The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1903-09-02
AWAY UP NOW.
Chittim Still Scars People may Plant
Chittim Trees-One Mans Bark
Bought his NeighboT's Farm.

Bought his NeighboT's Farm.
The boom is still! on in chittim.
The man who owns chittim in
quantity now can wear diamonds if
he wants to. Twelve cents per
pound is the nominally quoted rate
that dealers give out. It is how
ever known that halt cent more
and even higher figures have been
paid for extra choice lots within
the past few days. Compared with
the two and three quarters and the
three cents that the bark brought
last year, or with the cent and a
half and the cent and three quarters
that it sold at few years ago, the
present figures are amazing. Had
a man invested $5. 900 in bark last
year, he could sell it for more than
$40, 900 today. Had he put the
same amount in chittim FIVE or
six years ago when it went at a
cent and half. he could live in a
fine house and support his mother
in-1aw and turn UP his nose at all
his wife's relations if he wants to
now.
Lots of, chittim sold in Corvallis
at four cents at the beginning of
the present season. Up to two
weeks ago the price was but little
above FIVE cents. Up to few days
ago some of the local dealers had
still on hand all the bark they had
bought during the season. It is
understood several large lots of
this character were closed out the
latter part of last week. The
figure at which the bark went is
not known. but it was high enough
to leave beautiful profit to the
dealers, In all it is understood,
about 10 carloads will be bought
and sold by Corvallis dealers this
season.
The big figures have caused
many an early contract to be brok-
en-. The mortality among con-
tracts has been actually epidemic
Men who agres d to sell at four Or
five cents, and gave out that they
would have stipulated amount to
sell, did not deliver when the time
came With a margin of about
seven Or eight cents on every
pound of bark, the temptation to
erawfish was resist1ess, and agree
ments were thrown to the wind.
Its hard. too, for any man to see
his chittim go at four or FIVE cents
when a neighbours is bringing
twelve cents. The buyer for the
San Francisco house who slipped /
over into Alsea and bought up large
quantities of bark at six cents was
still waiting for his bark to arrive
at last accounts. The delivery was
to have taken place by the Ist of /
which was yesterday.
He is representedto have engaged I
about carload. AS near as can
be learned not even wheelbarrow
load was delivered on time. He
took the precaution to give a check
in part payment OF the purchase
price, in order to bind the bargain,
The sellers say however. that he
when in A1sea that
six cents was the Corvallis price,
when as a matter of fact the price
in Corvallis was about double that
figure. It is possible that the lat
ter has something to do with the
fact that the bark doesn't come.
The unexpectedly high figures
have occasioned several paradoxes
A man on Big Elk sold the bark off
his own farm and with the money
purchased his neighbor's farm.
Chas Overlander and a partnerenga
ged to clearthe brush on the Dalaba
farm and for the job were to receive /
Ill the chittim bark on the place +
In Toledo the other day, they mar
zeted eight tons of bark for nearly
$4,000, which is more than the
:arm is worth, and the eight tons
sold only represents part of the
park on the place
One man over in thatcountry en-
gagged six tons of bark at the first
of the season to Salem druggist
1t four cents a pound, which is
$50 per ton. The druggist bound
1p the contract in such a way that
le1ivery is assured. The druggist
will get over $3.50 per ton for the
park OF, 81 500 for what he paid
$3.50 for. His profit is over 81, 900
IN an original investment of less
han $500.
A man on Nestucca was less for
innate. He bought ranch over !
there, stocked it with goats, and
vas filed with visions of prosperity
o come from his new enterprise.
lie was by the WaY an amateur