Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1916-11-23
Peninsula timber
Prices ON Increase
New Found Uses for Wood
Another Source Tor
Farmer
BURN CHARCOAL
IN MANY WOODS

GEORGETOWN. Del, Nov. 25.-The
new.found uses for wood grown on
the Delaware peninsula. in addit on
IN the ordinary uses with which we
are familiar. are causing a sudden
boosting of timber prices and cor
responding elation on the parts OF
owners of large tracts of timber on
tho Eastern Shore The war in Eu-
rome has brought out uses for timber
that never before were thought o.
but which are now bringing such a
demand that timber dealers are get
ting ready to reap harvest
Among the new uses are IN the
making of powder for munitions or
blast ne. the manufacture OF disln-
fectants for protection against con.
tagious diseases and even artificial
silk for the manufacture of clothing
charcoal is one Of the essentials
for the making Of gunpowder, ana Tue
little woods in Delaware arc just no"
the scene Of much act witty among tue
charcoal burners. This chaIcoai
burning is certainly interesting, max
ing hermits for years OF men VINO en-
pago in il. The woods used for CHAR
coal arc mostly small pane timber
that is not fit for anyth ng else.
The burner moves his little one
mr. two room hut on wheels and pltch-
es camn. The wood is chopped into
small lengths, piled just right in a
bicb cone shaped affair and covered
with sand and clay with Just a tue
fine i'm the top TO make a slight
drauqht The wood is sci on hrc
from the inside but is kept at such
a degree of combustion that 1t does
not break out i'm flame bht
cmolders.
II is the duty Of the burner to
watch q number Of these hills, and
= he finds a flame breaking out 10
shut off the draught and pile more
sand on the wood. a pleasant resi-
nous smell comes from the burning
heaps The burner must be on the
lob all the time. and as result he
lives a very solitary life. cooking his
own meals, and staying out in the
woods dav and NIGHT, during the en-
Ire operation. sometimes it being a
wear or two before the woods are
"coaled."
For short periods. the burners
come into the Delaware towns ior
supplies. their faces and hands often
dark with the coal and their hair and
beards matted with the dust When
the time is over for the burning the
fire is put ont and the charcoal is
dragged out n Jumps and sticks and
loaded on immense high WAGONS and
hauled to the coal sheds alongside
some railroad track where it is ship
ped Because Of the lightness OF the
nroduct. the WagOn-lOads that are
nulIed in look enormous, and coming
down the country roads the wagons
look like the huge moving vans seen in
the cites.
This is the business which is at
present receiving ITS greatest impetus
from the European war. and carload
after carload is being shipued every
dav to the powder factories.
Black walnut IS also in demand at
nresent for eunstocks. and there has
been such demand for this wood dur
ing the last two wears that The supply
already is being ranidlv reduced and
I'm many cases such high prices have
been offered that lone trees have leon
removed from the front yards of some
Of tho old farmhouses.
Also. from Furnne comes an ever
increasing demand for willow with
which 10 make wooden legs. Timber
dealers are combine the Eastern
Shore for the wood and as a result
Delaware esneciailv will lose n large
mart ~ its big forests before long
IN one case sharn dealer made I'M
usual nrofits nv huving up the tim
bar IN tho old cvnrus swami hetwoen
Delaware and Narvland As the own
ers ~ tho tract knew there was hui
little timber on the tract. they sold
tho 'n'her riohts for song
Then tho sharn dealer sent gano
Of mon into the ewamn. armed with
LONG noles and with instructions r.
nrod unJar tho wafa~ and mud until
they struoi, q hard substance As soon
as y etr'lyo was made chains wera at-
tached and the aetuta dealer nullod
ont bundrede of cvnrus logs VIII -
bod haen lvino for wears IN the swami
hut which were as well preserved as
2 thew had been growing