El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-02-27
MEXICAN
LUMBER
MiIIionaires from the States
Examine Timber Lands
in the Sierra Madre
MAY PURCHASE.
large Saw Mills will be
trected Should the
Syndicate Decide
to Buy
MAY PURCHASE.

There is in process Of development
a deal which if consummated will be
one of the biggest things known to the
lumber interests of the two republics
for some years.
A party of capitalists have returned
from a trip through the state of Chi
huahua and into the Sierra Madre
mountains.
The main object of their visit was to
examine some extensive timber lands
i nthe mountains owned by Messrs.
Smith, Hartman and Davis, residents
of San Francisco. In the party three
separate lumber firms were represent
ed, all of them extremely wealthy con-
Germs. Some CT the individual MEM
bers are ;nillionaires several times.
The names OF those making up the
whole party were: H. S. Smith, San
A. Gilchrist, Alpena; Robert Fullerton
and w. v. Finkbine, of Des Moines.
Iowa, and Shaw Kennedy and Fred NJ.
Stephenson, of Chicago, and John Nc
Comb of Mexico.
All the members have returned from
from their faces in patches and a very
healthy tan. To a reporter for The
Herald they stated hat their trip had
been one of pleasul and business COM
bined, their damaged countenances be-
ing the result Of the pleasure. a good
ho1 70 hni
and they had ruE up against a snow
storm that gave them Geld feet for
some little time.
In speaking CT the business end of
the trip Mr. Fred NJ. Stephenson who
with V. Shaw Kennedy is at the head
said:
This is my first trip into Mexico for
the purpose of looking at timber and
am greatly impressed with what have
seen. The property We visited is sit
uated in tn Seierra Madrc mountains
feet high from the base of the noun
tain range and the timber is spread out
in extensive level parks. The timber
is a sort Of yellow pine and trims much
better than most of the pine in this
country.
Il have been operating chiefly in
Wisconsin and Michigan and this pine
There are about 100000 of this timber
belonging to Messrs. Smith, Hartman,
and Davis so you can readily see it is
a big proposition. There is enough
timber ther to keep four large mills
busy for thirty or more years at the
rate of 1000 feet a day
In answer to the question as to
whether the property was easy of ac-
cess, Mr.. Stephenson replied:
Not at present but it will be as soon
as the Sierra Madre railroad builds a
spur in there. They are quite willing
to do this if the timber is handled at
it means from 20 to % car loads of
lumber shipped from there every day.
Much of this lumber would be shipped
through FL PasO into the United States
for our domestic consumption. Yes, l
think deal will go through with some
DOuy- mere are tnfee concerns look
ing into the proposition and as the
owners of the property are reasonable
in their desire l think it will be taken
up. Ii will of course involve the in
vestment of a good deal of capital in
the construction of mills and appli-
ances for cutting and hauling the lum-
Der. but that is a matter of course. AS
to when or with whom the deal will
be made l am not prepared to say at
this time"
Messrs, Stephenson and Kennedy left
this morning for Chihuahua and a
more extensive trip through the re-
public of Mexico. The other members
of the party have scattered to their re
spective homes.