The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1900-04-25

who were inclined to be apprehensise
are again confident that 1900 will WIZ
the hlgh-water mark in the annas
strong. and the export trade Is easily
ahead Of all previous records.
With the manufacturers OF cypIeS
the situation Is all that could De asseu,
and more. Cypress ls now recognises N
one Of the most valuable woods LOT an
around purposes that the south prOuuCesi;
The demand is constantly growing AL
was last year IL will be no larger next
year than IL lie this. The reason ioI
this condition of affairs Is not hard 70
ind. The supply Of cypress Is liLni tel
and cypress timber lands are pretty wen
owned by manufacturers. IL Is an az
tual fact that the mills In New OIieans
territory are overstocked Win ousll.nl,,,j
and that many orders have TO De tuIneu
down from sheer inability TO NIL tGeil.
IL not another order were received ~
the next three months, the manutaetul,
ers would not be worried. IueS .Io
enough orders on hand to Keep theIli
busy for that period. The STOCKS 0n
hand Of dry cypress are phenomenAiy
low. For months the route taken by the
wood has been from brake to saw nun,
from saw mill to dry kiln. and from
willing to take, and calling for, green
lumber. The price list, fixed IN January:
has been rlgidly maintained, ana ~
there is any departure from IL uuIIHH
go up-not down. What has been SAID
OF the manufacture OF cypress lumhe.
applies with equal force TO shingles anu
lath. The demand is outstrippng the
supply, and there Is no reason 10 antlcl
pate any falling of In the volume Oh
business
From the standpoint Of the exporter
New orleans has made great strides. she
stands first as point OF export LOT
slaves many million being shipped annu-
ally to the wine producing countries. IN
other lines Of the hardwood export trade
New Orleans Is forging to The front.
Every successive season sees an increase.
A number Of new offices have been
opened up within the past twelvemonth;
and the end Is not yet. Inc supply OF
hardwood is drawn from territory Iylns
t. the north, as far up the river as
Memphis. Last year the number OF
lows of hardwood for export was greater
than ever before Cottonwood. which Is
produced In considerable quantities: IS
sharing In the broadening demand. Win,
In the past few months prices have e2seu
off somewhat. but they are far In excess
Of what they were at this time last year
and the outlook is more than faVofa1le.
To sum up the situation from the stand
point Of exports. Ii may be said that not
only have the lumber offices in the city
done a big business. but the big firms
In the interior. which trade direct Win
foreign ports through New Orleans, all
report that the conditions were never
brighter There has been considerable
difficulty experienced during the winter
which has Just closed In getting suffl-
Client tonnage to handle the business,
and frelghts have been high, but now
tonnage IS growing more plentiful every
day, and freights are getting more rea-
sonable.
cure statistics showing the exports for
the past sN months, but II can he safely
stated in a general way that they exceed
by % per cent the exports for STINT
lar period last year, and that lumber
shipped through New Orleans has found
lis way to the Madeira islands. Spain.
Belgium. France, Germany, The Neither
lands, England, Denmark. Ireland; Costa
Rica. Scotland. Honduras, C9Io4pia'
Nicaragua. cuba, Italy. Guatemala, BRIT
ish Honduras, Portugal, Mexico, Norway,
Aus ria. Gibraltar and the British West
Indies.
The mills located in New Orleans prop
er. the output Of which goes wholly or
In part 10 the purely local trade, and the
New orleans yards all report good
business throughout the winter. and
splendid prospects for the remainder OF
tn year The season of dullness was
more contracted than ever before, and
there are a number of big contracts now
Oh the market.
Great as New Orleans has shown her
self to be. however, in the lumber trade.
she could easily, with the cooperation
Of the railroads centering here, and the
steamships which ply between this port
and foreign countries, enlarge her sphere
of action. Lumber is not a commodity
which can stand big charges, and steam
ship companies could do a great deal in
lessening the charges now in effect, not
only to the advantage of the city but
to their own betterment. By virtue of
her geographical situation, as the log
ical port of the richest lumber region In
the world, with limitless fields of yellow
pine and other woods at her very doors,
with deep water and miles and miles OF
wharves, a very small effort on the part
Of the railroad and steamship lines
would be rewarded by very great
amount OF business which now finds its
way elsewhere Even under existing cir.
she Is more than holding her
own and under the influence of a steady
organized effort she would soon stand
out as the lumber port of America.