The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1909-03-06
For Decorative Purposes AS
Shown BY the Forestry
Departmeflt
'ls s---.---, salN'fs

For refined EXPIRE ion ~ he manu-
facture Of furniture and an other
forms Of interior decoration, ma
hogany Is undoubtedly the peer 81
the hardwoods. No wood Is nntyef.
sally used today for this purpose III
every city and country Of the worlds
no wood Is so freely and slceessfli-
" initiated.
Americas architects and men yfi
the furniture and cabinet -malting
industries draw heavily upon the
markets Of the world in the strus-
gle TO supply an ever increasing de-
mand for genuine mahogany. Hun
dreds Of tons of logs annually are
imported into this country and
worked into: beautiful forms to
grace fine homes or dignity the in-
terror of public buildings, large ho-
ltels or railway cars
A few years ago mahogany was res
garded as a very precious wood, and
was employed only In the interior Of
the finest and in the manufacture of
the most expensive furniture. Dur
ling the past few years however,
there has been a wonderful develop
Imeut in mahogany Importation and
use.
The total quantity of mahogany
imported last year was nearly for
ty-two million board feet. OF this
large amount North American sup
piled 65.6. per cent. and Europe is
Eper cent, Though Europe supplied
only little more than one-fourth as
much mahogany as there was Inn
ported from North America it's aver
age value per thousand feet was
more than twice as much. due to
finer quality. The remainder Of the
imports came from Africa, South
America and Asia.
Mexico furnished 1852 per cent. of
the mahogany coming from North.
America, Nicaragua followed with
1872 per cent. British Honduras.
with 1916 per cent, Cuba with s,
per cent. and Honduras with "a
per cent. Other Central American
countries furnished. the small re-
naming percentage.
Immediately following the war
with Spain. lumbermen Of the Uni
ted States exploited the largest and
most accessible Of the Cuban ma
hogany forests. For few years
the forests; of c1.ba contributed
more largely to the supply in this
country than at the present time.
largely owing to the rapidly with
which this valuable timber was log
ged and shipped. An engineer en-
ployed by American authorities dur
ing the recent Intervention in cubai
claims that nearly all OF the avail
able supply Of mahogany Of that is
land has been exhausted and that
what now remains in any consider
able quantities is far remote from
transportation facilities.
The number Of buyers Of ma
hogapy in this eountry's hardwood
market is now exceeded only by
those Of oak, maple, poplar, bass
wood, ash. birch. chestnut and cy-
press. The principal reason for Inc
popularity Of mahogany is that the
importer of the logs and the mann,
factnrers Of lumber have never adj
vanced its price beyond a modest
profit, and II is relatively so lowI
that It now makes little difference
In price whether an Office building,
Tor home is finished in mahogany
or quarter sawed white oak.
Another reason for its popularitvI
Is because 1t improves in ton, With
age. After much experimentation
car builders finish practically all Of,
their cars in mahogany. as it win
stands satisfactorily the severe usa !
and also holds its finish. TT. chief
centers OF mahogany importation
and manufacture are Boston. New
York, Louisville. New Orleans
Chicago ana indianapolis.
The mahogany is the wood Of a.
tree of swietenia, OF the natural
family of cedrelaccse. named by
Joaquin in honor q J. Van swieteu.
The tree is one of lie most majes-
tic and beautiful, with large SPREAD
Ing head and pinnate shining leaves.
The trunk is often forty feet In
length and six feet In diameter and
is divided into many massive arms.
In the London Timber and Trade