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Builders of Lumber History 



It is witli imicli satisfaction iliat Haedwood Becord presents 

 to its readers as its suiiplemeut feature in this issue a portrait 

 of Joseph H. Dion of the wholesale hardwood house of Maisey &: 

 Dion, Chicago. Mr. Dion is of the younger generation of Chicago 

 lumbermen, and has not only "made good every inch of the way" 

 since his incursion into local lumlier affairs, but his commercial 

 and social standing are such as fully to entitle him to be incor- 

 porated in this publication 's list of Builders of Lumber History. 



On November 10, 1873, Joseph H. Dion was born at Saginaw, 

 Mich. While now prominently identified with the hardwood trade, 

 Mr. Dion did not come from a family of lumbermen nor did he 

 become actively engaged in the lumber business until he had 

 passed through a considerable training in other lines. His father 

 died just five years after the birth of the son, as the direct result 

 <if exposure during the Civil war. He had been a member of a 

 -Michigan regiment and served through the entire conflict. 



.Joseph Dion's struggle for recognition in the business world 

 began when he was twelve years of age. At that time, he came 

 to Chicago and went to work for Robert Fergus, printer, on 

 Illinois street. He filled the humble position of printer's devil. 

 His efforts in that position he continued for two years when, in 

 1887, he received an offer from an uncle, Etienne Gauvin of 

 Quebec, Canada, who proposed putting him through college. This 

 offer he at once accepted and began preparatory training at the 

 Quebec Commercial Academy. He went through this institution 

 in due time and from there entered the Mount Saint Louis Co! 

 lege of Montreal. He matriculated from this institution in 1892, 

 and upon leaving college acce|)ted the position of discount teller 

 in the People's bank of Quebec. With this institution the oppor 

 tunities for advancement were rather meager and depended in 

 tirely upon the demise of the man next higher in rank. Mr. Uion 

 soon recognized this condition, and as his ambition demanded 

 greater advancement he left the bank and came to Chicago, start- 

 ing in as office boy for the Holbrook Lumber Company, then 

 situated at Thirty-seventh street and Stewart avenue. With this 

 concern he seemed to have entered proper environment, and in 

 the course of a month had so proven his capability that he was 

 l)romoted to the position of bookkeeper. In this capacity he con- 

 tinued, with increasing responsibility for a year, when the com- 

 jiany tendered him the managerial position. The offer was ac- 

 cepted and from that time Mr. Dion has be'en reckoned as a strong 

 factor in the hardwood yard business. 



One of his first acquaintances at the beginning of his training 

 in the lumber business was Rol>crt Maisey, who is recognized as 

 one of the best hardwood salesmen in the market. The acfjuaint 

 ance gradually strength<'ned into ;i close friendship which con- 

 tinued through the years and finally culminated in the formation 

 of the present firm of Maisey & Dion. This business began in 

 190,5. At the beginning, the firm leased an alley from W. (). 

 King on Loomis street just south of Twenty-second street. This 

 space took care of their requirements for only two months, after 

 ■which time two additional alleys were leased from Francis 

 Heidler on the opposite side of Loomis street. These quarters 

 were outgrown in the course of a year, and in 19(16 the Tleafh 

 Witbeck yard, which adjoined, was purchased. While the con- 

 sideration in this purchase amounted to practically ilonble the 

 total working capital of Maisej- & Dion, they had no .lilliculty 

 in commanding sufBcient funds to finance their position, as they 

 already had proved that they could make good in the hardwood 

 vard business, beyond question or doubt. 



This new ))UTchase put them in an e'xceedingly favorable posi- 

 tion as it afforded ideal yard conditions, excellent dock and rail 

 facilities and big lumber sheds. Working under these improved 



Mi.MDKl; CVl 



JOSEPH H. DION 



(See Portrait Supplement.) 



conditions their progress has been phenomenal. The business 

 which started with such modest proportions is now regarded as 

 one of the leading hardwood yards of Chicago. Even during the 

 slack conditions of the last few years, the business of Maisey 

 & Dion has been increasing constantly, and they now carry about 

 forty men on their yard pay roll and have found it necessary 

 to increase thi ir office force. This success undoubtedly is due to 

 the fact that they always have made it their policy to figure on 

 every possible order calling for hardwood lumber. They recon- 

 sign all lumber from their own yards, and by personal supervision 

 of shipments assure the purchaser that he will not be subjected 

 to the annoyance occasioned by differences in grades, which occa- 

 sionally result from direct shipments. 



Mr. Dion has been prominently connected with lumber asso- 

 ciation affairs in Chicago. In 1909 he was elected secretary of the 

 Chicago Hardwood Lumber Exchange, ' and in March, 1911, be- 

 came vice-president of that association. Before that time he had 

 officiated in various capacities. It was through his efforts as 

 chairman of the membership committee that the exchange was 

 built up from a slowly dwindling organization to a powerful fac- 

 tor in the hardwood trade. Upon the consummation of the 

 organization of the Lumbermen's .\ssociation of Chicago last 

 spring, he was elected chairman of division B, embracing the 

 hardwood yards of Chicago. 



On May 10, 1902, Mr. Dion married Miss Anna Dennis in San 

 Francisco, Cal. The couple have two daughters, aged respec- 

 tively seven and four years. Mr. Dion is a member of the May- 

 wood Golf Club and of the Hamilton Club and is treasurer of the 

 Chicago Chess and Checker Club. 



ENGLISH HARDWOOD MARKET SITUATION 



There has lieen vevy little to note of an im]iroved ch:irnc'ter in 

 the English or Continental market for hardwoods for some 

 months. The Timber News of London says that all indications 

 favor higher values for all kinds of oak suitable for high-class 

 ioinery and cabinet work, but low-grade stock shows little or no 

 improvement in )irice. This paper states that Indiana quarter- 

 sawed white oak of the best manufacture is today bringing prices 

 that a year or two ago would never have been thought possible, 

 and argues there is no limit as yet to this upward movement. 

 'ITioroughly dry stock is considered a valuable asset in the timber 

 yards, because it can be sold at a good profit even after allowing 

 for storage cost and interest on investment. 



It notes further the fact that realty good qualities of hard- 

 woods of every kind in good, dry condition, show an advance in 

 prices, as the choicest stock becomes scarcer and scarcer. In 

 ■ liana oak, and alleged Indiana oak, has been the favorite in both 

 plain and quarter-sawed stock in the British market for many 

 years, and all conqiarisons of prices and qualities are made with 

 Indiana stock. The News states that southern white oak is now 

 in good request in medium and l>etter grades, while the poorer 

 qualities are receiving little attention. 



POSSIBLY SUBSIDIZED 



On Nov. 18 a Pennsylvania passenger train running between New 

 York and Philadelphia jumped a switch and four of the seven cars in 

 the train turned over. No passengers were injured, although it was a 

 steel train, and possibly none would have been injured had it been 

 a train made up of wooden cars with reinforced steel under frames, 

 yet the New York World headlines its story of the wreck with "Steel 

 Cars Save 198 of 200 in Wrecked Express," and the conservative 

 New York Sun headlines its story with ''Steel Cars Probably S:i\e 

 .Many Passengers." 



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