The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-01
QUEER STUFF IN SHIP CARGOEs.
Woods in the Rough That Are More
Valuable Than They Look.

From the New York Press.
You can't tell by her looks how far a
cat win jump, neither can you determine
by its appearance how valuable is the
cargo of a ship. Thus were an uniformed
stranger to observe the unloading Of what
appears like valueless pieces of broken
stone, powders, bits of coal, gnarled and
twisted brapches. stumps and roots of
trees and the like he doubtless would
wonder why all that stuff had been
brought across the ocean, and why the
uniformed customs officials take such in
terest in it. Inquiry would show that
some of the most precious cargoes brought
to these shores are made up of just such
worthless looking lots of sticks and stones,
and that their collection may have cost
exciting adventures and human lives as
well as plenty of money.
Take, for instance, logwood, from which
is extracted juice used i'm the manufac-
ture of dyes Piled up on the wharf in
the rough, as IL is taken from the ships,
logwood presents the appearance of ordi-
nary well-seasoned and weather beaten
cordwood mixed with the grubbed-up
stumps and roots of trees. 1t would be
difficult to imagine anything more utterly
useless than logwood in the rough, so far
as looks go, yet a pile large enough to
make a cord" measured as 'four-foot'
firewood is measured, is worth lot of
money. Logwood is measured by weight
and many tons come to this port yearly
though seldom a ship arrives laden solely
with 1t.
Alongside piles of logwood other heaps
of seemingly worthless sticks and roots
generally shorter than logwood, but of
greater diameter, are often to be seen
upon wharfs of this port. These come
from India; the logwood comes from
In
ance the two woods are somewhat similar
in the rough, though easily distinguished
from the fact that, while the bark nearly
always is stripped from the logwood, 1t
never is from the other, and, moreover,
the latter is not even cut into length.
This is because. though admitted free
If in a positively raw or unprepared
state, any mark of saw or AK beyond
what is necessary to cut the tree subjects
the commodity to duty of $3.50 for every
100 pounds This is sandalwood and you
would have no difficulty in identifying It
If you are familiar with the odor of SAN
dalwood oil, or the dainty boxes some
times fabricated from the wood itself.
Because of the porvisions for taxing san
dalwood when partially prepared for use,
it is scrutinized closely by the customs
inspectors.
II IS not easy to determine the value of
a heap of sandalwood sticks and roots, as
IL fluctuates tremendously In India even
Great numbers of natives spend a good
part of their time searching for the fra
grant trees and cutting them for the mar
ket AT a certain season of the year the
sandalwood hunters troop into the cities
by the hundreds, bearing bundles of the
precious wood, which is stacked up in the
market places To inspect and dicker. san
dalwood buyers gather from all parts OF
the world, many being from the United
&c mt laFac car flaIt nod
The gatherers want all they can get for It,,
and it goes TO the man who win pay the
most for it, The roots Of both sandalwood
and logwood bring higher prices than the
branches, though almost every inch of
both trees is valuable. When cut and
scraped every silver and chip and every
mite of sawdust is saved and made use
Of
Umbrella sticks, valued at cents each
"in the rough" are brought 10 this coun-
try by the thousands Walking sticks come
in the same manner, but their worth va
ries of course, according to me wood. To
see these lying on the wharf no one would
ever suspect the uses 10 which they were
to be put. Great quantities of fancy cabi-
net and other woods, such as rosewood,
ebony tulipwood, lockwood and the like,
reach New York with the bark stin on,
and showing up TO no better advantage
than would the wood Of the ordinary for
est tree If cut into logs
one day in the early summer a ship
sailed into this port from one OF the South
Sea Islands. The crew piled on the wharf
some decidedly communicating sticks of
wood. When the inspector in attendance
picked UP one of them a puzzled express
sion came over his face. He didn't know
how to classify the wood and sought out
the captain of the ship
"Why," said the captain, taking the
stick in his hand, that's lakewood. Never
seen Il before? Wen, We amt likely 10 see
IL again in a hurry, neither, for them trees
is mighty scarce. even in the South Sea
Islands. Just you watch me a minute"
Then the old seadog began to peel the
wood with his fingers. IT came of IN strips
as fine as tissue paper and when gently
stretched looked almost exactly like lace
Of the finest texture, light and fiimsy and
remarkably strong. Mr.. Wanamaker, as
sistant United States appraiser IN the First
division at This peri, has piece Of this
curious wood on his desk. He has stripped
the stick halfway, so that the lacelike
fiber folds over In the manner Of a ballet
dancers skirt.
Another wood. which comes here Finish
ed - cons gned mostly 10 Cinnamon, would
easily be taken for tissue paper. IL is put
to religious use in The joss-house.
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