The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-06-10
DULL SEASON IN
THE LUMBER TRADE
However Summer Dizziness is
Not Yet Felt
TIMBER DEALS ARE ACTIVE
Forty Dollars Per Acre Has Come to
Be Regarded as the Market Price
for Lands In Hatties-
burg Section.
TIMBER DEALS ARE ACTIVE

Hattesburg Miss, June 9.-(Speelal. y
This Is the dull season in the lumber
trade. 1t is the time of year when. ordi-
rarily the demand for lumber fall off
and the mill men, making full time. re-
plenish their depleted stocks and endeav-
or to acquire a surplus to meet the de-
mands of the fall revival 1t cannot be
said that the usual summer dullness has
yet been felt. 1t is true that the demand
is not so feverish as it has been for
few months past, but that demand was
phenomenal, and 1t was not expected to
last forever. There has been slaellening
of orders for special lines. but for build
ing material heavy finished timber rail-
road and bridge material, 1t cannot be
said that there is perceptible diminu-
ton of requirements.
Mill men are working under unusually
favorable circumstances. The weather
has been cool enough to inspire the labor
ers with energy and yet there has been
little bad weather to interrupt operations
The result is that while the mills have
been shipping right along, they have been
saving so much that the stocks are accu-
mulating.
Prices are easy. 1t is not good policy
for the manufacturers to get out with a
brass band to advertise the relaxation of
market values, and 1t has not yet reached
a point where the mill men have been
compelled to go out upon a heartless I'M
feeling world in search of buyers of their
stocks, but 1t is not the less true that
the purchaser of special stocks especially
is in better position to get some con-
cession from list figures than he has
been at any previous time in nine mon.ns
or year.
Soon Recover Lost Ground.
The manufacturers have every conf
dence that the market will presently re-
cover its lost ground. They point out
that the conditions of the trade every
where are as favorable as they have been
any time In the past. Their confidence Is
best shown by their actions in placing
themselves In position to supply the heavy
demands that they are looking for In the
future. There never was a time when the
demand for milling material was greater
than now, and the new companies that
are forming all over the state are paying
fabulous prices for the stumpage which
they propose to reduce to marketable
shape.
Value of Timber Lands.
Possession of a slice of virgin timber
land in Mississippi is these days regard
ed as a better thing than to own rail-
road or block of Standard Oil stock.
Indeed, a story is told of a farmer near
Barnett, Miss, who was offered q hand
some price for an option on few acres
or timber land where 1t was desired to
explore for oil, or. which there We're ex-
cellent surface prospects, and who re-
sponded that he didn't want to do bust
ness with the oil prospectors till he had
heard from the lumber syndicates
Forty dollars per acre has come to be
regarded as the market price for timber
land, and In this particular county; and
the same value Is expected In other parts
of the pine belt where the facilities for
handling the timber are as good as they
are here
When compared with the prices for
which timberands have been bought and
sold In south Mississippi in the recent
past these figures appear exorbitant,
though practical timber men declare that
at the prevailing market prices it would
be possible to pay as much as 800 per
acre for good timber property and yet
make money on the investment. This
being the case, the many small investors
who have been securing tracts of from
5000 to 10000 acres at $25 and $50 per
acre are the envy of their aoqualntances,
who recognize that upon this modest in
vestment for the fortunate ones will be
able to clean up nice sum, after pay
ing for their milling outfits.
The latest sale to be made In Perry
county, and which may be taken as in
dicating the market standard was of about
900 acres near Richburg, which brought
$40 per acre The buyers is the Enon
Lumber company, which has a mill In that
locality and the sellers who realized this
price on their holding are the Mcpherson
Bros. of Detroit, Mich.
Minor News of Lumber Section.
Charter has been prepared for the Car
ter Lumber company. domiciled at
Hawkes. Jones county, on the New Or
leans and Northeastern railroad. The
capital Is fixed at $4,000, and the incor-
porators are r. C. Carter, w. s. Carter
and T. j. Burton.
The Alabama secretary of state has been
informed that there will be two new
lines of railroad for lumber uses con-
structed in that state. The Flate Creek
Mill company of Finchburg, Monroe
county, with a capital of 100000, Is to
build line from that place to Mobile,