Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1910-09-06
1URPENIiNlN6
DOWN IN MEXICO
Industry Thousands of Feet
Above Sea Level.
(By Cary B. Townsend

ing events cast their shadows before,
SO even at that time some wise and
far-sighted men-afterwards destined
to become the kings of the industry
had located in the Forest city, and
were engaged in laying the foundation
not only for great personal fortunes,
but also for Sayannahfs subsequent
astonishing and long continued su-
premacy in naval stores. Among the
concerns at that time might mention.
Peacock & Hunt, Williams C Watson,
Parker & Jackson, e. T. Roberts, C. T.
Jones, A. T. Lee, Paterson & Downing,
II. Fraser Grant, Harding Johnson &
Co, and lastHbut not least r. T. Chap-
eau, now deceased, but always of pleas
ant memory among his friends AMI
aequaintances.
One day,-in the Old Marshall House,
met Mr. John W Hunt and asked
him the question Who started tn
first house for naval stores in Savan-
nah and he made this Characteristic
rep'y:
Well, Townsend, we consider Pea,
cock & Hunt as the planners of the
business, but hear now that C. Lucian
Jones claims he is tie original p.aG-
ner"
Apropos Of this little episode, I will
say that the writer can Justly set IN
the claim that he is the Original pi.
amer" COR pioneer) of the turpentine
business in Mexico, being the first
American, raised and educated in the
United States. to come to this republic
ami make thorougA and exhaustive
tests of the Mexican pines, the Next
can peon labor, climatic effects On
production market conditions. and the
geography and extent of the pine belt
in Mexico. The results of which ex-
perience and investigation enable me
to assure you and your good readers
that Mexico is all right for turpentine
production, and destined in the not
distant future to become "a leadins
center of naval stores production.
We will take up the great pine BET,
as a matter Of principal interest to
your readers, and | will state that
there are fully twenty millions CO.
600, 000), acres of splendid pine, in all.
Not over one or two millions of acres
have. as yet, been exploited.
The first striking feature of thu
Mexican pine belt to be noticed is that
you do not find any pines, suitable for
lumber or turpentine at a less alti-I
tude than 5000 feet above sea level Al
a lower attitude than 5000 feet the
pines are small, scrubby and scrawny,
ana no good for either the sawmill or
the turpentine still
Almost the entire pine belt of Mex
leo lies along the great Sierra Madre
range. beginning in tie state of Chi
in Northern Mexico, and ex-
tending almost through to the Cen
trial American line.
The best pines are found between
the altitude of Z, 600 and 1000 feet.
VIE are operating two crops of boxes
At least 10,250 feet above sea level
Ice forms up there nearly every might
Turing summer, but the trees run fine
" and are first class turpentine pro,
1ucers. We have fine mountain |
near tie camp We established up en-
his high elevation, the spring waters
II which are astOnishingly cold, rang
ng from 40 to so degrees temperature.
making it a natural ice water fountain.
sometimes ride up there-a distance
Of several miles from here-just to ex-
Derience the sensation of drinking ice
,old water from an ordinary spring. Il
would be an ideal place for a man OF
means to build bungalow at, and |
sstabli5h summer camp. The view
from tlat spot is perfectly grand
The best timber states of Mexico
are ais follows: Chihuahua, Durango,
Jalisco, Guerrero, Oaxaca,
Puebla, Coahuila, San Luis
Poto8i, Nueva Leon and the territory
If Topic.
1t looks like Providence located |
lie grand forests of pine and oak np
1n-the sierras. out of the reach. of the
IKE of the, lumberman, Willie the hor-
'ible and inexcusable destruction Of
7ur magnificent timber belt in the Uni
ed States was going on, until sucn
time had arrived that people every
where We're awakened to the wicked |
less and wantonness of existing meth |
DDS, and the necessity of calling a |
sharp halt on the wastefulness of the
and the turpentine man
The Mexican government is watching
The great conservation movement now
n progress over i nthe United States
and will not be apt to allow the timber
wealth of this country to be wasted
and destroyed, without taking the
proper steps to conserve and protect
in asset of such immense and meal
eulable value.
You must understand that the main
reason this big timber belt has not
been exploited more than it has is
that transportation has not been avail
able. For several years Mexico has
been buying from twenty-five to thir-
ty million feet of lumber annually
from the United States, most of it com
ing from tie ports of Mobile Calves,
ton, Beaumont and Houston. OF course
not foot would have been brought in
from the United States if Mexican
mills had been in position to supply
the demand. 1t is not likely aow that
these lumbermen on the gulf will en-
JOY this rich trade much longer, rs
the development and building of large
mills is going on at an extensive rate,