Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-06-29
HENTING MAHOGANY.
America.
From the NV York I

The ma Eogany hunter is the most i'm
portant AID best-paid laborer in the Gem
trail and South American service, for upon
his skill find activity largely depends the
success OF the season. The trees do not
grow In groups, but are scattered promise
cuously through the forest and hidden in
the dense fgrowth of underbrush. vines and
creepers, And II requires skillful and eX-
perienced twoodsmen to find them. To fell
a large Mahogany tree is one days task
for two n&an. On account of the thorn-lIke
spurs whfh project from the trunk at it's
base, sca1olds are erected and the tree cut
off above These protuberances, which leaves
a stump from ten TO fifteen feet high, thus
wasting the best part of the tree After
trimmingt the tree Of it's branches it is
hauled bj means of a crude truck with
oxen as Motive power, to the bank of the
river. There the logs are collected and
made really fCr the floods. On the longest
rivers thtse begin IN June and July and on
others in Dct Jber and November. The logs
are turned adritt and when they reach tide
water ale caught by means Of booms
From th9 boom the logs are taken to the
"embarcaIero'' and prepared for shipment
A tree fmakes from two to five logs,
measuring ten to eighteen feet In length
and 'FRONT.' twenty to twenty-four inches in
diameter Eft2r being hewn.
There II a great range In the value Of
mahogany timber. The poor grade of short
stock NAL sei as low 90 cents for 900
feet, white fancy material, used in the
manufactf : of tops of counters, may be
worth 30 for 1000 feet, or even higher.
Previous Eo the war in Cuba much mahog-
any was lshipped from the island to the
United States, and the trade has been re-
viving within the last two years. The
finest Qua:,y from this source is called the
San Jagt" and is used in the manufacture
Of fancyt furniture and for the interior
work of houses The price of this variety
made on En- inch JasfS, ranges from $40 to
sl65 for b 600 feet. Fine hard Mexican
mahoganf which Is one Of the most salts
factory KINDS for fine furniture or interior
work, is fold according to the grade. 1t is
a hard Wood, of good color, and finishes
well. Tffa ''hrsts" and seconds In this
class of ttock sold for about S16o for
LOCO feet fbut when it is selected it is worth
from SID to $500 for 1000 feet Com
mons" SET at from FLO to Sl45, and 'culls"
lowest Fade at from $50 to $50. The
soft Mexican mahogany is not desirable.
and in fsl grades, is worth from $50 to
$50 for 1000 feet less than the hard va
riety.
From lfeing an article of luxury, and
used onl1 for expensive work, mahogany is
becomingt one of the stable finishing and
furniture Fwoods of TIE United States. 1t is
not a chap wood and undoubtedly never
will be, tut even houses of moderate cost
may confain one or more rooms finished
with it, aid as a furniture wood it has be-
come Standard. 1t is reported that one
of the LEI Hing furniture factories of Michi-
gan will tuse this year mahogany for 50
per cent fof its product and other furni-
ture makers throughout the country are
making Ihedium-priced goods OF this ma
terial ItI use as a veneerfng is extensive.