The semi-weekly messenger., 1900-11-27
SHORT-LEAyED PINE.
Facts Brought Out by Proposed Lum-
ber Comblnation-Used Instead of
White = Growing Scarcity OF the
Latter.

Some facts not known to the general
public are brought to light by the pro-
posed consolidation OF the companies
which control the output of yellow
pine, North Carolina pine, or short
Ieaved pine, as it is variously called.
Chief of these may be stated the in
creasing prominence WHICH this article
is finding in the lumber world. There
was once time when the white pine
OF Michigan held undisputed sway in
the finishing of houses, but the havoc
which the lumbermen of that state
have made Of the virgin forests has
had such an effect ON the prices of that
article that now it is worth twice as
much as its more humble brother, and
the latter Is, as result, growing into
greater favor day by day
The lumbermen Of the northwest are
realizing that their immediate fields
are becoming exhausted. Working
night and day as they do at points like
Grand Marais, Mich, on the shores OF
Lake Superior, soon depleteS the sup
ply, until conditions became as they
now are at Slpela, on Lake Huron,
where the residents have found a last
that wood has more than a nominal
value. AS matter of fact, stumpage
in the white pine districts is now worth
about the same figure as that at which
the finished article is appraised in the
North Carolina regions In other words,
white pine brings from $50 to $50 a
thousand and short-leaved pine half
that amount.
COMPETITION AND ECONOMICS.
1t may be asked why there is such a
difference if yellow pine is gradually
taking the place of the higher priced
wood. The answer is found in the in
tense competition between the compa-
nies in the North Carolina district. In
the elimination of lhis competition is
found one Of the benefits of the pro-
posed combination. 1t is not intended
to increase prices, but the consolidation
will necessarily prevent to a great de-
gree cut-throat methods.
1.-THE chief benefits of the combina- =
ton will be found said Colonel Fran
els E. Waters yesterday, ''in the econ
omies it will enable us to make. For
instance, the fields are now so located
that A has to haul his timber greater
distance to his mill than if he diverted
it to B's and B could in the same way
save money by sending some of his
timber a shorter distance to C'S mill.
Another economy is to be found in the
distribution of the finished material. 1t
would be a shorter haul from one mill
to a certain town than from another,
all the orders from that town at the
nearest mill than, as at present, to fill
them from a half dozen mills scattered
over a wide expanse of territory. There
are other economies that could be
made, and, combined, these would
mean a very much greater profit than
is now made"
TERRITORY INVOLVED.
North Carolina pine grows in large
<.r1o or1tt in n IN. y
region; it extends south from the James
to about Charleston and is confined to
a belt extending back from the Sea a
distance of about fifty miles. That the
area is so circumScribed is the feature
that makes the consolidation tenable.
1t prevents other competition. 1t might
be mentioned that the combination
would be an advantage to the country
at large in that it would enable the
management ITO have the cutting done
in a scientific manner, leaving the
young trees until they were of a GER
tain size and thus preserving the for
eSts.
the security for the bonds which it is
proposed to issue, a security that would
place them on a par with firSt-clas:
railroad bonds. The forests are ac
mirably situated for distributing thu
product by either land or sea.
1t may be that the bonds will never
be issued. The deal is on, but the in
trests are SO vast that the swapping ot
one thread might cause the entire fab
ric tear asunder. 1t is hoped by inter
ested parties that the present favor
able conditions may see the proposed
deal made one in reality. Many com
panies are included in the negotiations
Some of those already referred to il
the Herald are likely to be included
others are not; and others which have
not been mentioned are of so much i'm
portance that should they not come il
the combination might fail to th'
ground.-Baltimore Herald.