HARDWOOD RECORD 



17 



Organization of HardWood Dimension Association. 



Agreeable to a call issued by the editor of 

 the Hakdwood Eecord, authorized by about 

 a hundred manufacturers of wagon, agricul- 

 tural implement, furniture and chair stock, 

 there was a preliminary meeting held at club 

 room L 38, Great Northern Hotel, Chicago, 

 at 10 a. m., Nov. 21. Owing to the brief- 

 ness of the time between the call and the 

 meeting, the fact that many persons were 

 so thoroughly engrossed with their business 

 as to preclude the possibility of their leaving 

 home at this time, and the conjectural result 

 of the meeting, the number present was com- 

 paratively small. However, the paucity of 

 numbers was more than made up by the char- 

 acter of those preseut and the enthusiasm 

 which prevailed during the two sessions of 

 the meeting. 



The general work done at the convention 

 was a pretty thorough threshing out of hard- 

 wood dimension stock problems, and a more 

 general understanding was reached as to 

 the requirements in dimension stock material 

 and the manifest necessity of producing stock 

 that should fill the specifications of the buyer, 

 and that a materially higher price for this 

 class of goods could reasonably be asked and 

 confidently expected. 



There were present : 



Frank Ackley, Heywood Bros. & Wakefield 

 Co., Chicago, 111. 



■ C. S. Ba,con, Bacon Lumber Co., Grand 

 Eapids, Mich. 



W. T. Christine, American Lumberman, 

 Chicago, 111. 



C. M. Clark, Swann-Day Lumber Co., Clay 

 City, Ky. 



Edward L. Davis, Edward L. Davis &. Co., 

 Louisville, Ky. 



J. H. Dean, Ohio Valley Tie Company, 

 Louisville, Ky. 



J. E. Defebaugli, American Lun-.berman, 

 Chicago, 111. 



T. S. Estabrook, Estabrook-Skeelu Lumber 

 Co., Chicago, 111. 



Herbert Freese, H. C. Schneider & Cu., Chi- 

 cago, 111. 



James E. Gatewood, St. Louis Lumberman, 

 St. Louis, Mo. 



J. S. Garetson, Garetson-Greason Lumber 

 Co., St. Louis, Mo. 



Henry H. Gibson, Habdwood Record, Chi- 

 cago, III. 



A. E. Gordon, Hardwood Record, Chicago, 

 HI. 



W. A. Graves, Graves & Elrod, Pekin, Ind. 



E. C. Groesbeck, the Stearns Co., Grand 

 Rapids, Mich., and Cincinnati, O. 



C. I. Hoyt. C. I. Hoyt & Co., Pekin, Ind. 



Albert R. Kampf, Louisville, Ky. 



J. P. Konzen, Kelley, Maus & Co., Chicago. 



M. M. Marsh. American Lumberman, Chi- 

 cago, III. 



J. C. Moffat, Heywood Bros. & Wakelleld 

 Co., Chicago, Ilk 



E. C. Mohrstadt, Heuter Hub & Spoke Co., 

 Dexter, Mo. 



TS. W. Pratt, Jr., Pratt- Worthington Co., 

 Crolton, Ky. 



Louis N. Schafer, Argos, Ind. 



H. C. Schneider, H. C. Schneider & Co.. 

 Chicago, Dl. 



C. J. Smith, Crescent Handle &. Mfg. Co., 

 Dexter, Mo. 



George M. Waters, New Palestine, Ind. 



.I.nmes H. West. Kelley, Maus & Co., Chi- 

 cago, 111. 



Morning Session. 



Mr. Gibson — 1 have .been requested to make 

 an endeavor to get a number together to look 

 over this matter of hardwood dimension busi- 

 ness, and see if it be not possible to achieve 

 some results in the way of establisliing a basis 

 of correct manufacture, grades and a. correct 

 standard of values, and possibly to organize 

 an association which would attempt to 

 straighten out matters. The Hardwood Rec- 

 ord has absolutely no interest in the prop- 

 osition beyond assisting the hardwood men 

 of this country in bettering their business 

 conditions. The first business before the 

 meeting will be the selection of a chairman. 

 Nominations are in order. 



Mr. Kampf thereupon nominated Edward L. 

 Davis of ^Louisville. Ky., and the nomination 

 being ratified by all present. Mr. Davis took 

 the chair. 



Mr. Davis — I am ci'rminly i;la4l tit be with 

 you and heartily lon.sLiit tu act as chairman. 



EDWAKD L. 



DAVIS, LOUISVILLE, K-S.. 

 PRESIDENT. 



The work before us is going to be rather com- 

 plicated and difficult to get at. We will have 

 to have several committees appointed in due 

 order if we want to take up the work in de- 

 tail. As I understand it. there are several 

 different divisions of this dimension stock 

 proposition. There is car stock, wagon stock, 

 furniture stock, chair stock, and then I should 

 think also there would be, in furniture stock, 

 oak and other hardwoods. Now the conditions 

 under whicli this dimension stock is made 

 vary. We know tliat some is made way down 

 east close to the main points of cons\imp- 

 tion; some is made in the south; a great deal 

 in the northwest. .\11 the various conditions 

 will have to be considered, and we will have 

 to try to arrive at some basis of values. We 

 all know that this dimension stock has been 

 going too cheap. The furniture stock, when it 

 leaves the saw as dimension stock, is as 

 <-Iear and good in quality as firsts and seconds. 

