The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-06-13
PROPOSED BIG COMPANY
COMMENT OF The LUMBER REVIEW
ON THE KIRBY PLAN.
Regarded as Good Thing Tor the Trade
by the Paper Devoted to the
Lumber Interests.
Lumber Review.

] 0ud winch nave transformed many OF tha
ttmid. and poorly equipped saw min mon
OF the late EOS into tho well balanced
and opulent manufacturers of the prosent
hour have gathered energy with the now
century. Heretofore active competlticn
has been the main characteristic of tho
ycllcw pine lumber business aud gave for
the Feeble efforts OF lumber organizations.
which are under the ban OF the law as
far as the making Of prices or the curtall.
Ing OF product is concerned, the great mill.
ing interests of the State of Texas nave
been dcnudng the forests and manufactur
Ing lumber for the world without regard
TO legitimate and necessary nront Or even
FOR the magnificent stnmpagc. the birth
right of present and future generations.
which has only too often been practically
eliminated from the estimates OF cost In
the all consuming competition which has
sivcn the people something for nothing
aud kept the mills running
Evolution In numbering methods In the
South have been slow, but sure. The
State long since woke up 10 the fact that
IFS precious possession had been suuaud-
cred and that private capital hcld the fut.
ure Of the forests IN its hands. To-day the
timber holders eau easily calculate the llfe
of the forest aud new mills are penetrating
deeper into Its recesses while others are
being abandoned In the prodtiess cloarings.
An element which has always been
potent In bringing about the destruction
Of the noble pine without regard TO the
current and prospective demand. has been
tint presence 81 owners of small tracts Of
land and correspondence small mills az
innumer1ble points, The cut Of these mills
has been TO a large extent an unknown
quantity of the total product for their
owners have not affiliated with their
stronger brethren and their operations have
been a senlcd book.
OF late years this unbusinesslikc ccndt.
tlon has been modified by the work Of capt
tai gradually taking hold Of the business,
ana many OF the cuts Of the small mills
nave become by natural evolution part
dealers.
Changes have brought tendency for tho
handling Of lumber In The cities Of the
south which have distribution facilltles
superior to the milling elites and towns
rms evolution has not proceeded without
strong opposition from The manufacturers
VINO have as rule been opposed to the
middle mans proht, but nevertheless cities !
Iikc San Antonio Waco. Dallas Fort |
Worth Galveston and Houston have largo |
Interests IN the bulk of the lumber pro |
dnred IN the state anu many of the larger |
y ~
services Of the Wholesaler or broker have !
established their sales offices In cities. |
noiGhlN az Houston, while their mills were |
many miles distant phls tendency was
forecosted by tho Review in 1890 when II |
removed Us plant to Houston and an /
n"uhced that that city was destined to
lumber In the State.
At the present time evolution or cNpan
sion Is progressing at speed which win /
IN a rev DAYS change the entire aspect !
Of the lumber situation IN the Southwest (
Tue state laws which have made II nm
comfortable and ineNpcdicnt for lumber I
to meet In secret conclave /
AT any polpt wlthin the borders Of 1oXns. /
to be under the ban Of suspicion even II !
being considered to be subject TO iudict |
ment for felony should the price or the |
9naantlty Of the, product be affected by their |
delibera lions, have dlsheartcned aud dis |
Outraged them from making the business /
stable and secure nj all seasons and under
unity Of action have made the price OF |
lumber and with II the value OF stumparc
I football to be unlnteiligently Kicked abont
dealer, the manufacturer and to tho bust.
ness Interests Of the State NJ large
INC lumber interests which are the
pioneer manufacturing Interests of the
southwest have chafed nnd fretted under
hcse conditions which have been imposed
N no state save Texas until they are
ready to welcome the first Moses who Will
BRING order out OF chaos by combine
hon OF all wisdom in one head, n trust
which even the laws of Texas can not
That Moses has arrived. Already the
work of publication under one strong head
md hand Is progressing to conclusion
What the State will not permit its own
'itizcns to do hy consollda tons, foreign
'apltal Is about to do by purchase. Many
n Texas VIII ere this number Of the Re.
lew comes from the press, II signs fan
rot, be out Of the business and hereafter
heir annual Incomes VIII be diverted from
he enterprises and markets OF Texas and
poured into the already overlooking lap
II the capitalists OF other States and coun-
ries
This evolution Is to be wrought by cap.
talsts of the North and East under the
Guidance of the master hand Of John Henry
Kirby OF Houston, Texas Thls gentleman
las not given out the fHcts of the case.
nd In fact IL Is TO be assumed that Sc.
recy Is all important until the transaction
& completed but the Review is fully war.
anted in announcing that Mr.. Kirby has
'ehlnd him capital of perhaps S3O,Op0U6
With which hc has already purchased or
greed to purchase for cash at a high figure
nany OF the largest humber manufacturing
ants ID the yellow pine forests most OF
Which, " not ail however, are situated
pon The line Of the santa Fe railroad and
The deal will include three great mills
I Beaumont, and II is stated one at Or
nge, although this latter has not boop
ihieh control large bodies OF forest land
nywhere In the neghborhood Of the Santa
Q. Wnlfh system may or may not be In
crested In the deal which VIII certalnig
ivert great tonnage 70 its rails from
ther systems. II VIII include enormous
Of timber lands from such hold
rs AS the kouutze Brothers OF New York
he Lutcher n Moore Lumber COMPANY OF
range. Mr.. j. l. Campbell OF Houston and
iany others which the Review VIII not
peclfy, as IL seeks to make only such state
tents as seem reasonably true
In some instances the Review Is well
ware that contracts Of purchase have been
uttered into and In several OF them the
ioney Is 10 pass on the l4th Instant
II Is not understood that Il Is question
I getting many mills or nome on the cnu-
AIRY the transaction Is 80 perfectly legiu.
late and the prices which are 10 be paid
} liberal, that no junketing Is 10 be IN
ulged In, each mill property viii be ex
mined on It's own basis 10 ascertain ts
sal worth end the price VIII fully warrant
sale n che IL determined on.
Experts have been In the mill Districts |
" some time carefully examining books
nd perfectDg all the preliminary details
the transfers, and the next week VIII |
cord changes r. the personnel Of the lum
nr busiaess which Will stariie the trade
'Onl ceBter 10 circumference unless al
ems foil, as 1t j. so often said they do IN
cAns,
The promoters 81 this giant lumber pur-
iase are fully equipped with lists Of al
lie mills OF the State and their output and
Ii safe 10 say that they VII, be offered
le great hu'k Of the smaller pRnfr for
H.. I.H4.r