The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1897-02-10
THE tl,NBBR TRADE.
G.. X. Edwards. OF inc Z. c. Railroad
Talks INTERESTINGLY ofsts Development
In south Missis-ippi.-His First Ex-

Mr.. u. ~ EdwGruS. tue pOpuiaf oho
efficient lumber agent of the |. c. Rail-
road, gives the following in talk with
the jackson correspondent of the n. o.
Picayune
at was in 1878, at the time when the
Illinois Central secured control of the
old jackson Route that | made my
first Southern trip. AS lumber agent
of the Illinois Central. l have made
annual trips to the South ever since,
and with a constantly growing salts
faction in the development of the bust
ness, and the way in which it has been
handled.
IF am correctly informed, the first
car of long leaf yellow pine lumber
that was ever shipped to Chicago was
sent by me on the occasion of my first
trip, and such stuff as it was! 1t was
composed of yellow pine flooring, but
the boards were not trimmed at the
ends, and showed in dressed and
matched stuff the irregular ends of the
logs, splinters and all; and when it
was attempted to put them together it
was utterly impossible to do SO. Some
of the tongues were too thick, Others
too thin, and the matching was irregu-
lar, so that the car load was finally
of enough to pay what would have been
the freight charge if any had been
made. OF all the mills along the line
there was only one that turned out
what would be called at that time good
work, and that was the plant owned
by Capt. J. j. White of McComb City,
He then, as now, had good mill, and
his methods have kept pace with the
improvements of the times. But as
his trade then was entirely local and
to the south, he had never yet made a
shipment to the north, and did not for
some little time after my first expert
ment. The experience with my FIRST
shipment will always remain fresh in
my memory, and it serves as a basis
for contrasting the condition of things
nineteen years ago with what they are
at present. In 1895 the Illinois Cen
trail hauled across the Ohio river %,
67S cars OF southern lumber of various
descriptions, as against that one lone
car of such poorly manufactured lum-
Der in 1878. Then, as l said, there was
only one yellow pine mill on our line
that produced what by courtesy could
be called good lumber: now there are
many mills which in the equipment
in both sawmill and planning mill, and
in the quality of their product, will ia
vorably compare with the best mills
to be found anywhere in the country.
| may be pardoned, perhaps, for some
personal vanity in this particular, for
| was not discouraged with my first ex-
perience, but believing that there was
a field in the North for the sale of i'm
mense quantities of Southern lumber
| began what was every year cam
paign of education. | had both to Sc
cure the production of good lumber
along our lines and to secure its favor
able consideration by Northern buy
ers. The one work was about as diff
cult as the other, and, while the mag
nitude to which the business has grown,
is due in the main to the quick appre-
citation by the Southerners of the de-
mands of the Northern markets, / am
inclined to take some credit to myself
for my persistency and my faith In the
outcome.
81 well remember that first trip for
other reasons than the one spoken of
above. 1t was practically my first en-
perience in the country towns of the
South. | made my headquarters at
Brookhaven, Miss, which was then the
center of lumber operations of more
comparative Importance than at pres
ent, for there were a number of saw
mills either at that place or in it's inn
mediate vicinity, whereas now, as a
saw mill town it amounts to but little.
| was directed to the house, sometimes
called hotel, kept by that estimable
lady, Mrs. Boswell, and when | was
taken up an outside stairway in the
dead of night into room opening off
from an upper gallery, ON the door of
which there was no lock, it was mat
ter of deep concern with me that | had
no weapon of defense. The matter-of-
fact way in which the darky who pre-
sided over the backing brush and also
waited on the table came into my room
unannounced and carried off my boots
for cleaning did not reassure me, but it
did not take long for confidence to be
restored again, and to discover that |
was in the house of frieads.
captain J. A. Hoskins was one of
the pioneer lumbermen of the section,
and he tells about drawing his mills in
sections on skids across the country
from Matches before the railroad was
built. He was then associated with
Colonel j. S. Hamilton, as the firm of
Hoskins & Hamilton. On that trip /
met for the first time our genial friend,
Charley ID. Benedict, who was then
manager fer the business of Pfeifer &
Dreyfus, which business was after
wards incorporated under the style of
the Brookhaven Lumber and Manu-
featuring Company. | bad the pleas
ure of inducing Mr.. Benedict to go
into the North, and for many years he
has been connected with the lumber
trade in Chicago, or has Travelled out
of this city. Henry O'Hara was then
in Brookhaven, representing the firm
of Berthold a. Jennings, of st. Louis.
Then | we'll remember Peter Lucich,
who had a irefreshment' establishment
on the CORNER in the old brick block,
but be is now out Of that particular
line, and is q capitalist. Then, down
~ 'a"9as chitto, were Wesson 4 Per
a. --ts~~ little ior.
sons, with a saw mnl ouv..
ging spur which they owned.
"There was some good rough lumber
available in those days, but the planning
mill was almost nothing, and it was for
that reason that 1t was so hard to find
material suitable to the Northern mar
kets, and particularly to Chicago.
where dressed lumber was the only
form OF material that was wanted but
as the possibilities of the Northern
trade began to be appreciated by my
fssln de 1Dx.r