 The price has only been a little above culls. 

 Wagon stock takes the very best timber in 

 the country. 



Mr. Gibson was nominated as secretary pro 

 tem. 



Mr. Gibson — I do not feel that I am quali- 

 fied to act as your secretary. You should have 

 some one identified with the dimension busi- 

 !iess. I would suggest a man who has done 

 a great deal for and taken a vast amount 



of interest in this work, who is a student of 

 it, and who is trying to work it out on right 

 lines. I refer to Charles S. Bacon of Grand 

 Rapids, Mich. 



Mr. Bacon was nominated, and elected. 



Mr. Gibson — In carrying on the correspond- 

 ence concerning this proposed meeting, the 

 Hardwood Record has been in receipt of a 

 number of letters, all favorable to this pro- 

 posed work, and I think it would perhaps as- 

 sist matters to have them read by your sec- 

 retary. I have abstracted them and think 

 you will find them decidedly interesting. I 

 will ask Mr. Bacon to read these letters. 



jMr. Davis — I would first suggest that as 

 there are only a few of us, we try to get a , 

 little better acquainted. I don't know how 

 well you all know each other, but think it 

 would be a good idea if everybody would rise, 

 and let each man introduce himself to his 

 neighbor on the riglit and on the left, and 

 let us become as well acquainted with each 

 other as we can in so short a time. 



This suggestion was acted upon. 



Mr. Davis — There are a lot of these letters ; 

 I should say it would be wise to read say 

 one from each different section, and espe- 

 ciaUy those dealing with prices, etc. 



Mr. Bacon read the following letters; 



Theodore, Te.nn., Nov. 4. — Hardwood Recoed, 

 Chicago : We have your circular letter relating 

 to meeting of manufacturers of hardwood dimen- 

 sion stock, and will say that we are not manu- 

 f.ictnring this class of material, though we And 

 it more profitable to burn a lot of refuse stuff 

 that should be put into dimension stock if price 

 and conditions warranted. Knowing that this 

 meeting will be a success and productive of much 

 good, we remain yours truly, Theodore Lbe. & 

 iMPRovEjiExr Co., by J. F. Gorlicher. 



Manchester Depot, Vt., Nov. G. — Hardwood 

 Record, Chicago ; We shall watch with interest 

 the development of the convention of dimension 

 stock workers. Owing to circumstances we shall 

 be unable to attend this year, but are heartily 

 in sympathy with the movement and anything 

 we can do in this section to assist the work of 

 the convention we shall be exceedingly glad to 

 do. Yours truly, M. L. Hadley Mfg. Co., F. A. 

 Simmons, Treas. 



CowEN, W. Va., Nov. 6. — ILvudwood Record, 

 Chicago : We have your favor of November 3, 

 and note your intention of calling a meeting of 

 manufacturers to organize an association of di- 

 mension manufacturers. We are in hearty sym- 

 pathy with your efforts in this direction, but 

 have not the time to attend the meeting. We 

 will be gl^d to read in the Record the results 

 of the meeting. — Smoot Lbb. Co. 



Clay City, Ky., Nov. 6. — Hardwood Record, 

 Chicago ; This company manufactures several 

 hundred cars of poplar and oak dimension stock 

 annually and is sufficiently interested in the 

 movement proposed to send a representative to 

 Chicago on the 21st. This is a step in the right 

 direction and should receive the hearty coopera- 

 tion of all operators engaged in this branch of 

 the hardwood business. — Swann-Day Lbr. Co., 

 by C. M. Clark. 



Lyons, Ky., Nov. 6. — Hardwood Record, Chi- 

 cago : I hear there is going to be a meeting 

 of manufacturers of small dimension stock in 

 your city in the near future and would like to 

 be advised as to when it will be. as I am Inter- 

 ested and would like to attend. — W. H. Lyons. 



Madison, Wis., Nov. 2. — Hardwood Record, 

 Chicago : We are pleased to note that you are 

 arranging to call a meeting of hardwood dimen- 

 sion manufacturers. We are heartily in favor 

 of the idea, and will try to arrange to have a 

 representative preseut in case you succeed in 

 arranging for a conference. — Brittingham & 

 Young Co., George J. Young, Mgr. 



Hdghesville, Pa., Nov. 6. — Hardwood Rec- 

 ord, Chicago : We would say, in reply to your 

 favor of the 3d inst., that we hardly consider 

 ourselves large enough dimension manufacturers 

 to respond to the call which you have issued. 

 While we have perhaps a few million hardwood, 

 beech, birch and maple, with some basswood and 

 ash, it does not seem as though we would cut 

 much figure so far as going into any definite 

 arrangement is concerned. However, if you 

 desire to keen us posted on any of .vour future 

 decisions, we will be very glad to recognize same, 

 and are always willing to follow the procession. 

 — Lyon Lbr. Co. 



