HARDWOOD RECORD 



17 



Piling Hardwood Lumber. 



A few dajs ago a customer wanted tu know 

 where he could dispose of a quantity of dry 

 gum lumber. Inquiry as to the quality of the 

 stock developed the fact that while it was the 

 best Jlittsissippi gum, the stock had not been 

 properly cared for and had become stained iii 

 drying, rendering it no better for market 

 purposes than sap common. Many lumbermen, 

 including the above customer, might be criti- 

 cised on their carelessness in looking after 

 lumber from the time it leaves the saw. Il' 

 one should go out into the woods, cut down 

 trees and leave them to rot, it would be 

 considered a wanton waste and would arouse 

 general indignation; yet that is in substance 

 what a man does who cuts good logs into lum- 

 ber and then allows it to deteriorate through 

 lack of attention in piling and drying. This 

 carelessness is partially due to ignorance, for 

 there is no question that operators are now 

 merely learning the A B C's of drying lum- 

 ber. Quantities of lumber could be saved 

 from going to waste by proper attention, ;ind 

 the use of what information is available on 

 the subject. Such waste should not be per- 

 mitted by even the small and ill-informed 

 miU man. 



Let us consider this matter thoroughly, 

 seeking out the various difficulties and ap- 

 plying the remedies at hand. The first im- 

 portant item is the foundation for piling 

 lumber. ' ' That 's a small matter, ' ' one may 

 say, and suiting the action to the word, throw 

 down a rotten plank or timber at some level 

 place in the ground and proceed to pile, not 

 stopping to think that lumber should be piled 

 so that the air can circulate freely through 

 it. It will do very well to pile it near the 

 earth provided it is placed upon a rise, but 

 lumber from the mill usually goes out upon 

 level ground or down hill, to facilitate the 

 movement of loaded trucks, thus reversing 

 proper conditions. This being the case, the 

 thing to do is to raise the foundation several 

 feet. In fact, the need for this is almost 

 imperative in the southern hardwood country, 

 where most of the piling is on low grouml. 

 A yard man in charge of one of the big south- 

 ern mills recently complained that the heaviest 

 burden of his work was endeavoring to pre- 

 vent lumber from staining in the piles, but 

 confessed it iiupossible of accomplishment, be- 

 cause of the amount of moisture prevailing, 

 especially in the spring, which not only comes 

 in the form of rain, but in heavy fogs and 

 mists. Yet in that immense yard there was 

 not a single pile of lumber set clear of the 

 ground on posts. Piling cull lumber and tim- 

 ber one on top of another not only helps 

 shut out the air, but actually aids in fur- 

 nishing a surplus of moisture underneath the 

 piles. AVhat was done in this southern yard 

 is being done in others right along. 



This is only one point in considering the 

 piling of lumber, and two others of import- 

 ance are sizes and pitch. We all know what 

 pitch is for, but sometimes either forget it 



entirely or [ir(i\ide for iibout half enougli ; and 

 when it comes to the size of the foundations 

 we are jiroue to be governed by the length of 

 the material at hand instead of by any logical 

 regard for providing necessary ventilation all 

 through the pile. When one sees the material 

 that comes out of the center of some of the 

 big piles, especially toward the bottom, it 

 seems as though to make every pile six feet 

 ill width, with a space allowance of at least 

 four feet between, is almost a necessity. Still, 

 ihere are ways to successfully pile lumber on 

 wider foundations, twelve feet perhaps, Init 

 in order to do it it seems essential to resur- 

 rect an old practice, either long forgotten or 

 repeatedly neglected, known as tunneling. 

 Twenty-five years ago it was a practice re- 

 sorted to by yellow pine manufacturers to 

 prevent bluing during the late summer season. 

 This idea, however, seems to have been 

 abandoned with the development of the dry 

 kiln, but a few years ago it was brought 

 up again in connection with caring for red 

 gum cooperage stock, and the fact was demon- 

 strated that tunneling is one of the best 

 methods that can be resorted to to prevent 

 staining. It is strange, however, that while 

 many know about tunneling and understand 

 its advantages, there are prominent mill men 

 who do not know what is meant by making 

 tunnels in lumber piles, and for their benefit 

 it may be well to explain at more length. 



