owners of
sailing vessels, and it is because they are
such owners that they do not believe in
: the canal. The different statements made
in the interviews published in the daily
press base their objections upon one and
the same ground-that sailing vessels
cannot carry lumber through the canal
at a profit because of the expense and
time lost in beating out from and into
the trade Winds. added to the expense of
towage and canal tolls. This tells in a
few words why some of the lumber vessel
owners are opposed to the construction of
the greatest enterprise of the century.
One of the vessel owners, to cover up
apparently selfish motives, stated that
the opening up of the canal would let
into South America, Australia and the
Orient vast quantity of southern yellow
pine, and that the lumber trade of the
Pacific coast would 60 to the ''demnition
bow-wows." The Lumbermau can easily
see why the vessel owners should fear the
canal. With the opening of the-canal
will come steam vessels, low freight rates
and fast time, thereby doing away with
the slow sailing vessels. This of course
will be loss TO the owners of sailing
vessels, but as far as numbering is con-
cerned it will be boon to the cargo
trade, and lumber manufacturers who
own vessels will be compensated BY hav-
ing new and extensive markets opened,
not only for their good lumber, but for
common, which is now so hard to get nd
Of The Nicaragua canal wall take four
months time of the present voyage and
will place the Atlantic coast markets
within three weeks of the Pacific coast.
and the European ports within six weeks
This being the case, freight rates, insur-
ance, etc. will be Sery much lower and
the great objection TO buying Pacific coast
lumber, delay Of delivery. will be done
away with. A New York or Iiverpool
lumber merchant, no matter how well
pleased he Ilay be with the quality and
price, cannot afford 10 wait iron six to
nine months for his cargo. and il is only
high regard ior our woods that carroes
are sent continually 10 England and
Europe
That the southern woods Will hurt our
trade with South America, Australia and
the Orient, the Lnmbernan refuses to
believe The woods Of our coast are IN
exceiled. California possesses in red
wood ascomnodisy which cannot for er-
eelienee and eRsapness be duplicated the
world over; the fir, cedar, spruce, Alaska
pine and sugar pine OF Washington, Ore
gon and British Columbia, cannot be
equalled for qualify, length and dimension
in any country on the face OF the earth.
Of unlimited quantity these woods are so
cheap and 50 superior to any other woods
grown that competition, except in isolated
cases, is practically impossible. When
1t is known that fir is sent to Maine. to
pennsylvania, Maryland, TO the white
pine states of Minnesota, Michigan and
Wisconsin by rail, and to Wilmington.
New York, Halifax, Boston and Philadel-
phia by water, there is not much fear Of
competition from yellow pine. One firm.
Barney K Smith, OF Dayton, Ohio, alone
imports several cargoes from Vancouver.
b. G., yearly, the lumber being carried
by vessel around Cape Horn to Whining
ton, Delaware. and theie reshipped by
rail to DAYTON. All these orders could
probably be supplied nearer home were
1t notion the superiority of fir. Over
iOO,OO0,OOO feet of lumber and nearly
100000, 900 shingles were shipped from
Washington alone by rail last year to the
eastern markets on 55 and IS cent rates
against yellow pine coming from the
south on % cent rate, and indications
point to an increase amounting to fully
100 per cent. this year This shows that
we can hold our own with yellow pine.
Yellow pine will never cut seriously
into the foreign trade held by the Pacific
coast lumbermen. II is no nearer from
the Gulf of Mexico to South America and
Australia than California, Washington
and Oregon, and therefore freight rates
would be no cheaper. AS to the compar-
alive merits of the woods there can be no
equal to the Pacific coast woods. As a
matter of fact, the Pacifccoast woods will
be formidable competitors OF the woods
OF the south in the Atlantic coast, English
and Atlantic South American markets
when the Nicarauga canal is open. This
is conceded by many southern manufact-
urers. The shipyards of the Atlantic
coast and Europe will use nothing but fir
and spruce If they can be obtained q'lick-
ly and cheaply. and for structural Dur.