The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-12-01
LUMBER SCARCITY
BRINGS SUBSTITUTES
Corner on Black Walnut
Being Engineered by
Lumber Companies.
Great Increase in Price of
Woods in the Past
Twenty Years.

The scarcity OF lumber for building
material has forced the building trades
TO seek other materials. More parICu-
larry is this true in the building of esi-
dences, where 10 a great extent wood
IS used for construction purposes. The
hard woods necessary for finishing are
held at such a high price by lumber
dealers that the cheap house is the
thing of the past.
Mahogany long ago disappeared, and
the more expensive woods today are
used as Il veneer to cover the cheaper
woods. Black walnut, which a few
yeras ago added a decided regal finish
to the interior of a house. has been
so much used that The supply today is
practically exhausted Agents for lum-
Der companies are endeavoring to OBJ
tain a corner on all the black walnut
grown in the United States. A large
amount Of it Is being exported TO Ger
many, where II IS used as a substitution
for mahogany in veneers.
Walnut a Prime Favorite.
In the days Of the pioneer, the black
walnut was a prime favorite, but since
then whole groves have disappeared.
Here and there a few stragglers remain
to remind one Of their former abund-
Rnce. Other woods, noted for the high
polish they would stand. had their ad-
mirers, but the walnut was looked upon
with peculiar regard because of it's dura-
bility, color, and strength. Today among
the old houses Of New England, one may
ind the rafters supporting the second
story of the house composed entirely OF
black walnut Orders a foot square. The
construction of houses in those days
was entirely of hard woods, as was the
furniture.
The gathering of the walnuts furnish
ed the chief JOY of childhood, and in the
autumn days the woods resOunded with
the laughter of children gathering their
store for winter. Commerce. neverthe-
less. with its greedy hands. has crowd
ed pleasure aside The trees are fast
disappearing under the steel ak and the
modern wood saw.
Fancy prices are given now for wal
nut trees as they stand in the forest
For tree three or four feet IN diameter
at the base, the buyer will pay from
SIS 70 $50 and a tree seven feet thick
brought 500. The varying values are
caused by the height of the tree and
its lack Of low limbs. The tree when
cut down are not all lost by the seller,
as the buyer uses only such portions
as can be cut into logs a foot thick or
more. The seller keeps the smaller
limbs and slender parts Of the trunk.
thus getting a good GUUrly Of FIRE
wood.
Advances in Price.
Statistics gathered by the Agricultural
Department. regarding some Of the
woods used for construction purposes
during the last twenty years shows the
steady advance IN price. The average
price taken shows the selling price per
1000 feet.
White ash, July 1. 1856. sold Tor $50;
February !, 1906, the quoted price was
81 Eastwood, common. brought SD IL
1898, and now commands a price of S45.
Birch sold for SIS ana is now selling
for 500 Chestnut in 1856. was 49, today
a. is selling for $S. Cottonwood. in
1855 sold for $50, now brings S3S. an in
crease OF 90 per cent White oak, quar-
tered, in 1886 brought So, In 1906 Il was
selling for $50 Yellow poplar has in
creased from 500 10 $40 in twenty years
Plack walnut. from $50 to Sil5 San
Francisco redwood, from S24 to $50 Fick-
DRY, from S3S to $50. White pine. from
S4S to 800. Yellow pine was quoted at
from S13 TO t2l.5) in 1894, and sold from
SlS to SIS in 1906.