The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1908-05-08
BIGGER THAN
OWNERS THINK

4 was astonished at what I found
contained in the timber limits Of the
Hawaiian Mahogany company. The
amount Of lumber. OF both koa and ohia.
is very much more than I had any
idea OF when I arrived here and that
company is certain of a magnificent
future. I have never seen any ma
hoEany that equals the kOa in texture
and beauty while the possibilities be-
fore the ohia industry are grand. 1
am enthusiastic and can realize very
veil why the members OF the company
are the same way"
Daniel p. Mumbrue, OF Billings, Mon
tana. summarized his Impressions gain
ed during a tour OF the Hawaii lumber
ing grounds in this way. So enthusiast
TIC is he that he is now on his way
10 Montana 10 close out his interests
there and return 10 the Islands II have
not entered into any contract with the
Mahogany company" he said. but am
coming back 10 take my chances any
how"
Mr Mumbrue is a lumberman OF
many years experience, having two
sawmills working now in the pine lands
north Of Billings finishing up tie con-
tract for the Chicago, Milwaukee and
St Paul railroad. but he is not here
as q representative Of that company, as
reported by a HilO paper. His trip
here is TO get in touch with the lccsA
situation and familiar with the con-
ditions so as 10 be able TO return TO
the mainland and talk about another
contract with the Chicago and Nilwau-
kee people or some other company.
II have not made any contracts
here" he said, because I have not
been in any position TO make any def
mite propositions, but l am going now
10 knock down my mill machinery
either for shipment here or for sale.
Then I am coming back, probably in
August. The mills have running now
are turning out from fourteen to fifteen
hundred ties a day, my output last
year having been about three hundred
thousand. What l want 10 do now Is
70 make arrangements for marketing
Ohia ties and 10 cut them here on a
royalty basis.
AS 10 being able to market all the
ties that can be cut here there Is no
question about il at all The trouble
with the tie business has been to find
the ties. not the market In the Uni
ted States for the tracks now laid, just
for renewals OF ties, there are required
one hundred and eighty millions every
year. On the Santa Fe system alone, |
the company now buying ties here, the
yearly demand is for five million, and
this is for existing track, not taking
into consideration any new lines that
may be built at all. AS for the fitness
Of the ohia, the ordinary soft wood tie
has an average life OF four years, the
best white oak about six years and the
shia probably fifteen gears, while I be-
beve that some Ohia ties under actual
traffic have lasted longer than that.
But there are other uses for ohia. |
That wood is too valuable anyway to |
be used for ties. The greatest wonder
70 me is that this has not been talked
OF before because it has been demon [
strated on every plantation on the is
land Of Hawaii. I was told there by /
plantation managers that whenever a /
wooden part Of any Of the agricul- I
tural implements gave out or a part of /
a wagon had to be replaced they used 1
ehia and the wood invariably outlasted 4
the other woods in the machine or
vehicle. And yet, with this fact known.
you people have kept on importing
parts from the east Of hardwood when
you had a better wood right at your
door and knew it. Ohia can be worked
Up into flooring, because it does not
warp so badly as oak when being sea-
soned and il is just as hard; it can
be used for the wooden parts of ma
ehinery and made into reaches, spokes,
felloes and hubs for wagons. It is as
perfectly solid in grain as the best
maple and so far as I can see runs
pretty high into clear lumber I saw
some Of it sawn and it surprised me.
I should think that it would be an
admirable wood for block paving. 1t
has been said that it would wear too
smooth, but could it possibly wear
or be more dangerous than
Z cobblestone road or get so smooth
that sharp cork would not hold in !
il? Wearing smooth ought to be a
benefit. The main objections road I
builders find with cedar is that it does
not wear smooth, but in pits.
The koa prospects are magnificent. d,
There will have to be special machin-
sry TO handle the logs but that can be
ssrsily supplied and the transportation !,
u the lumber to tide water Will be
very shortly when the new rail- !
Dad Is finished. They are laying steel
here now and within sixty days. 1 I
should say, the line viii be ready for I
lse- The extent OF the koa forests is
Imazing and the great trees there are
, revelation Think of trees twelve
jeet in circumference, and these are n
iUite common there. I saw some trees U
hat would scale at least five thousand f
Get. Those are magnificent. 1t will e
e to handle such trees that the special n
machinery Will be required, for some a
Z the logs will weigh up to sixty and o
evenly tons and viii require some I.
But there is no question
bout the success that the company s
Till have with that lumber and every D
ii Of it will find a ready sale, even n
own to the roots. where some Of the n
most beautiful cuts obtainable can be :,
made. =
1t was the sight of the few pieces r
{ kOa on exhibition in Honolulu eigh- =.
sen months ago that brought me back =
ere this time. / was here as a tourist =
4 my wedding trip al that time, but r
had time to get interested in the koa.
'ut all the preconceived ideas 1 had :
nd all the talk l had heard had not :,
repaired me for what I saw during
II trim fh-ouob tho fo-aS+e -.-;tL NJ "