Suppose, for example, there is a pile 

 foundation twelve feet wide, instead of the 

 prescribed six feet. Instead of piling solidly 

 over the entire foundation, start a five-foot 

 pile at each side, leaving two feet of empty 

 space between, until these piles are four or 



even six feet high; then join the two to- 

 gether and pile across the entire twelve feet, 

 leaving what will be in effect a tunnel right 

 through the center of the pile at the bottom. 

 Again, suppose there are two six-foot piling 

 foundations standing with three or four feet 

 of space between them. After the piles have 

 reached four, five or six feet in height, lap 

 across with liner strips, join the two piles 

 together and make a solid pile from there on. 

 "What is to be gained by this" may be 

 asked. "Why not let the two six-foot piles 

 all be built up as they are and leave the space 

 open between them all the way up?" This 

 tunnel through the center of the pile at the 

 bottom forms what might be termed an in- 

 duction channel, because it induces free en- 

 trance of air. By joining the pile across the 

 top of it instead of leaving the space open, 

 the lumber above the tunnel serves as what 

 might be termed baffle boards, preventing the 

 air from going straight up and forcing its 

 distribution and circulation throughout the 

 entire pile. It is because of this feature that 

 it may be found better to join two six-foot 

 piles together and form a tunnel than to 

 leave an open alley between them. 



A number of other points are worthy of 

 discussion in this connection, but primarily 

 let us try to remember that one of two 

 things must be regarded i^ starting lumber 

 piles: They must either be built on a high 

 point of ground, so that there will be g, free 

 movement of air all around them, or if not 

 convenient to do that, they must be raised 

 off the ground and circulation induced. The 

 height from the ground will depend upon 

 local surroundings considerably, but carry out 

 the idea that there must be air at the bot- 

 tom of the pile, and if not already familiar 

 with it, try the tunnel plan to induce circula- 

 tion. 



A Lumberman's Letters to His Son. 



Chicago, Dec. 13, 19U5. 



-My Dear Son : So you are m Philadel- 

 phia ! This perverted taste you have acquired 

 of hanging around the big cities down east 

 and getting me up against all sorts of trou- 

 ble in place of sticking to the country trade 

 makes me sick. 



I am living in hopes tliat you may eventu- 

 ally pick up a little commercial sagacity. 

 There is mighty little money for a western 

 lumberman in the trade of the big cities. 

 Competition is too strong and the talent down 

 East knows its business a mighty sight better 

 than you do. In the metropolitan trade you 

 will ordinarily secure but two classes of trade 

 — from the wise gazabo who tangles you up 

 in a deal where you will lose money, and 

 from the irresponsible buyer who will not 

 pay for your goods. 



I think your reputation as a story teller 

 is doing you no particular good. A man 

 isn 't biiyiujj lumber when you are relating 

 risque anecdotes to him or otherwise ex- 

 hibiting your personal accomplishments. Be 

 |ileasant, but don't try to be an entertainer, 

 I sympathize with you in your finding 



Philadelphia a trifle slow — I'm not talking 

 about business now. The only real wicked 

 thing that happens in that town nowadays is 

 comic opera. Everything bad is barred there 

 with the exception of theatrical productions 

 in which there is an exhibition of more tights 

 than talent — which reminds me that I wrote 

 you some days ago to come home. Since then 

 I have not had an order from you, but I have 

 had most extraordinary calls for coin. Was it 

 Daisy or some of Daisy's sisters who put it 

 into your fool head that there were a lot of 

 soft orders waiting for you at Philadelphia? 

 You have got to cut out this comic opera 

 habit of yours and do it quick. You get back 

 to Chicago. 



Y'our aft'ectionate Father. 

 P. S. — Your mother needs you to assist her 

 in a series of pink teas that she's going to 

 pull off. 



A new concern at FranKlinvlIle, N. Y., has 

 been organized by George W. Stiles o£ Stow, 

 Clarence H. Burnell and Luther S. Lakin, Jr., 

 01 Jamestown. It is capitalized at $30,000 and 

 will deal in timber lands, build sawmills, etc. 

 The new company will be known as the Franl;- 

 linville Veneer & Lumber Company. 



