The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1908-04-30
Cutting MAHOGANY TREES
Obstacles In The Way of Lum-
bering in Honduras.
METHODS ARE PRIMITIVE
The Trees DO Not Grow In Clusters
but are Scattered Throughout the
Forcsts-It Requires Skilful
Woodsinan to Find Them.

There are vast tracts OF pine tim.
hoe land in Honduras, the Timber on
which will some day become of great
commercial value" said II. X. Orms-
BY, a representative of the Belize
state and Produce Company, an Ems
lish corporation holding concessions
in Honduras" Mahogany furnishes
the material for profitable lumber
operations at present.
THE methods of getting out ma
hogany in the Honduras forests are
primitive. The climate Of the coun-
try is tropical ana the forests low
lying and swappy. Only eight
weeks In the year are available FOR
moving the cut from the camps. and
It's movement being done solely by
oxen, It's rapidity may be imagined.
Mahogany is abundant. jut the
difficulty of numbering 1t and getting
It moved is a great handicap.-i have
been investigating the methods Of
handling timber in the Southern yell
low pine districts, and If we can
adapt them to the woods ~ onduras
the problem of more profitable u,a-
srcment of the mahogany industry
OF Honduras will have been solved.
THE system of labor with which
we have to contend down there Is
peculiar, too. Laborers are hired
for one year. under contract. which
calls for three months wages to Le
raid them in advance.
'"rhe men go to the woods and re-
main there until Christmas. Then
they all leave work and return to
their homes to celebrate. rhey bring
several months wages with them and
Go not go back to work until they
have spent 1t all. Their money gone,
the men return to the forests.
This refers only to the common
lahorers. The numbering Jf ma
hogany requires the services of ex
pert woodsmen, who are paid ac-
cording to the tasks they accomplish.
Mahogany trees do rot grow in
clusters, but are scattered through
out the forests and are hidden In
dense growths of underbrush. vines
and creepers. 1t requires a skilfu.
woodsman to find them.
He seeks the highest ground a
forest. climbs to the top Of the tall
est tree and surveys the surrounding
country. The mahogany tree has :.
peculiar foliage, and the practised
eye OF the woodsman. soon picks
them out
Following the timber iooker. as
he would be called in American for
est work, comes the axemon, and
mahogany tree will take two men a
day to fell IT,
THE trees have large squire which
project from the trunk at It's base,
and scaffolds must be erected so that
the tree can be cut through above
them. This leaves a stump from ten
to fifteen feet long. which contains
the finest Of the lumber, but which.
under the methods of numbering that
prevail. must be allowed to go to
waste.
The day will perhaps come when
bASSS SlullpS Will De STuDbtu VI =,
Just as the stumps of American black
walnut are being grubbed now, the
relies of wasteful days Of cutting
Vnen that timber was plentiful, and
how worth many times more than
the trunks lnat are cut from them.
"The mahogany hunter has not
Ing to do with the telling or removing
OF the tree. His duty is simply to To-
cate 1t. Often he may earn as much
as $1,000 month, as he is paid by
the tree, but then again he may
prospect for weeks without detecting
an available tree.
Mahogany commands big price
In the markets to which At is export
ca. but 1t is not only because OF
The superior kuality ana beauty
and purposes to which it IS put that
II Is so costly. To the titliculty and
expense of getting it from its native
forests and in shape for marketing
that large portion OF its Eigh val
uation is due"