The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-10-06
MARKET l. HARD TO REACH.
Dtmcuity In Getting Mexican Ma
hoxany 10 the Factories.


From the city q Mexico Herald
An Eng.ishmau who has arrived in 'he
city from the peninyu!ar portion o. Mex
leo gave q Herald reporter an interesting
conversation regarding many matters con
uected with that prolific par; % the re-
public Among other topics OF coaversa-
zion the mahogany supply came up. ara
Re was asked his opinion as 70 how long
il would be before the trees in Mexico
would an have been utilized commercially,
ana whether any caution was being taken
toward preserving supply FOR the fu-
mre. HIS reply was that there was an
unwri,ten law against che cutting down o.
young trees. and many parts Of Ta5asco
chiapas Yucatan and Compeaehy had
not as yet been exploited in thar line.
The mahogany hunter. he said, IS the
most Important and rest paid laborer In
me service The trees do not grow iu
clusters bust are scattered promiscuous-
gv through The forest and hidden IN q
dense growth OF uuderbrush. vines ana
creepcrs ond # often requires q ski.lfui
and experienced wooisman 10 hrh them
NO progress cen be made m tropical for
ests without the AID Of a macheste, Tor
The mahogany s. one 81 the largest and
tallest Of trees. and the hunter. seeking
the highest ground climbs 10 the top ~
he tanest tree aud surveys the eur
rounding country. His practiced eye
soon detects the mahogany by its pecu-
Har foliage and he counts the trees With
in the scope OF his vision. notes the di-
rection and distances. ana then. descend
.ug. cuts narrow trail TO each tree.
which he carefully blazes and marke
especially u there Ia a rival hunter IN
ID. vicinity.
To feH large mahogany tree Is one
days task for two men. on account Of
the wide spurs which project from tho
trunk az the base scaffolds are often
erected and the tree cut above the spurs.
which leaves a stump from ten to mr.
tceu feet in hight a sheer waste OF che
very best nart OF the tree and one which
modern ingenuity should certainly de
wise some means 90 prevent.
Great difficulty IL sometimes hnd in get
ting che trunks to point 81 transporta-
ton. and crude trucks are generally used.
made hy saving on ore end % tree
trunk and fitting the wheel thus acquired
with q kiua OF axle which a. the boss
Is clumsy and antiauatcd affair These
trucks are hau'ed hy oxen. ana oil the
trucking Is done in the dry season the logs
being placed on the hank o. river 70
await the time OF the fio-pis
No little judgment Il required 10 de-
tcrmiue az what exact stage 81 the fooi
70 turn the logs adrift Should the wa
ter he too high the logs would be apt
20 be ieft high and dry on some or the
low wing grounds adjacent 10 the river
and probably covered M by sand and
rubbish
Mahogany trees give from two 20 i've
logs each. measuring from ten 70 eighteen
feet IN length and from twenty 10 forty
four inches IN diameter after being
bowed
The manufacturing process consists in
saving off the ends that have been bruised
ana splintcrod Ia transit down the river
ana IN refining and relieving the logs
D. skllllul workmen. who give them q
smooth and even surface Tho logs are
Then measured. rolled back into the wa
'er ut the mouth Of the river aud then
made into RATS 10 be taken 10 the YES
seie anchored outside the bar