HARDWOOD RECORD 



and it is easy to spoil good lumber in them. 

 There should be no attempt to kiln dry red 

 gum unless it has been on sticks for at least 

 a year, and two years is a good deal better. 

 The Singer Manufacturing Company, the 

 largest users of red gum in the United States, 

 are giving their wood four years' time before 

 putting it into their kilns. They use it ex- 

 elusively as cores for their sewing machine 

 tops. If you will buy gum of some good con- 

 cern and explain to them that you want thor- 

 oughly air-dried stock, you won 't have any 

 trouble in kiln-drying it without warping. — 

 Editor. 



Criticises Cartoon. 



Philadelphia, April 15. — Editor Hakdwood 

 Recoed : TS'e noticed in your last issue a cartoon 

 showing a fat donkey with an eastern man hang- 

 ing on to his tail. Please be kind enough to 

 reverse this cartoon in the next issue, and havs 

 a thin donkey with a big load of lumber — 1905 

 inspection — that he cannot quite pull, with the 

 empty dry kilns in the East and the hags of 

 money waiting for him, it the West can straight- 

 en up its inspection so as to meet eastern re- 

 quirements. We merely give you this as a sug- 

 gestion, since we would like to see the thing 

 reversed. Ccmpany. 



Correct Weighing of Cars an Important 

 Subject. 



The Hardwood Eecord is in receipt of 

 attached correspondence covering an impor- 

 tant subject which, while not new by any 

 means, is always worthy the attention and 

 investigation of lumbermen. Shall be glad 

 to hear any further views upon it, and to 

 know if any definite action is taken. Doubt- 

 less our correspondent, Chas. S. Wentworth 

 & Co., the well-known Boston hardwood house, 

 would like to enter into communication with 

 other large shippers upon this point, with a 

 view to filing a formal complaint and having 

 the hearing suggested by Commissioner 

 Prouty. — Editor. 



Boston, April 10. — Editor Hajidwood Recokd : 

 We have been having a good deal of controversy 

 the last few years with various railroads in 

 regard to the matter of weights. We have found 

 it to be the general custom to weigh cars with- 

 out uncoupling them, and in many instances they 



hav 



'Pl't 



iind 



schedule of estimated weights must prevail. Has 

 there been any ruling as yet by the Interstate 

 Commerce Commission, in regard to the matter 

 of weighing? It seems to be the practice among 

 a good many of the roads to weigh cars without 

 uncoupling and while in motion. Of course this 

 is not a fair way to do. Individually, It is quite 

 impossible to bring about a reform. The simplest 

 way out of it would be to have a ruling from 

 the commission, if the matter is within its juris- 

 diction — and it seems to the writer it is, owing 

 to the fact that weight plays an important part 

 in making up charges. Regretting to be obliged 

 to trouble you again in regard to this matter and 

 hoping for an early and favorable reply, Chables 

 S. Wentwohth & Co." 



■•Charles S. Wentworth & Co., Boston, Mass. : 

 Replying to your letter of May 4, regarding the 

 weighing of cars while in motion, this commis- 

 sion has not made any ruling in regard to this 

 matter inasmuch as it does not have jurisdiction 

 over the physical operation of a railroad. We 

 could, however, investigate and msike an order if 

 it was found that this method of weighing re- 

 sulted in the imposition of a higher charge than 

 would otherwise be made if the cars were 

 weighed uncoupled and stationary. We can of 

 course make no investigation of this matter ex- 

 cept upon the filing of a formal complaint and 

 a full hearing o£ all parties. — C. A. Pboutt, 

 Commissioner." 



This being a matter in which all lumbermen 

 are vitally interested, the writer has taken it 

 upon himself to address you on this subject, be- 

 lieving that you can do a great deal of good in 

 effecting a much-needed reform through the col- 

 umns of your valued paper. — C. S. Wentworth 



& Co. 



Identifying Oak Timber. 



Wichita, Kan., April 15. — Editor Hardwood 

 Recokd: We have today sent you by express, 

 charges prepaid, a piece of hardwood lumber 

 which we are doubtful about classifying; Mr. 

 Kelso of the Western Planing Mills has sug- 

 gested that we refer the matter to you. We 

 want to know if this piece belongs to the white 

 oak family — that is, it not white oak is it post, 

 bur or pin oak. or does it belong to the red oak 

 family? . We have some 6,000 ties which we 

 have purchased, and we pay ten cents more for 

 white oak or oak ol that family than we do for 

 red. Inasmuch as you are disinterested we 

 thought you could give us a good, unbiased 

 opinion on this stock. The sample sent is typ- 

 ical of the timber in question, and we will gladly 

 pay any expense you may incur in deciding. — 

 Railroad Company. 



