The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-05-13
TIMBER REACHES
 HIGH WATER MARK Large Tract is Sold for S57 Per Acre in Mississippi WEEK HAS BEEN AC TIVE Holders of Yellow Pine Stumpage in Southern Mississippi Will Be
 Compelled to Pay Taxes on
 Greater Valuations.
WEEK HAS BEEN ACTIVE

Hattiesburg, Miss, May 12-(SpeciaD- High water mark for yellow pine tim Der land was reached this week when there was recorded with the chancery court clerk of Perry county deed for 56o acres of timber land for a considera- ton of $32, ,OOO which is in the neighbor- hood of s57 per acre. The gentleman who got this price for their holdings are Ten nesseeans, Messrs. Elias D. and James R. Galloway of Johnson City. Those who had the nerve to pay the price are the Creek Lumber company of this county. The land in question is located near the hamlet of Rosine, and they have no spe- eial value beyond their wealth of tim Der. The land is heavily wooded. the trees tall. straight and of immense girth. The property is of peculiar value to the Creek company because it lies conven- tent to their milling plant. and they al- ready have tramroad that taps the territory Those who are familiar with the country confess that if any pine lands remaining undevelo- ed in the coun- try are worth so big price the plat cov- cred by this conveyance is the identical one.
 There have been other deals in timber lands of some note during the past two weeks, and the prices in each case have been stiff showing that if there Is any prospect of a decline in the lumber mar ket, the shadow thereof has not been cast far enough ahead to injuriously affect the stumpage market. The syndicates have not been doing much to support the market of late. They appear to be fairly well satisfied with what they have got. The buyers are now mostly small millmen who discover tract of timber1and that they can swing. and which they can get at price that promises to yield profit on the cut They take hold, organize a company. put in a moderately small plant and aceed to cut up the timber. This is tn, xplanation, to a large ex- tent of the large number of small mill ing companies that have been forming in this part of the country in the past few months.
 Holders of yellow pine stumpage in southeast Mississippi will for the next four years be compelled to pay taxes on a valuation about 300 per cent greater than during the past four years. The auadrennial assessment of real estate throughout Mississippi is now in progress. and in Perry county. which may be talk en as typical of the counties in the piney woods territory this assessment is about completed. Your correspondent is in formed by the assessor that the valua- tions on virgin yellow pine timber lands are given in this year at from s0 to SS0 the higher price having been placed on some 5000 acres belonging to J. J. White of McComb City, the Moore and McPher- son interests and few others who con trol extensive tracts in this county. These figures are to be compared with valua- tions of from $1 to s (the latter in only one easel, given in four years ago. and which have been the basis of assessments ever since. This increase in assessments is not going to weigh so heavily on the landholders. however, as might appear at first glance, for although the valuations are placed higher, there will be notable reduction in tax rate. so that the result will come out about the same unless there be some counties in which the gov erning authorities may come to the con- clusion that the increase in the assess rent aggregates will warrant indulgence in public luxuries which will compel the maintenance of the tax rate approximate ly where 1t has been under the lower assessment. Cases of that kind, how ever have not been heard of yet, and are not to be expected If the lands were all held by foreign syndicates there might be disposition to soak them for reve- nues, but as the case stands, much of the lands are still held by resident owners who are influential in their several coun- ties. and who will see to it that reckless extravaganza is not indulged in. The increase in assessments on the timber land means that tax aggregates in this part of the state will be more than doubled. Perry county showing an ad-