The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-04-04
A LITTLE KNOWN INDUSTRY.
French nrlar Pipes AIndo In
md Tennessee.

and Tennessee.
(H. V. Maxwell IN Knoxville ReyIew.o
1t Is not generally known, but tho
majority of the French brinr-root pines
are not lbriar. They are made from tho
Durls or the laurel which grow in such
nrolusion Ill the mountain cOves of East
Tennessee and North Carolina. These
nurls are hauled to the railroad stations
by the mountaineers. and annually
many TONS are shipped to the Eastern
cities: Cranberry, N. c.. is tho main
shipping point from this section. Tho
ouris arc also used in the manufacture
OK door knobs, rs they arc tough, pref
lily curled and viii not crack. Burls
arc also shipped from many places
through the territory. Not laurel burls
alone. but many birch and cherry burls
iLe taken, n large number of
when are exported. 1 saw one or these
burls sold at Cranberry which weighed
5000 pounds and sold for $500.
Inc birch and cherry arc practically
the same in appearance II tensile
strength, ana 1t takes an expert to dis
tinEuiSh II from the ether. The burls
are first taken to a veneer factory. where
they are steamed, to soften and tougher
the wood, and then placed in machines
and turned while a huge knife cuts thin
Continuous sheets Off. as n plane does
from ordinary timhcrs. This material
is lhen polished and vanished, TO be
sold to furniture manufacturers as
veneer. Your bedroom set may look like
solid birds y birch, but the chances
arc that the birds eye Is only ~ film,
the rest or the worl5 being poplar, or
some Olher common .
There is quite 4 business done in the
manufacture Of locust pins, or three
nails. as they are called. These are
turned down to about 81 quarter of an
inch in diameter, and from twelve to
thirty-siX inches In length. They are
| I1Snl in SGin llN1 n II RI r, r. tp a. n "a Z - q f,~. r"sA
mountain boy once told me that 1t would
last n lifetime. Upon my inQuiring how
he knew 1t, die said: why, my father
tried it twice during his life" The fact
Is. however, tina it Will last an Indefinite
time. Quantities OF this wood arc found
all through the mountain sections. Lo-
Gust Is also very extensively employed
In the manufacture or inSulator pins.
II You look upOn The cross-jars on the
telegraph and telephone poles you will
see the glass insulator stuck or q pin.
That pin Is almost invariably made or
locust. InSulatOr pins are manufactured
and shipped in barrels to all portions Of
the United States. and considerable are
exported. There is one factory ut Bry-
son City, N. c., and another, I think, at
Johnson City, Tenn.
Talking about the woods of this sec
ton reminds me to speak of the sour
wood. The sourwood is not very plcnti-
full, nor does 1t as n rule grow to any
great dimensions, but occasionally 1t at
talns n diameter Of two feet or over,
and IL you eve find one sufficiently
large to saw, do not lose an opportu-
nifty of doing it; that is If you are fon
Of pretty wood. as the is un-
doubtcdly the most beautiful of Ancri
can woods IT. resembles birch, or
cherry in the rough. but the grain Is so
close. and the wood OF such a nature
that it compacts, in consequence u pol
ish almost equal to that of glass can
be given it. In this peculiarly it is
especially interesting. The sourwood
resembles tho persimmon in the tree,
and while the '.simmon'' feeds the
"'possum,' the sourwood feeds the bee.
The bees are especially fond of the
sourWood blossoms, n the honey eX-
tracted from them is almost perfectly
white and of most delicate flavor.
With the rapid increase in the number
Of cotton mills in the South, I am sur
priscd thai. there are no factories in
this section for the manufacture Of nut
ties. The shuttles are in the main made
from dogwood. and this wood abounds
all through this section.
If You ever want a pick handle that
no man can break, take a small per-
simmon tree and make a handle from
il. You will never have to make an
other unless you want to. 1t is worse
than the boys locust.