L'ht cannot be ob- 

 tained in this manner. To the shipper of lumber 

 this is a particularly important matter, for he 

 sells his commodity by the thousand feet, or 

 pieces, whereas he must pay freight by the hun- 

 dred pounds. The greatest error in weight in 

 our experience was one of 18,700 pounds, then 

 one o£ 10,200, and so on down to a few hundred 

 pounds. We think that shippers of lumber ought 

 to stand together in this matter and urge the 

 railroads into according true and reliable weights, 

 which can only be obtained by weighing cars in 

 a true and reliable manner, i. e., motionless and 

 uncoupled. We took the matter up with the 

 Interstate Commerce Commission about a year 

 ago and the following is a copy of our letter of 

 May 4, 1907, to Hon. Charles A. Prouty, com- 

 missioner, and his reply under date of May 9 : 



"Dear Sir : Through your kind efforts the 

 N. T., N. H. & H. R. R. Co. and the B. & M. R. R. 

 Co. have both been brought into line, so that of 

 late there has not been any trouble in regard to 

 the matter of weighing, none in fact since 

 you kindly intervened in the matter. Some of 

 the roads have recently 'sprung a new one,' 

 which is to the effect that the weight must stand 

 'as obtained,' or, if the weight Is not used, their 



It is impossible to accurately botanize a 

 small piece of wood. To do this properly 

 one must needs not only have a specimen of 

 the wood, showing both heart and sap, but 

 should have also a section of the bark, spe- 

 cimen of foliage and, if possible, the acorn 

 or whatever the seed pod growth may be. 

 However, there is enough bark attached to this 

 specimen to demonstrate, with the aid of 

 the wood, that it is certainly not white oak 

 (Qiiercus alba). Nevertheless, I am equally 

 certain that commercially it would be regard- 

 ed and marketed as belonging to the southern 

 white oak family. It may be post, bur, pin, 

 cow, overcup, chestnut or forked- leaf ' ' white ' ' 

 oak. AU these varieties are admitted to the 

 family commercially. The specimen is a 

 good one and will satisfactorily fulfill re- 

 quirements for tie purposes. — Editor. 



Referring to a New York Embarrassment. 



New York, April 15. — Editor H.iedwood 

 Record : I wish to call your attention to the 

 direct cause of my present trouble. The situ- 

 ation is simply this : I was pressed by several 

 banks in Virginia, who held my acceptances for 

 quite a large amount, drawn In favor of D. E. 

 Cogbill of Boydton, Ta., and discounted by him. 

 These acceptances were in the form of advances 

 which were to he covered by shipments of lum- 

 ber before they came due. This Cogbill did not 

 do. and when he got in trouble the banks took 

 action against me, and at a time when the 

 financial panic was on. This seriously em- 

 barrassed me, especially as I had many local 

 losses aggregating many thousands of dollars. I 

 wish to state, however, that my creditors, with 

 the exception of above parties, have treated me 

 very fairly, and I practically arranged with all 

 of them for an extension such as would give 

 me relief and would mean that I would ulti- 

 mately pay out. These banks practically agreed 

 to the same proposition, but at the last 

 refused to do so unless I gave them 

 security, which I would not to the detriment of 

 my other creditors, the result of which forced 

 the action. I shall continue the commission 

 business under the name Minter Lumber Com- 

 pany, at 25 West Forty-second street. I can- 

 not yet say what action I will take to further 

 protect my interests and those of my creditors. — 

 S. F. Minter. 



The Veneer and Panel Trade. 



[Under this caption the Record will hereafter 

 undertake to publish items of interest to manu- 

 laeturers of thin lumber, veneers and panels, and 

 solicits from veneer manufacturers and users 

 statements of market conditions, inquiries or 

 news of individuals, new factories, casualties, 

 ftc. pertaining to this line, which may come to 

 their notice.] 



THINK IT OVEE. 



What does it profit a man if he tries to 

 gain the whole world and loses his veneer 

 plant? 



For two years past thin lumber and 

 panel manufacturers have been trying to place 

 themselves in the independent position of con- 

 trolling their own business. Up to that time 

 they formed a free-for-all contribution so- 

 ciety for the benefit of manufacturers of 

 furniture and other buyers of their product. 

 Because J. Pierpont Morgan and the Bapti.st 

 Standard Oil Company concluded to have a 

 little panic and stop big business for a time, 

 orders got scarce in the thin lumber and 



panel trade, and some of our good old praying 

 brethren who had been adding to their wealth 

 by getting a fair price for their manufactured 

 material thought that the world had just 

 about come to an end; they knew somebody 

 was taking their trade and were just bound 

 to get business — they had forgotten the other 

 fellow was running only half the time. They 

 had the question of overhead expenses and 

 other things facing them and thought it was 

 better to go out and buy in some trade rather 

 than be satisfied to stand a little loss be- 

 cause the plant was shut down half the 

 time. 



Now, what have they gained by this? 

 They 've just demoralized the several branches 

 of the thin lumber trade ! Of course, they 

 got an order or two, but a canvass of the 

 situation in the various lines will show that 

 all are in practically the same condition — 

 manufacturing forty to sixty per cent of the 



