1000 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



tation that a further export market for creosoteil Ameri- 

 can timljers will be found. 



Tl 1 1{ Santa I'\' Railroad is conducting extensive 

 experiments tn determine the best methods of 

 eliminatini; the loosening of spikes in cross ties, 

 and the mechanical wear under the rail or tie plate. Since 

 methods have been perfected which prevent the decay 

 of ties, the next problem is to keep them from wearing 

 out. This is usually done by using large tie plates, and in 

 the more advanced practice holding the tie plate to the 

 tie with lag screws, and using a screw spike as a rail 

 fastener, which is independent of the tie plate. Even 

 with this ec|uipment, ties which are soft in character, as 

 loblolly pine, wear out long before they decay, or fail 

 to gi\e the necessary holding power to the spikes. To 

 overcome this, if possible, the Santa Fe, through the 

 activities of George E. Rex, Alanager of Treating Plants, 

 is experimenting with what is known a■^ hardwood 

 "dowels." 



These dowels are extensively used in luiriijjc. Ijut are 

 entirely new in the maintenance of wav departments of 

 American railroads. They are simply a large wooden, 

 plug, bored through the center for the rail spike, and 

 with a wood thread cut on the outside. In the case of old 

 ties from in the sjjike is loosened the old spike hole is 

 bored out tn the proper size, and the hardwood dowel 

 insertefl. The rail or plate is then laid i.m top nf the 

 dowels and fastened down, preferably with screw spikes. 

 The result is that a softwood tie becomes essentiallv a 

 hanlwiiod in resi)ecl to wearing qualities. In fact, the 

 result is even better than with hardwood ties, such as 

 oak. because the vertical ends of the grain on the hard- 

 Avood dijwels carr\' the load, and ,is is well ]<n()\vn 

 llirough the i)rinciple applied in putting creosoted pav- 

 ing blocks on end, the grain nf wood in this |)osition is 

 ^"ery resistant to wear on breakage. .\s carried nut by the 

 Santa Ee. this can lie applied both to old creosoted ties 

 \vhich are taken out and dowels inserted in the old s])ike 

 hnles. and td newly treated ties which are jirepared with 



dowels at the time of treatment. This is an e.xtremely 

 important matter, not only from the standpoint of 

 economy in cross tie maintenance, but also in the cori- 

 scrvation i.if timber resources, because it permits the use 

 under hea\y traffic of softwood ties, which otherwise 

 could not be used except under very light traffic. By 

 th.is practice the forest resources of the south can be more 

 generallv utilized. 



IX THE promotion of creosoted wood block for city 

 pavements and factory flooring, the question of cost 

 is an important consideration. Although it is gen- 

 erally recognized that wood block is superior to any other 

 form of pavement other materials are frequently used 

 because of their lower first cost. In the effort to correct 

 this condition a new idea in wood block treating practice 

 has been developed independently by two well-known 

 engineers, G. li. Shi|)ley of I'ittsburgh, and J. 1'.. Card 

 (if Chicago. The essential feature of the new plan is 

 that the blocks are treated in vertical instead of horizontal 

 cxlinders. The vertical cylinders are open at the top, and 

 are filled direct with blocks which are carried by con- 

 \eyor from the wood bk.ick machines, lly simply dump- 

 ing in the l)locks without the use of cages, as in the case 

 of horizontal cylinders, a greater volume of wooil per 

 cubic unit of cylinder displacement can be treated, with, 

 the further gre;it advantage that mechanical handling 

 ligures entireh' throughout the whole process. After 

 treatment the blocks are either dropped direct by gravity 

 to cars through a door in the I)ottom of the cylinder or 

 ]uished out through the top by a pistdU which operates 

 fn)m the bottom of the cylinder. These vertical plants 

 are ver\' cheap compared with the usual liiiriznntal type, 

 .•'.nd can be easily erected in connection with saw mill 

 plants or wherever facilities for block treatment are 

 necessarw It is estimated that the saving in the cost of 

 treatment will run from "^0 to 25 per cent, which largely 

 remrned the handicap nf higher cost, which the wood 

 block pciiple lia\e lieen trying to overcome. 



The Fool and Our Forest Dollars 



I'.v Iv '1'. .\(.i.i:x 



Good-by to the fool with the empty gun ; 



Eorgcitten his bid for fame. 

 Though he kills his friend, it only coinits one, 



-\nd that, nowadays. i> tame. 



The fiKjl who ]ila\"full\- rucks the boat 



Is I in the front page no more, 

 lie may rank high with the fools afloat 



I'lUt his glory is gone ashore. 



There's the foul with wnmen. the f i ml with wine, 

 .\nd the fool who games with >trangers, 



.\nd the jny-ridc foul (he does well in his line 

 ]'),\' combining these ancient dauiiers). 



I'lUt they're all still down in the primer class, 



Merc no\-ices taking a flyer, 

 Ciim]iared with the prize-taking criminal ass, 



The fiHil in the woods with fnx". 



.\ few hearts break for the deeds they've done 



In their pitiful amateur way, 

 I'lUt lire sla_\s dozens where thev sla_\- one 



.\nd scourges a state in ;i day. 



E(.ir the ruined home and the smokeless stack 



And the worker iniemplo\ed 

 Know ,1 hundreil years shall never bring back 



The thing^ ihat his match destroved. 



