The suburban citizen., 1902-03-15
WOODSRARE AND COSTLY
HiGH.PRlcED LOGS IN NEW YORK
LUMBER YARDS.

@oOoO-Other Lumber Even More fGx-
pensive-Fine Woods Hard to Get
SnaIxewood Dearest of All.
In the lumber yards fronting on the
East River, between Fifth and Tenth
streets, there lie piled up in rough, un-
symmetrical heaps large numbers of
coarsely hewn dirty logs. An ignorant
observer might take these to be sup
niles for kindling wood factory, and
certainly would be surprised to learn
that the dirty sticks Of timber are the
most valuable woods Ia the world in
their rough form, for that is what they
are.
There is mahogany there, any guam
tity of 1t; ebony, Black Sea walnut and
costly snakewood, but it all lies there
seemingly unguarded and beaten by
the weather as though 1t were the
cheapest sort of white pine.
'It doesn't look very valuable, does
itT said the manager of one of the
companies which sell much of the
costly timber; "but that is the wood
that some day will be worked over
polished and made into the most beau
tiful woodwork that money can buy.
"That one big log that those work.
men are carrying is worth $4,000, and
have seen a log of mahogany only
little larger than that which was sold
for $4,000. 1t was twenty-elght feet
long and five feet thick, and was the
finest piece of the wood that have
ever seen.
'Pretty good price for a single stick
isn't It? 1t was a perfectly sound
log, though, and its coloring and mark
ing were remarkable. That is why it
brought such high price.
Mahogany is like diamonds" he con-
tinued. "The value of each stick is
determined by its marking and free
dom from flaws. When the logs are
sold in the rough, as you see them
here, there is a big element of chance
in their purchase.
'The expert can Judge them only by
outward appearances, and must be able
to tell by the general look of the logs
whether they are sound and whether
the marking which shows on the out
side is apt to continue through the
piece. After a good deal Of expert
ence one is able to size up piece Of
timber pretty correctly, but we are
fooled once in a while, and that is one
of the uncertainties of the business
Someone once said that mahogany
was the king Of woods, and he was
not far wrong. 1t is certainly the most
durable on account of its hardness and
the polish that it takes gives it right
to the title. 1t isn't what it used to be,
though.
"Thirty years ago all the best Of the
wood was designated as San Domingo,
from the place in which it grew. 1t
was the best that was ever cut and
attained a great reputation, but it is
almost impossible to get now. The
choice wood is all gone, and there Is
not enough to be had now to supply
One-hundredth part Of the demand for
1t.
"Its texture was the very finest and
the coloring superior to any other. We
still get tie wood from San Domingo,
but it is all second growth, smaller
than the old mahogany and much in
ferior to it.
Mahogany from Central America
was scld in large quantities here years
ago, also, but it was found to be soft
and straight grained, and now it has
practically stopped coming to this mar.
ket. Nowadays we get the wood from
Cuba and Mexico.
"The Cuban product comes in small
sizes, but is of good texture and hard.
1t is from Mexico, though, that the
great markets Of the world are now
supplied, not only with the best ma
hogany, but also with much that is
soft, though much better than the
old South American product.
MANY people have the idea that
there is no more good mahogany and
that all that is cut now is soft. This
assertion is the outcome Of individual
experience in procuring good or rocr
wood; those who have received the best
grades pronounce the Mexican wood
hard and beautiful in texture.
IAN impression also exists that ma.
hogany is expensive and only to be in.
dulged in by few. That is untrue.
The facilities for procuring the wood
and the devices for reducing it into
lumber have 60 improved that its cost
to-day compares favorably with some
of our domestic hard woods, such as
cherry.
"The cost of working it is certainly
not greater than any of the domestic
woods. 1t lasts better than the do
mestic article, though.
"The process Of veneerlng is what
makes all the hard woods expensive, as
this work costs as much as the timber
in the rough. The wood is cut very
thin, about one-thirtieth Of an inch,
say.
IA layer of glue is placed over the
wood to which the strip is to be ap-
piled, after which the strip Is laid on,
smoothed down by hand, and then