The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1895-12-22
lands that are yet regarded. as next to
worthless.
THE TIMBER TRADE

In the aggregate orders for between two
and three million feet of railway ma
ter;al were placed here during the week,
which brightens the lumber situation ma
terially aud fills the mills with work until
after the new year. One million feet was
ordered by the Mexican Central of the
Reliance and Consolidated Export Lum-
her companies to he shipped by water,
and material for the spur from the main
line of the East Texas road to Port Ar
thur and other bills, one of considerable
size. run the total amount up to the
figures given above. In addition TO the
bills placed inquiries for large quantities
of material have been received. A man
was in Beaumont this week endeavoring
to place the 100000 order for yellow
pine lumber, details of which were pub
lished in last Sundays Post, and. al
though he had been among the mills on
the eastern gulf coast it was still in his
pocket There are altogether favorable
conditions in the timber trade and the
prospects for good business have brigt-
ened.
Mr.. II. j. Lutcher the widely known
Orange lumberman, spent last Monday
night in Beaumont Mr.. Lutcher did
not talk lumber on this visit, except incl
dcntally and in reply to questions, He is
imhued with high hopes of the early and
country and predicts that, i the Mic
aragua canal is constructed. the grentest
city of the American continent Will be
built on the const of the Mexican gulf.
This great commercial center, he thinks,
may he as far east as New Orleans or
as far west as Arkansas, hut he inHlines
10 the belief that it will he nearer to Sa-
bine Pass than to either, The most val
liable resources of the country are west
of the Mississippi and i'll almost exhaust
less abundance. and the building of north
and south lines of railway, now just be-
gun will be continued in order that. as
The varied products are prepared for the
market of the world. they may pc CON
veyed there by the most natural and
direct route-that is to say, through gulf
ports.
ANTICIPATES BETTER TIMES.
MIR. C.. f. Drake of Austin, an ex-
rensive retail lumber dealer. was in Beau
mont Tuesday circulating among the man
mTncturers. 10 The Post correspondent
M. Drake said that he anticipated a
large improvement both ms regards de-
next wear" II have Travelled over large
Dart of Texas recently" said the gentle
man. "and nearly everywhere md the
stocks of dealers small, and IN many IN
stances badly broken. AS an explanation
the dealers say they have allowed thelr
stocks To run down because OF the reccht
advance in prices at the mills and many
of them seem TO think that by holding
oil and purchasing only for. orders they
can slump the mills nad break the prices
In nv opinion they are destined for dls,
appointment and | don't think 1t VIII
be- many months before they realize the
fact. The mills have seemingly arrived
Mt the determination not to cut timber
except for profit, and on the present run
ming time Of association mills, whlch IN
GUIDES all of the larger concerns an ac-
emulation Of stocks is almost Impossible
In NV opinion yellow pine prices are not
| TOO high at present. In fact l peile'e
| thcv will 20 higher next year: -,
"in behalf of the dealer WIZ shy
that few if any of them, object TO the
aJvnnce prices, and ii they had assnr-
anre that when they paid nssociatiion
a ,,rees Competitors con could not buy lumber
nbeaner no attempt would he mnde TO
M under the list. The lack OF mar
' ""I among the manufacturers that ms
,niIr No. for the past two years, ana tn n
p,,,anifest desire Of the mill man 10 sen
hiS nrodnct for any price Offered mas nia,f
mo Pdealer cautious, and he mas hhu
raa sons 10 I've. Depressing influences are
RAPIDLY disappearing, however, anu