The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-14
Not As Strong As Expected In
 the New Year
BIG MILL CLOSES DOWN
Suspension of Plant of Camp G Hinton at Lumberton Is the Surprise of the Week-New Companies
 Are Being Formed.
By A. c. AYLEsWoRrH.

peeted to take on with the new year.
 Buyers who make the mills through this part of the country are lamenting the lack of demand, and some of the mills have reason to complain that they do not find the market for all their output. This applies, however, to the smaller mills, for the big manufacturers have been able to secure orders for their output at figures that justify them in making the cut.
 A peculiar lament comes from down on the coast. There it is found that many of the mills have been compelled to close down on account of inability to procure timber to keep the saws going. These mills, mostly small ones, rely for their material upon the float from the streams that empty into the gulf But for the past six months there has been a phenom- enal scarcity of rainfall throughout this country. It has not amounted to a fam inc. for there have been occasional small showers, sufficient to encourage agricul- ture, but not enough to keep the creeks and rivers running. The rivers have not had enough volume, especially at their headwaters, where the timber supply comes from, to float the logs, and the mills are suffering a consequence. Re- gently there have been some fairly heavy showers, and there is reason to believe that the logs will soon commence to run again
 The complete suspension of operations at the big plant of Camp O Hinton at Lum- berton has been the big incident in the lumber trade of Mississippi during the past week. For the past year or more the property has been operated by re- ceivers, and while the cut of the mill has not been heavy, the machinery has been kept running, and some large orders have been filled. A few weeks ago the receiv- CTS gave indication of a purpose to shut down when they discharged and disbanded the woods crew entirely Then they had the pond drained to recover sunken logs and some 100000 feet of mercha nta ble material was taken up and put through the saws. Then came the shut down. with no intimation from the receivers as to when there would be a resumption. The Camp & Hinton mill is one of the old established institutions of south Mssis- sippi. The town of Lumberton has been built up around it, and hundreds of families have been dependant upon it for their livelihood. The shut down places these people in predicament. Many of them arranging to take up land in the vicinity and to go to farming. Others will seek employment in other sawmill settlements.
 The report that has been circulated somewhat extensively to the effect that the Kaupp Lumber company, with all it's properties, had been absorbed by the Warsau Lumber company has no founda- tion in fact. The headquarters of the Kaupp company are at Shubuta and the rumor was to the effect that the Warsau company has not only bought the prop erty but had actually taken possession and was preparing to extend the logging road from it's present terminus near Eu- cutta to Laurel making a rail connection I1k-w New Orleans and Northeastern trunk lines. But it is learned positively that the Kaupp company is still operating its own property, and has not even been dick ering with the Wausau people about a sale.
 The absolute silence maintained by the Wausau company with reference to its purposes in this part of the country has given rise to speculation of every kind. It is over a year since the company se- cured in this city the site for what was to be the largest lumber mill in the state, and preparations were for a. time pushed ] with view to commencing work on the buildings, ponds, railroads and other equipment. Then came a sudden cessa- tion of the whole business, and since then no intimation has been given of what the company will do. It is only known that the timber buyers have been abroad in the land and have been adding to the company's already immense holdings. Oc- casionally there comes an ab1e-bodied rumor that contracts are about to be let for the plant or for part thereof, but invariably these prove to have no founda- tion.
 Although some of the mills are finding 1t necessary to reduce their forces be- cause of the dullness, there are new lum- Der manufacturing companies forming from time to time, and in this state four charters have been issued for such con cerns in the past week. They are the Home Lumber company of Gufport cap ita1 $30,000 with G. c. Budd, D. T. Rus sell, w. J. Myles and Charles R. Hayden as incorporators; the Yellow Pine Lumber company of Jackson, capital $30, GOO, with A. F. Wortman, R. T. Vincent and C. A. Shuman as incorporators the w. C. Bell Lumber company of Columbus, capital $20, GOO, with W. c. Bell, o. P Bell and c. M. Flyann as incorporators, and the Matchmaking company at Bassfeld, with D. N. McLain, A. J. King and A. F. Carraway as incorporators.
 The mill which Bentley & Emery e. s. Bentley and E. A. Emery) will build at Richton, Miss, will have a capacity of daily output of from 75,0O0 to 100000 feet They will erect mill construction build ing to cost $10,000 and will install crcu- lar saw, edger, trimmer, boiler, engine and other such equipment The company Is already in business at Richton and is thoroughly familiar with the field
 It is reported that the Richton Lum- Der company has increased its capital stock and is now in the market for the purchase of 100, ,000, 900 feet of timber, and that the capacity of their mill will be increased to more than twice what 1t is at present
 The Lux Lumber company, located at Lux, small station on the Gulf and Ship Island road, a few miles north from Hattlesburg, has decided to erect large new sawmill, and will build 8 standard-gauge railroad for a distance of 12 or 15 miles northeast from that place along the fertile Boue river valley, where the company owns large tracts of virgin pine timber. The company announces that as fast as the land shall be denuded of timber it will be divided into small tracts of from 10 to 20 acres and sold to thrifty farmers on easy terms. A school building will be erected and other con veniences will be provided to encourage the settlement of the country tributary to the new road which is designed for permanent railway.
 J. Bubb, secretary and assistant man. ager of the Eureka Lumber company at Eastabuchie, and one of the best known saWmill men in the state, has just come to the front as an inventor He has designed and built a patent mail catcher and deliverer The device was recently given a trial by officials of the Gulf and Ship Island road at a point south of Hattiesburg. The test was witnessed by a number of competent people who were unanimous in declaring that the