Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-08-09
THE MAHOGANY HUNTERS
OF Central and South America Make
Big Wages

OF Central and South America Make
Big Wages
The mahogany hunter Is the most
important and best paid laborer in the
Central and South American service.
for upon his skill and activity largely
depends the success OF the season. This
trees do not grow In groups. but are
scattered promiscuously through tho
forest and hidden in the dense growth
of underbrush, vines and creepers, and
1t requires skillful and experienced
woodsmen to find them. To fell a
large mahogany tree is one days task
for two men. On account of the thorn
like spurs which project from the
trunk at Its base, scaffolds are erected
and the tree cut off above these pro-
tuberances, which leaves a stump f.
ten to fifteen feet high, thus wasting
the best part Of the tree. After trim
ming the tree Of its branches 1t Is
hauled by means Of crude truck, with
oxen as motive power, to the bank OF
the river. There the logs are collected
and made ready for the floods. On the
longest rivers these begin in June and
July and on others in October and NO
vember. The logs are turned adrift
and when they reach tidewater are
caught by means Of booms. From the
boom the logs are taken to the "em-
barcadero" and prepared for shipment.
A tree makes from two to five logs,
measuring ten to eighteen feet In
length and from twenty to twenty-four
inches, in diameter after being hewn.
There Is a great range in the value
of mahogany timber. The poor grade
of short stock may sell as low as fifty
cents for 1000 feet, while fancy ma
terial, used in the manufacture OF tops
Of counters, may be worth $3.50 for
1000 feet, or even higher. Previous
to the war in Cuba much mahogany
was shipped from the island to the
United States, and the trade has been
reviving within the last two years.
The finest quality from this source Is
called the San Jago" and is used in
the manufacture of fancy furniture and
for the interior work Of houses The
price of this variety, made on an inch
basis, ranges from $40 to $165 for loo
feet. Fine hard Mexican mahogany,
which is one of the most satisfactory
kinds for fine furniture or interior
work. is sold according to the grade.
1t is hard wood Of good color, and
finishes we'll. The 'firsts" and Sec
onds" in this class of stock are sold for
about $160 for 1000 feet but when 1t is
selected 1t is worth from $170 to 5000
for 1000 feet. Commons" sell at
from $110 to $145. and "culls" lowest
grade) at from $50 to $50. The soft
Mexican mahogany is not desirable,
and, in all grades is worth from $40 to
$25 for 1000 feet less than the hard
variety.
From being an article Of luxury. and
used only for expensive work, mahog-
any is becoming one of the staple fin
ishing and furniture woods of the
United States. 1t is not cheap wood
and undoubtedly never will be, but
even houses of moderate cost may
contain one or more rooms finished
with it, and as a furniture wood it has
become standard. It is reported that
one of the leading FURNITURE factories
of Michigan will use this year mahog-
any for 80 per cent of its product, and
other furniture makers throughout
the country are making medium sized
goods of this material. Its use as a
veneering is extensive.