The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-02-26
.BIG TIMBER DEAL
 AROUSES INTEREST
Lathrop Discusses Prices of
 Alabama Lands
SMELL ON GENERAL TRADE
Finds the Supply and Demand About EquaIized In Alabama Now, But Number of Cars Furnished
 Is Still Insufficient.

Lumber men are very much interested in the recent sale of about 440OO acres of the timber land in Alabama to Messrs. Foshee and Miller of Brewton two of the largest lumber men in the state. The property was sold for about si65O an acre, which is one of the best figures ever paid for timber lands in Alabama The property was a part of the tract of the Michigan Lumber company
 F. H. Lathrop, president of the Lathrop Lumber company and II. H. She'll gen eral manager, yesterday discussed the situation in Alabama in timber lands and also in the lumber trade. Mr. Lathrop said in regard to the timber lands:
 The price paid for timber lands de- bends on the size of the tract and the timber on it. It Is reported that recently S46.5O per acre was paid for tract of about 44OOO acres the extent of which probably influenced the price Then the facilities have something to do with it. On large tract large plant can be erected, which adds economy in working up the timber
 T do not know exactly how much tim Der there is in Alabama. l suppose there is almost 100000 acres, although that Is rough guess. There are several com panies which have tracts of 100000, and number of smaller companies with les ser tracts. That is original growth"
 MT. Shell, general manager, said in regard to the general lumber conditions:
 'The demand and the supply now are about equalized. There Is very little ac- emulation in the yards, and what there is could be sold if the railroads could deliver more cars to the mills The mill men tell us that there is a market for all that they can turn out.
 Locally. l would say that the market was never better. All the large indus trial companies and mine companies are l doing some extensive development that calls for large amounts of lumber, and we are buying from other mills in or der to accommodate this demand We 1 have orders and we are handling about as much business as we can.
 Ihe prices now are about 10 per cent lover-on an average-than they were at thiJ time last year Some kinds of lum- Der, for instance heavy timber are as l high now as they have ever been in the lumber business. They are as high as they were from October to March of last year. when prices reached the highest point.
 '"rhere are other grades of lumber that l are considerably lower than during that period last year. which makes the aver aso about 10 per cent lower. From Oc- tober to March 19O5-19O6, there was an l be- and the market would not sustain some or the prices, while others remained firm at the high figures. This was due l to the enormous demand on account of the active building operations.
 'The local supply seems to be sufficient to meet tho local demand, according to the retailers. We sell only to the yards | ar to the large industrial and mining companies"
 | 9-r. Shell was asked about the yellow pine exhibit In the Brown-Marx build and stated that it was solely for the purpose of showing the possibilities of y ,llow pine for interior decorations He stated that his company was a member l of the Yellow Pine Lumber association which supported the exhibit and that it was being taken from place to place to show the people what really could be done with this pine, which is practically | tt, only lumber found in any quantity in the gulf states.
 The exhibit will be in Birmingham a | north, Mir Shell said, then 1t will be 1 taken to Atlanta for a month and after | wards to the Jamestown exposition It Is | part of the exhibit that was at the St. | .-- Is exposition.