The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-06
THE LUMBER MEN ARE HAPPY.
PRICES ARE HIGH AND THE DE-
MAND UNUSUALLY GOOD.

at Any Time since 1S12-Ihe Lum-
Der business Now Riding on the
Top of the Wave of Prosperity.
General Activity of Building Oper-
atiOns and the Heavy Demand
From the Railroads Explain the
situatiOn-Lumberm No Longer
beg for Orders, But Dictate Their
Own Terms-RepOrted That the
British Government Will Place an
Order for 5OO,OOO,OOO Feet for
south Africa.
The Georgia lumbermen are now enjoy
ing the most satisfactory state of affairs
that has been known in the lumber bust
ness in this state for nearly thirty years.
Not since 1872 has yellow pine lumber been
in such strong demand, or the prices so
high. Following upon a period of years
of unusual depression in the lumber bust
ness, the swing of the pendulum to the
other extreme has proven more than well
come.
From 1868 10 1872 said a veteran lum-
herman yesterday, "the conditions We're
very satisfactory with good demand and
high prices. Following this period there
was a gradual decline in prices until, for
the last half dozen years preceding the
present year, the business was very unsat-
isfactory indeed. The signs of returning
prosperity began to be felt about Jan. /,
and for the last six months the tide of
prosperity has been steadily rising until.
now it has assumed the proportions of a
tidal wave"
Had we received the prices for our
lumber during the last twenty years which
we are now obtaining" said another vet
eran lumberman, I'VE would all have been
millionaireS or Dillionaires perhaps. Any
way we would have been able TO live az the
Wadorf-Astoria and hobnob with the
magnates of Wall streets"
Heretofore" said the first Iumberman,
the conditions were simply this. Instead
of waiting for the buyers to come to us,
we went North and hunted them up and
begged them TO allow US to ship them a
little lumber If they were al all cocky
about it maybe we offered to pay them
something for the privilege of shipping
them bill of lumber. Anyway, we were
glad to get almost any kind of an order,
and did not examine the schedules too
closely, taking our chances of coming out
even in the end. Now the conditions are
exactly the reverse. The manufacturers
send their agents down here to beg US to
sell them lumber They do not ask what
our terms are, but what can you give US
aud when can you give II to us. 1t is not
so much a question of prices as ability
to deliver the goods. This accounts for
the steady rise In prices for the last few
months. The wave of prosperity which
has been sweeping over the country has
taken up the lumber business and IS car
rying it along with it,"
fOr n &c
of affairs?' the lumbermen were asked
by the general increase in building op-
erations throughout the whole country
the South included" replied one THE
railroads are buying very largely. espe>
clally at the North, both for track equip
ment and rolling stock During the dull
years following the panic of 1898 the rail
roads all over the country allowed their
equipment and rolling stock to run down
10 the point where it was barely sufficient
to transact their business during even duh
times. With the heavy increase in bus:-
ness which has marked the present year
has come an impera tive demand for ma
terial for equipment and rolling stock
There is one well-known car combine
which uses S00,000C00 feet of lumber an
nually, chiefly yellow pine and they are
simply standing up on their hind legs and
begging for lumber. Prices have increa sed
during the last six months on all ordinary
extreme sizes the advance has been even
greater The lumbermen are not seeking
orders for inconvenient lengths at any
price"
The lumbermen explained that 1t is diff
cut to give an outsider a fair idea Of
prices because of the many different sizes
and dimensions, the prices of which vary
with the difficulty of procuring them. on
ordinary sizes and length the prices are
from SlS to SIS per 1000 feet free on board
at Savannah. AS the sizes become more
difficult and the lengths greater the pri,es
increase. The ratio of increase has been
greater on prices for extreme sizes. in
some instances as much as 1O0 per cent.
The recent meeting of the Georgia Saw
NIL Association al Savannah decided upon
an increase of so cents to 81 per 1000 feet
ne former flgure applied to the ordinary
sizes, and the latter to the extremes. The
latter figure of increase IS not so great IS
might appear as difficult sizes run anv-
where in price from $40 to $50 per 900 feet
and even higher.
Conditions in the lumber business AZ
present, stated one of the lumbermen.
very much resemble those in the iron
trade. In fact, lumber usually follows
iron, the harder material taking the lead
iron IS in demand at any price and on the
sellers terms, and so is lumber The home
demand has had a good deal to do with
the price. The building of several large
cotton mills in this section, including one
nj West Point, Ca, ard another at Co.um-
hia s. c., has called for several million
feet of lumber"
Asked as TO whether the heavy demand
would rot cause rapid cutting away of
the timber in this section the lumberman
replied: The effect will moi be rerceptib
Immediately, but ten years hence there
viii be quite a difference The visible sun
ply In sight for the large mills in This
territory s sufficient for Only about eight
or ten years. Much of the present demand
however is being supplied hy small mills
which are going back over The territory
abandoned by the large mills several years
since This they could not afford to do
except at present prices. There will be
considerable timber coming on in this sec
ton. in scattered bodies for the next fifty
years, but at The present rate of exhaus- !
ton the effect of the limited supply is
lkely to be felt In the next few years"
An item of interest in lumber circles |
Is the report general among the lumber !
men and coming from apparently good su- |
Ihority that an order for 800, 900 900 feet of |